When you start to feel a bit better, go back to the activity progression chart to remind yourself what you can expect to be able to do. I'm happy you're seeing progress! That's a great feeling!
For TKRs.
Activities of Daily Living are assessed in hospital as a means of assessing your fitness to be discharged home. Your domestic circumstances will be taken into account as in if you are living alone, etc.
ADLs include:
~ Personal hygiene and grooming
~ Dressing and undressing
~ Functional transfers, e.g. Getting out of bed
~ Voluntarily controlling bladder and bowel elimination
~ Ambulation (Walking or using a wheelchair)
~ Housework
~ Meal Preparation
~ Care of pets
~ Meal preparation and cleanup
Walking and other activity
Walking is about the best exercise you can do but again, you need to moderate your time and distance.
Always use your walker, crutches or canes as appropriate, only moving from one to the other as you gain confidence.
Don't be despondent if you have to go back once in a while in the early days.
Week 1
Minimal PT, just gentle heel slides and a 2-3 leg lifts before you get out of bed in the morning
Heel slides and how to do them
Walking around the house - trips to the bathroom and kitchen are included!
Be up on your feet several times a day as you need to but don't get obsessive about it
A 5-6 minute walk every 3-4 hours is plenty
Week 2 - add to previous
Start on a plan of walks around the house 3-4 times a day for about 5 minutes but don't
a) get obsessive about it
b) get into too much pain and
c) get too tired. Stop before you get to that point.
Week 3 - add to previous
Lengthen the walks to about 5-10 minutes as before
Activity: prepare yourself a small meal or a snack
Weeks 4 and 5 - add to previous
Increase walks to out in the garden or street; to 20mins or longer if you feel up to it.
Additionally activity:
Gather a little bit of laundry, or put it in the machine OR take it out but not all of it
Now you can do a little dusting and tidying; do a little meal prep (for yourself not the entire family!)
Weeks 6 and onward - add to previous
Start taking car trips to the shops but keep them short and sweet at the start, no longer than 15-20 minutes
Take at least one 5 minute rest while you are out.
Activity: a very little ironing, washing, meal prep but get someone else to clear up after. Wash up but someone else clears the table, brings you the dirty dishes, dries and puts them away after, NOT you!!
Week 10 add to previous
Bed making and changing sheets, cleaning bedrooms etc., can wait now by which time, all things being well, you should pretty much
start getting back to normal but don't rush it. If you do and you start getting pain and stiffness in your knee, that's a sign your knee doesn't appreciate what you're doing, that you're rushing ahead too fast. Slow down, right down, and start again. This stage might last until week 14 or even 16 but if it takes a even longer, don''t worry about it.
New Zealand
. I did call my OS with concerns of fever popping up to 101 yesterday and a small amount of drainage and bleeding from incision. He wants to see me on Thursday just to make sure it's not something to worry about. Was so happy today because I was able to get in and out of the shower by myself and lift my leg without help, only a few inches but it's improvement! Extension without forcing it is at 5 and ROM is at 80! Feeling much better finally seeing some progress, just have to keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race and not to over do it now that I am starting to recover. 
