20yrs old with severe knee pain?

I'm only 20 and my knees and hips give me so much pain that I get home and go straight to bed. I work in a nursery with 14 babies under 12 months so I am constantly getting up and down from the floor picking up babies, feeding them, changing etc. Not to mention I played softball and basketball for over 7 years.

I love my job, it has kept me going and as soon as I walk through the door I can put all my problems behind me and all that matters is those precious sweet children and whatever they need. I just dont know how long I can go through this pain before I visit a doctor and I dont want them to tell me that I shouldn't do my job anymore. That's the only reason I haven't made an appointment yet.

I seriously feel like i have old lady bones in my legs. I cant even close the recliner on my couch without groaning and having to give some serious effort to get through the pain. Even as I lay here in bed I am not pain free. The only thing that helps me is smoking marijuana which is illegal in my state.

Disclaimer, I have never been and will never be high at work. I only smoke a tiny pinch of marijuana in a pipe around 11pm to ease the pain enough for me to go to sleep. I tried CBD and all it did was put me in a really irritable mood, but marijuana has helped me. I dont want a doctor to think I am seeking medication, I just need help with my knees. I would honestly rather have surgery than take any kind of pain pills.

I just dont know what to do. I hate being in so much pain at my age and I'm terrified about how much worse it will be when I'm older.