What ever you do. See if they can to the needle surgery first. Most everyone that has it. Can be up and about fast. I have had 2 surgery. First one lasted 7 months. Then scar tissue screwed it up. So the second one was done. I have times where getting around is good. Then times like the last 7+ Weeks out of the house one time per week. And that's to the doctors office.
But I'm also STUPID. First time I hurt it, they tried to get me to let them fix it. But I told them no. Grit my teeth and went on for 12 years. Got where I could not lift my left foot off the floor. And that disk parts had eaten up the nerves. Had 3 doctors tell me, if you had done it years ago. You may have had a chance. So please don't be STUPID and keep going.
Also do only what they tell you to do. I mean don't care how well you feel a couple of weeks after Surgery. Do not do anything they don't tell you to do.

Gary if they would only let us have Vioxx . When it was on the market. I was to the point of not hurting. Even back to working. But a few weeks after they took it off the market. And the Heart attack. I was back to taking pain pills that did not stop the pain. Just dulled it down, like it does now.

As for the Steel Hitting Jimmy in the head. I hear that plate steel was warped so bad they had to run a train over it. And then it was still wrapped around a shape like his head.