Recovering from distal biceps tendon tear/repair

Last October, I took a weird fall in the climbing gym where I "shock-loaded" my left elbow in an undercling position. I knew immediately based on the sound/feeling that something was wrong, and got an MRI a few days later which showed a >75% tear of my bicep tendon. Normally surgery is recommended ASAP for this injury because a fully ruptured tendon retracts into the bicep, which makes it more complicated to repair and can lead to worse outcomes. Because my tendon was still hanging on by a thread, I had my surgery ~5 weeks later. I had the single incision/"endo-button" procedure.

From from what I gathered from many nights of Googling (and from what my surgeon told me), I was expecting a fairly straightforward recovery where I would eventually be able to return to my previous level of climbing. For three months after the surgery, I barely loaded my left arm at all (nothing heavier than a cup of coffee); since mid Feb, I've been cleared to start strengthening exercises and resume light climbing.

What's bothering me is that after about 6 weeks of a decent volume of PT (including lots of bicep curls and weighted forearm supination), I haven't made any measurable improvements in strength. Also, some of these exercises feel pretty bad. I know a little pain is expected when rehabbing an injury (and maybe even a good sign), but this is less muscle pain and more tendon pain. Basically, I'm worried that either my surgery didn't adequately address the original injury, or I somehow re-injured myself after surgery without realizing it.

I'm hoping to hear from other folks who have had this injury/surgery to figure out if I'm overreacting. What was your recovery like? When did you start loading your bicep, and what did it feel like? How quickly did your strength return? And if it felt bad when you started using it, how long did it take for it to feel normal again?

Thanks in advance for your input.

I tore my distal bicep years ago. Similar scenario, as I was on a strong underlying move when I heard it tear. Anyhow I had surgery roughly 4 or 5 weeks after the rupture. My recovery was straightforward. I didn't climb for 6 weeks after the surgery and then did some easy top roping and slowly ramped back up. I used pain as an indicator of what not to do. I made sure to stay away from hard underclings and still do to this day. I'm bouldering and route climbing harder than ever. You'll be fine. Paranoia is part of the healing process. You may have recovered too much as most data now suggests that no activity for soft tissue damage is the wrong way to heal. But I'm optimistic that you'll heal up and that it won't be long until you have forgotten about the injury altogether. Keep your chin up. Positive attitudes will speed up the healing process. Good luck! 

6 weeks without progress doesn't seem right. What does your PT think of your progress? During the initial PT assessment, some short-term and long-term goals should have been specified, including anticipated timelines. What were they, and have they been met?

I'm in the throws of dealing with a partial tear of the subscapularis.. Who wants to go swimming!