Microdiscectomy Recovery: My 3-Week Update

Three weeks post-surgery and I’m feeling better than I have in months. I had my follow-up appointment with my surgeon’s PA this week, and everything is looking great. For anyone else going through this, I wanted to share how recovery has been so far—what’s worked, what I’ve learned, and what’s next.

Walking My Way Back as Microdiscectomy Recovery

After the first week of shorter walks, I started increasing my mileage: about a 1.5 mile loop in my neighborhood, 2–3 times a day. Walking quickly became the best part of my day—I could finally move without pain.

I did overdo it once: standing for hours at my birthday party left me sore the next day (champagne probably didn’t help either). So I took it easy, skipped my walks the next day, and gave my body the rest it needed. Lesson learned: celebrations are great, but recovery comes first.

Traveling at Two Weeks

At two weeks post-op, Eric and I took a trip to New York City. I promised myself I’d keep things light, but NYC has a way of making you walk—and I averaged 15,000–20,000 steps a day. I had some muscle soreness around my back, but no nerve pain and no flare-ups.

Eric was my hero with the luggage—he handled the lifting while I focused on walking flat surfaces. I’m sure some people thought I was being a diva not touching my suitcase, but I was just following orders. Better safe than sorry.

Chores and Everyday Life

At home, I’m still avoiding chores that involve bending, lifting, or twisting. Eric has been in charge of laundry and heavy dishes, while I handle the light stuff—top rack glasses, folding clothes, putting things away. It’s been a team effort, and honestly, a reminder that recovery is easier when you ask for help.

The Doctor’s Advice

At my 3-week follow-up, my PA was really pleased with my progress. She reminded me:

• Keep walking. I can’t walk too much, and walking won’t reherniate the disc.

• Keep protecting my back. Still no bending, lifting, or twisting until the 6-week mark.

• No exercise yet. No PT, no stretching, no running—yet. At 6 weeks, I can ease into easier Pilates classes and start a slow run/walk.

• She said I didn't need to do PT once I'm cleared for exercise since I'm doing so well. I've also done enough PT this year, that I know what I need to do, so that's nice to not have to worry about that.

• Other green lights. Pools, hot tubs, and saunas are fine now. Massages have to wait until 2 months post-op.

The best part? I can lift my right leg without pain—something I hadn’t been able to do for months.

Looking Ahead

I haven’t needed pain medication beyond Advil for a little soreness, and I’m still icing after longer walks just to keep inflammation down. With our big trip to Europe coming up in a few weeks, I’m grateful to be almost cleared for everything. I’ll still let Eric handle the heavy lifting (literally), but I’m excited to be pain-free and moving again.

This surgery has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. The pain that controlled so much of my life is gone, and I’m slowly getting back to “regularly scheduled programming.”

✨ Bottom line: If you’re facing microdiscectomy, recovery might feel slow, but walking, patience, and protecting your back really do make a difference. Three weeks in, I’m so glad I did this—and excited for what’s next.