Thank you. I am stretching my hamstrings recently and they are tight. I will keep stretching. There are a lot of good stretch videos on YouTube. I have not noticed my knees getting cold but I will bear that in mind since I have googled that disease and it sounds horrible, that I may be starting to get it.
I also think I have some success with glucosamine and pulling on my knees by going for rides using only my upswing using cleated pedals. I recommend that you give that a try
as I write here, before you die or get your knees replaced.
I may try the pedal shaft extenders, but as I write above, I think that my toe-in stance suggests I am attempting to ride in a narrower Q factor.
That said, I have thought that I have wide hips before since hollow saddles are so important to me, and perhaps the toe-in stance was just poor cleat adjustment. I have ordered a pair of the extenders, since it should not hurt to try them out briefly, especially in view of the severity of the issue, as you kindly point out.