From a practical stand point, you may have to do some self doctoring. I have a torn meniscus with the body fragmented and medially extruded, a chronically torn ACL, severe tricompartment chondromalacia and osteophytosis, plus Bakers cyst, etc., etc.. In short, I need a new knee. I also have a blown out L5 disc, so I have some amazing back spasms. I have been working with this since March of 2014. I will not be able to retire for a year, so I have had to learn to adapt. I am not a candidate for surgery due to other issues. Here is what I've learned to do to keep working.
I mostly do merchandising work. I choose small jobs, with multiple locations. It gives me a rest between stores driving. Driveline, Advantage Solutions, SAS Retail, American Greetings and Anderson Merchandising all have current openings in Nebraska. You can go to NEworks.gov to see what is available in your area. Most have small work. You won't get rich, but it can be steady work.
I use KT tape to keep my knee in place. A wonderful physical therapist showed me how to tape my knee in place. It actually pops out of place and locks the leg up. Like a lightning bolt going through your leg. Here's the web site that shows you how to do it. My knee when I get up in the morning is 2 inches larger than the other one, and it swells as the day goes on, so I can't use a brace.
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www.kttape.com]
I use a rollater walker (you can walk with it, then sit on it if you need a break). When it isn't practical to use the walker, I am leaning on a shopping cart to walk and work. Check Craigslist or a thrift shop for a reasonably priced one. Some places will even give you one.
I take an anti-inflammatory ( Ibuprophan 800) first thing in the morning any day that I am working.
I self limit my day by how bad it gets. I may only be able to work 1-2 hours on some days, and may have to do 7 days in a row to get all my work done. If I have a great day, I may get 5 hours in working. It is a pain, figuratively and literally, but I have to work. A flexible icepack is always used when I get home.
Hope this gives you some hope that a buggered up knee isn't the end of your ability to get around.
Depending on your car, maybe Uber or Lyft could be an option for you?
Good Luck