Hi @tjunca, I wondered the same thing. We are all different and no two people will have the same recovery. That being said...I was told it would be difficult to raise your arms up to pull on a shirt over your head. That was true, but only for maybe a week. I was able to pull a t-shirt on, just really slooooow, the day I went home. It just feels uncomfortable. They don't want you using your arms much, and lifting anything over ten pounds is a no-no for at least 4-6 weeks. The sternum needs to rest and heal, and if you are one of those people who think it's okay to do whatever you want, you could end up with a gnarly looking scar! I know someone this happened to, and she was not happy about it. It stays like that the rest of your life. So protect your sternum is the mantra to say to yourself over and over.