Ada,
I always tell them to take my BP on my right arm because the left is the side that has the problems. I've had too many different surgeries to count also, since 2002 and I haven't really had any problems afterward as far as aggravating my symptoms. But I had a really good ear, nose, and throat dr. who had to remove a nodule on one of my vocal cords a couple of years ago and during my surgery my head and neck were going to have to be in a bent backwards position and he was very good about asking me if that was going to cause a problem and make my neck worse- in fact, he asked several times. That's the first dr. I've had that seemed to "get it" and be concerned about aggravating my condition.