Patient patient update time again. I went back to UCSF today to see the plastic surgeon for a follow up. I finally got the last three drains out, which is a HUGE relief. The doc seemed very happy with how things turned out overall, and said that I should let things settle for another month and come back and see him again. He wasn't worried about any of the swelling or bruising or bumps and lumps and reassured me that everything looked great and we'd fix any and all issues with one last follow-up surgery in the fall sometime (which will not require any drains or even an overnight stay in the hospital). He also cleared me for lifting a little more, gentle stretching and raising my arms above my head (as long as it doesn't hurt me to do it), and said I could drive whenever it felt comfortable to twist and turn. I even specifically asked about handpan playing (which caused him to look up what a handpan was on his phone, and he seemed impressed) and he said it would be fine. The only thing he specifically told me to avoid for at least another month is "lifting heavy things", which in this case I think means anything heavier than a handpan. ;)
I think the key is to ease back in to things slowly and pay attention to how my body feels as I do things. If it hurts, don't do it. For example, I still can't quite stand up straight, but I can try to do so more actively now without fear of tearing or damaging anything internal as long as I stop when it gets too uncomfortable. I'm really hoping that by some time next week I'll be able to walk for some decent distance without my back muscles killing me from supporting my hunched over posture. And maybe even be able to sleep on just a couple pillows instead of the big foam wedge I've been using. That would be awesome.
So okay, a bunch more patience and one more time under the knife and hopefully this reconstructive journey will be both finished and satisfactory. Slow and steady wins the race.