@Konflict I've shared the same emotions as you regarding connective tissue. About two years ago when i became ill, i suffered from Reactive arthritis which morphed into generalised joint pain and Fibromyalgia, and from this point on my joints became extremely weak and prone to constant crepitus. It feels very concerning, and everyone you talk to about it (including doctors) just tell you that it is an ordinary symptom of aging - but nothing is normal about every joint in your body cracking loudly!
I've tried a lot of different protocols since then and feel that I have made some progress in firstly eradicating my Joint pain and Fibromyalgia, now I am just mainly suffering from ME. Also I have strengthened my joints since then. But at the time I went to all kinds of crazy lengths, buying heavy duty braces for my knees as they were weakening and turning inwards. I saw several Physios and Chiropractors who were also concerned and kept telling me to keep going with the doctor to check for things like EDS, MS but all the tests were to no avail 'everything is normal'. Just like you, i was sure that I would need surgery, I even started looking these things up and trying to put some money aside for private surgery.
Anyway, after getting on various vitamins, minerals, probiotics, doing detoxes etc. i feel my body ever so slowly strengthening over the last year and feel a lot more confident now that all those key weak areas have either repaired or they are repairing. Areas that are still weak are my upper spine, my jaw, my knuckles and knees. But before I felt that everything was falling apart; my sternum constantly popped, my whole spine had to be corrected weekly by the Chiropractor, my ankles were really weak and would roll over, my hips were really painful and very weak so I had to constantly maintain a robotic posture, my neck muscles would stiffen and crack and causes loud cracking noises within my skull, there are many more things I could mention too.
So what I am trying to say, is that with the right protocols and correcting the immune system and lowering inflammation, I believe things can get a lot better for you. I can't deny that I am still worried today that permanent damage has been done to joints and my spine and I may never return to that full level of activity that I was at, but I have a lot more hope now for healing