Ravenred,
My thymectomy surgery was July 2010. The surgery was a partial upper sternotomy, no complications, no tumor(just hyperplasia) and I was out of the hospital the following day. I'm not going to lie, that first week was the most pain I've ever experienced in my life. You don't realize that you use your chest for every move your body makes. At the hospital they should give you a small pillow, carry it with you everywhere, hug it to your chest when you cough or sneeze. I went back to work after a month and that was probably too soon. Definitely no driving for 3 weeks.
Let me know if you have any more concerns or questions and I"ll try to help!