When can I do that again after surgery?

There's no single legal date — you can drive again once you're off sedating painkillers, can perform an emergency stop without hesitating, and aren't limited by your wound or a sling/cast. After keyhole surgery that's often 1–2 weeks; after a hip or knee replacement or open surgery it's commonly 4–6 weeks. Always check your own car-insurance policy and your surgeon's advice, because cover can be void if you drive against medical advice.

“Heavy” usually means more than about 10 lb / 5 kg — a full kettle or a shopping bag. After abdominal, hernia or open surgery, lifting too soon can cause a hernia or pull the wound apart, so many surgeons advise waiting 4–6 weeks (longer after major open or chest surgery). Build back up gradually rather than going straight to your old limits.

A useful rule of thumb is that if you can comfortably manage moderate activity like climbing two flights of stairs, you can usually manage sex. After gynaecological surgery, a C-section or a hip replacement there are specific waits (often about 6 weeks, and avoiding certain positions after a hip replacement), so follow the advice for your operation and wait until any bleeding or wound discomfort has settled.

No. These are typical recovery ranges to help you plan and ask the right questions — they are not permission to do anything. Your own surgeon, your discharge sheet and how you're actually healing always come first, and recovery varies a lot from person to person. Nothing you enter here is saved.