Hello everyone! I have had TOS since May 13, 1998. I won't go into my long history of doctor appointments, tests, and general frustration - many of you know what I'm talking about.

I have surgery scheduled here in Houston in July 2010. Now that surgery is scheduled, I have been doing more research online, and now I'm getting a little bit frightened about the recovery time. I'm using my vacation days - 2 weeks - and then can be gone from work for about another week, and then my paycheck is lowered if I miss more work.

I basically work a desk type job, so I could come back after three weeks, with limited mobility. My boss understands that I won't be 100%.

My doctor has stated that he will be removing my top rib.

My TOS is on my left side, and I'm left handed, which makes life very challenging.

Any advice, thoughts, and general comments would be greatly appreciated!

Dimpls