yardwork post DS ?

 How long after a lap DS with gallbladder removal and hernia repair can somebody mow the lawn? use an electric weed eater? shovel? Push a spreader? what about pruning , removing grass and weeding the flower beds?
     I am the yard person in my family as hubby has no time or desire and would leave everything in its natural west texas dead and brown state if up to him. I have worked alot on my garden putting in beds and lots of plants to get it where it is now. I was wondering how long after sugery will I be able to tend to my garden again. I would have hate to have worked so hard and spent over $1000 on plants for them all to just die from neglect.. ( which they will without a person watering them as we dont get rain very often in the desert and my plants are NOT xerascape or whatever...  
      Ill need to train a lawnboy maybe. lol. 

Ami
     

Follow your surgeon's recommendation, but I would say about a month. You will particularly want to avoid anything that uses your abdominal muscles.

I think I'd start training that lawn boy! Really, find a kid in the neighborhood, and give him a few bucks to do it. There's normally a few of them looking for extra summer spending money. Good luck on your surgery.
I have an appointment with Dr. Stewart, after his seminar, on June 30th. Only bad thing is, I know it will have to be open, because of old surgeries and it's a revision. (And that's after the appeal.)Anyway....Find that lawn boy!
Marsha

I was told 6 weeks at the least for anything to do with stomach muscles, including holding my grandson (hard one for me!).  I didn't have gallbladder or hernia repair so my guess will be longer than that, esspecially with the hernia repair.  I'd call and ask doc for specifics. 

Within a week you could probably set out the sprinkler or stand there with a hose and mist the plants as you'd like. But I'd wait for all that other stuff until later. Might get a little overgrown, but certainly not die!

Probably, that is. Depending on how good your recovery is.

And yeah speaking of lawn boys ask around to see if there are any industrious pre-teens/teenagers who can help out. You can get out a lawn chair and lord over their actions while soaking in some sun for an up in vitamin D!

I would think that 6 weeks would be ample for most of the tasks you do, with the exception of the heavy lifting.  Even if your hubby doesn't *do* lawnwork, doesn't mean he can't help you with the heavy lifting.  Trust me, after my surgery ( I was open) I wasn't out there dying to mow our yard.  I'd say be ready to enlist help where possible.  I had my hubby pulling the mower to start it for me that first summer after my DS, and then I would do the mowing.  I just didn't want to put that kind of pressure on my abdominal muscles so soon after surgery.  You can find a way to modify most anything, and ask for help when you're in doubt!

Lori

The rule is no more than 8 lbs for 8 weeks, but I vote longer than that.  I busted a hernia a year and a half post op because I thought I was Wonder Woman.  If you're all concerned about your yard, then wait until fall to get the DS where your yard won't need you for a while.  Don't by any means think you'll be keeping up this summer if you get it done this month.