I had the back surgery 3 weeks ago, a microdiscectomy to remove a chunk of disc between the L5/S1 vertebrae. As predicted, as soon as that chunk of disc was removed the pressure came off of that nerve and the pain went away! This is very good! I still have a noticeable muscle atrophy in my left calf, and I can't bend over or lift more than 10 lbs, so this is still a bit frustrating.
The good news is that I finally finished grad school! Actually the last day of class is Oct 11 and they will mail me the diploma in December, but I finished all of the coursework. My shiny new degree is an MBA in Finance and I'm graduating cum laude (I finished undergrad thankya laude)
So now I feel good and have lots more free time but still can't do anything. It is what it is, I guess!