@chicagolinda
Congratulations! A new knee is coming your way soon. I have had both my knees replaced, one in 2019, the other 2020. At this point I am very happy with both new knees.
The pain I had before the surgery was terrible. It got to the point that when I was in so much pain when walking I would cry. No fun for sure.
The surgery is tough. I was in pain for at least 10 days. They give you physical therapy soon after surgery, and the stretching hurts but it’s necessary. There is bruising up and down the leg too. That adds to the discomfort.

Everyone is different so there’s no one size fits all answer here. Just be prepared for the first few weeks to be tough, and then you will get better day by day.
Best wishes