Beth, staying ahead of the pain will help greatly and if you are sensitive to the narcotics, there are other alternatives like Tramadol. What helped me greatly in managing my pain was icing and elevating the toes above the nose. A king size pillow was the ideal size and kept my knee relatively straight and supported. Did your ortho send you home with a cryotherapy machine or cold pack knee wrap by chance?
As for the PT, let your therapist know what your goals are and have a program tailored for your needs. PT does not have to be excruciatingly painful and if the therapist is forcing your knee beyond what you can tolerate, stop! Fresh, post-op knees do not like to be pushed hard and they will become angry and swell, thereby slowing your recovery progress. There is a fine line to finding the right amount of therapy: too little and too much will result in an unhappy knee.
