Bicep injury recovery advice

[Goll65]

June 18th 2012 while deadlifting i tore my left bicep tendon( alternate grip , left was underhand). Any how had surgery doing well, starting rehab and stuff, but my doctor says it takes over a year to heal completely. I want to progress and am willing to go as slow as necessary, but would like to ask advice of the people on here who have had this injury or people in the medical field who have dealt with this that are lifters. The reason I ask is this doctor, who did a great job with the surgery and such, has never lifted. He says I'm too old to lift heavy ( i just turned 31), and to do morehigh reps and cardio. I just hate this because it limits all my upperb body exercises, because I cant use it as an antagonist muscle either to go heavy on presses. Please help.

[ScottYard]

Did you tear it at the elbow or shoulder?

[Goll65]

elbow the doc said those were worse and required surgery while the other didnt necessarily