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Recovery wait after abdominal surgery

On Thursday the 26th of September I underwent major abdominal surgery due to an adhesion in my intestines caused by scar tissue from a previous operation in 2010. I was released from hospital on Wednesday the 10th of October and was told not to do any sports or heavy lifting for a minimum of 6 weeks. It then came to my attention that playing an instrument after abdominal surgery could cause a hernia and was told by a friend's mother (who is a GP, but not a musician herself) to wait for 6 weeks before playing my clarinet. The problem is that on the 26th of October I am due to go on tour with the county wind band, playing the bass clarinet, and so I was determined to look for more evidence against waiting the 6 weeks. I found that some forums, asking questions about different surgery and different instruments, ranged between 2 and 4 weeks, but even they didn't seem sure. If anyone knows the answer to how long I should wait (and whether I will be able to go on tour), or some tips on gradually getting my playing back or taking it easy, that would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
I would advise against going to the internet for medical advice from musicians who are not doctors and are not familiar with the specifics of your surgery. My suggestion would be to schedule a check-up a few days before the tour and have your physician determine how safe it would be to blow a bass clarinet. You might even take your instrument with you to demonstrate exactly what is involved since some doctors have no experience when it comes to wind instruments. Good luck.
 
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