In this video I’m sharing a quick health/life update: my microdiscectomy experience and what my first two weeks post-op looked like. I dealt with sciatica for 2+ years before choosing surgery, and I tried physical therapy, epidural injections, and light stretching/exercises first. Nothing truly changed my pain level, and as a (still kind of) new mom, all the constant picking up and down didn’t help. I’m not here to convince you to get surgery—this is a deeply personal decision—but I wanted to document what it was like for me. I had surgery right after Christmas under general anesthesia, which honestly made it feel a lot less intimidating. The first week was rough: incision pain, soreness, weakness, and even basic things like getting out of bed or using the restroom were challenging. I didn’t shower for a week and needed help with everyday tasks. By week two, things started looking up—less incision pain, bandage off, showering again, walking faster, and I got off pain meds to better understand my real pain. My nerve pain wasn’t gone yet (tingling in my thigh/butt, limited sitting/standing), and my biggest takeaway is to take it slow and compare progress in 10-day chunks, not day-by-day. I also share what I would’ve done differently: invest in a good mattress, get up every hour, and consider a standing desk.