I have recently been diagnosed with moderate tricompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee

Hello Anon

Thank you for posting.

I think it's ok to "tough out" certain things - a cold or menstrual pain or even a headache, because these issues are temporary. But OA of the knee is progressive if not treated, and can lead to a full knee replacement.

The knee comes in three parts and one, two or all three can be affected. Because you tricompartmental OA, all three part of the knee are affected, meaning you have a more serious case of OA of the knee. There is no cure for OA.

A brace may be able to help, as well as medications, low impact exercise (walking and swimming are examples) and changes in lifestyle. A demanding physical job like yours may not be conducive to managing this kind of OA, and you just experienced an example of why your work may be too much for you.
Toughening something out that is temporary is fine but you have a permanent condition that only gets worse if ignored. You need to talk with your doctor about managing your OA and what steps you need to take to stabilize your knee.
Best,
Susan