My mom had surgery june 07 lower left lobe removed. Recovery was slow to start. Had problems with lung staying inflated after discharge from hospital, they found that and afterwords was good recovery. she worked her way to doing most things again as pre surgery. Still gets winded and tired but gains strength daily. I think recovery depends on type of surgery (my mom had vats) and the person. Pain management is important too. The better the pain management, the better the recovery (easier to rest,less tense) hope this helps