Well my surgery is scheduled for Monday August 31st. It's actually a quick outpatient procedure, taking about an hour. They'll just be removing the herniated tissue from the disc, but they are leaving the disc in. This is not fusion. A couple days at home resting, 4-6 weeks recovery time (taking it easy), then 2-4 weeks therapy, and I should be back to perfect! I still won't be able to do heavy lifting, but should be able to get back to everything else.