Need advise on how to minimize re-injuring myself as I slowing re-start my fitness regime?

I’ve finally recovered enough to slowly re-start running after injuring my knees and surgery for compartment syndrome. It was no problem recovering from the surgery but the kneecap problems plagued me. <Cross my fingers> I think I’ve recovered enough from that to re-start my fitness programme.

I started running this week and I’ve been taking it very slow. I’m not having any pain in my knees. Great. I’m slowly working up to running more than I walk.

I’d like to re-start weight training (which got me into trouble with my kneecaps). I’m fine with arms and abs but I am terrified to bend my knee in any way that may re-injure it. What sucks about that is that many of my weight bearing exercises use the gluts and quadriceps. I’m thinking of re-starting my weights in a couple of weeks, after re-establishing a good running routine with no problems. Then starting the squats and step ups with no weights and weeks and weeks of time before adding tiny amounts of weights.

Does this sound like a good plan? I really, really really don’t want to re-injure myself.