Home and Gentle Exercises

I've been sent home with a set of exercises that I have to do 4 times each, 4 times a day, indefinitely. This is to retain range of movement in my shoulder following surgery. (It's not the surgery to remove the lump that's the problem: I also had lymph nodes removed from under the arm to check if the cancer's spread)
The exercises include putting my hand on the back of my head and moving my elbow backwards and forwards. And holding my arm out to the side, fingers straight, bending and flexing my wrist. Try it. Did you feel as silly as I do?
It's a wait now (about 3 weeks) for the results of the op: they examine all the tissue to make sure they've got all the cancer and if it's spread. Then after that they tell me exactly what they're going to do. Meanwhile I can't drive for 3 - 4 weeks, I should be off work 6-8 weeks. My arm is feeling numb in places as nerves have been cut. I've got to be careful not to cut/burn/otherwise damage my left arm for the rest of my life, as lymphoedema is a possible side effect of the surgery. And I can't wear deodrant for about 2 weeks. However P has a bad cold and E hasn't complained yet...