Welcome to Chordie Marshel! Any friend of UJB, is a friend of ours! Hopefully this means we'll get to meet you either at the gathering we hold in NY or the one Joe does in PA! By the time one or the other comes around, you should be healed up well by then and back at the strings! 
I haven't had surgery - but I know the beginnings of that evilness. I had some problems at one point as I type - A LOT. I was also working as a cosmetologist, so lots of repetitive hand movements. I was using two hands to carry my coffee cup to prevent dropping them on the floor, I was wearing wrist splints at night, and compression sleeves during the day. The numbness and pain was nerve wracking. I found that better ergonomics made a lot of it go away, along with learning certain massage techniques in the hands to relieve pressure. Now a days, it's a "so far, so good" type of deal - I don't have too many issues now. However, it's probably only a matter of time before the issues begin again and I'll need the surgery as well because ergonomics can only go so far for hand related issues. Thus far, it hasn't seemed to affect me when playing the guitar, my hands are more bothered by typing than anything else I do. Every time it tries to start back up, I reassess my ergonomics and change a few things around.
My mother was a waitress from the 70's through the last few years. You don't see it so often now, but up through the 90's when I was too a waitress it was no biggie to carry 8 plates on a big ole tray supported by your shoulder and wrist. Or at a diner, to carry for plates balanced on one arm, wrist and hand! She had surgery, at one point, took it easy with the trays and plates for about a year, and then went right back into carrying trays like she used to (maybe without the full 8 plates though on the big tray - that's a LOT of weight). It worked wonders for her.
Sounds like you'll be picking up your instruments soon enough! Glad to have you aboard!
He was a really nice guy. We had some private chats via email a few times, he he truly cared for the people here. Never was mean to anyone, always a kind word. Even when he didn't know an answer, if he saw a thread ignored he'd post on it so people didn't feel like they were being ignored. Despite his comments all the time that he couldn't sing, I still wish he'd have put a recording up... or could have made it to the East coast for one of the gatherings as he so badly wanted to join in on. 
I am pretty sure you covered it too!
Amie was a clear winner, and frankly I'm glad I get to listen to everyone sing to me now (even if it is spelled differently).