At the very least, you should go see the surgeon and get x-rays done. Until then, you really don't know what you are dealing with and you are making a decision without all the facts.
I know what you are going through. I don't want to put my pup through surgery, either, but now that I know what is going on inside of the joint I know there isn't any choice.
Mine started limping over the weekend, and I was able to get her in to see the surgeon on Wednesday. By that time, she seemed to be doing SO much better. She even managed to bolt out of the exam room with the surgeon chasing behind her and he didn't catch up with her for a good ways.
I really thought that I would hear that it wasn't that serious and it would be a "wait and see, rest the joint" diagnosis, but I went anyway so that I would definitely know what was going on. Was I ever wrong, and the x-rays proved it. That ligament just isn't there anymore, and the joint is all out of whack. It's incredible what they can put up with.
At least go get the x-rays done, so that you aren't making a decision blindly.