Please give your experiences regarding recovery from any type of open heart surgery?

My husband is 65. In May he had a valve replacement and an ascending aortic aneurysm repair. Although he is of course under the care of doctors, we just would like to know what the experience of others is in their recovery. He still has pain in his chest, which they say is normal, along with feelings of numbness which is also, apparently normal. He feels very anxious about what he can and can't do. Also, he has trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep.