You can have a good amount of pain with a meniscal tear. Especially if you are on your feet all day taking care of people. The MRI is your best bet to find out how much damage is done and what needs to be done to correct it. It is possible that you may need more than just a repair and this may lengthen the time that you have to spend away from work.
Usually, a meniscus repair will take 6-8 weeks to heal completely however, most people can resume walking in about a week after the surgery. Your job may agree to let you have a desk job during that time.
I total knee replacement can be 6 weeks to 3 months for complete recovery depending on the type of surgery that you have.
My advice is to get the MRI and find out what is needed before making your decision. Without the surgery, you may be worse off later on in life when most people struggle to use their legs/knees to walk. I have added some links for more detailed information on both of these surgeries:
SCOI Presents Total Knee ReplacementHSS - HSS - Newsroom: New Knee Replacement Reduces Recovery Time TORN CARTILAGE (MENISCUS)If this answer helps please hit the accept button. Thank you and good luck.
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