Just wanted to add my surgery and drug experiences. About two years ago I had a hurniated L4-L5 disc that basically crippled me, couldn't walk, stand up remotely straight, sleep for more than an hour or so at a time etc. Before I knew what the problem was (most of my pain was through my hip and down my leg) my doctor gave me hydrocodone and then oxycodone, which did absolutely nothing for the pain, but helped me to sleep 2-3 hours at a time. Lived through this hell for about 6 months until I could diagnose and get surgery in. I remember waking up after surgery with a sore neck and throat, bad pain in my back and just laughing because it felt so good comparatively. I mean if they wouldn't have been able to fix it I would not have wanted to keep living.
The Saturday after the most recent thanksgiving I went to stand up and felt like I got stabbed in the back, similar pain as before but not quite so debilitating. This time it was the L3-L4 disc, and I had surgery this past Wednesday. On some oxy to help sleep, but otherwise it's not bad. But the pooping thing is serious business. Take Mira lax and either colace or dulcolax every day or the stomach pain will be terrible (learned that from my first surgery)
My surgeon still doesn't understand why I am having so many disc problems, usually multiple disc hurniations result from an extremely physical job, obesity, or some sort of trauma, none of which apply to me. Guess I'm just lucky.