I have lupus and fibromyalgia, as well as some pretty severe injuries from a car accident. I broke both of my arms and lost half of my right heel. I was in PT for many months. I had radial nerve palsy in both hands(my hands were paralyzed...) for about 3 months. My hand therapist was wonderful. She got me back into shape so I could not only feed and dress myself, but write and quilt, etc. I still have problems every now and then, mostly with the lupus symptoms, but my arms ache horribly from time to time and my foot hurts all the time. If you love to quilt and you have the fortitude to stick with the physical therapy, you will be able to quilt again.
Good luck with your surgery--and my prayers are with you too!