Melissa,
Please look up my post "thymectomy what to expect - in detail". I cover the hospital stay etc. I found that the first 7-10 days were the worst for pain but I managed with advil and tylenol. I did not lift anything including my kiddies for six weeks and did not drive during that time as well. I kept my pillow with me for the first three weeks. Sneezing will be the worst but it does get better. I would say I started to feel somewhat normal at the three week mark and was back to full mom duty by six weeks. Any questions just let me know. ~ Melanie