I see that your post here is a few months old, but thought I'd comment anyway about your concerns of recovery from rib resection surgery - just in case you're still battling with the idea. I was REALLY nervous about this too while facing surgery with a small business, side job, five kids, and a household to run. I actually planned for a few months of recovery, flew my mother down from Washington to help out, and basically "signed out" of life for a few months.

My surgery was on May 1st. First week was hell and jam-packed with pain medication. Second week was 100% better but still recovering and having a lot of pain. Third week I started feeling human again and even wanted to drive, type, and work a little. Now I'm trying to hold myself down to not overdo it, but I can't believe how quickly I'm recovering. Hoping the nagging (but relatively minor) pains, etc. won't last forever, but overall I'm very pleased. The venous and arterial blood flow is restored, so my surgery was a success as far as I'm concerned.

I know that every person's situation, diagnosis, prognosis, and recovery process is completely different, but hopefully my input will help you out. Good luck with whatever you decide. Hang in there!