Larry, Don provided you with some very sound advice - walk as much as you can. Don rides around in a golf cart, but he has to get off the cart in order to hit the ball, so I guess that counts as walking.

The pain and tenderness usually goes away in about 30 to 60 days after the procedure, but the anxiety will likely last much longer, which is understandable. Fortunaely, the procedure is far less invasive and traumatic than it was when I worked in that facet of the medical field and the recovery period is much shorter.

If you have access to a treadmill, a recumbent bike and some arm dumbbells, use them daily at home and you may be able to avoid going to physical therapy. Long before there were physical therapy centers in our area, we provided patients with instructions on how to do their own physical therapy at home. And, we sent a nurse to see them three days a week from the Visiting Nurses Association to keep tabs on their progress. Most of the patients stuck to their guns and did very well for many, many years after the surgery.

Good luck,

Gary