The MRI in late July explained everything. At L4-L5, disc material had pushed out all the way around (a circumferential extrusion), and a thickened ligament squeezed the space further. Nerves were pinched on both sides. L3-L4 had a smaller bulge doing the same. Those nerves feed the sciatic nerve, which runs exactly where I hurt.
The lesson: a normal X-ray doesn’t mean your discs are fine. Pain going down the legs calls for an MRI.
Trying to avoid surgery
Many herniated discs heal without an operation, so I tried physiotherapy, nerve-gliding exercises and no gym. But every good day, I did too much: long walks, swimming. In early August, numbness appeared in both legs. By late August I could walk for about 2 minutes before I had to sit. After 11 weeks I was getting worse, not better.
Choosing the surgery
I saw several specialists, and they didn’t all agree. One recommended open surgery without giving a clear reason. Open surgery removes more muscle and bone. A microscopic discectomy removes the disc material through a small incision using a microscope. I also learned that fusion, permanently joining two vertebrae, is meant for an unstable spine, and mine wasn’t unstable.
I chose microscopic discectomy at L4-L5 only, with no fusion. If you’re facing this decision, ask your surgeon:
- Are you only removing the disc, or also fusing? If fusing, why?
- Why this approach for my case?
- Which levels will you operate on, and why not the others?
- What is the honest recovery timeline?
Surgery and the first weeks
The surgery was on August 29th. What surprised me: the numbness didn’t disappear when I woke up. The surgeon said nerves that have been compressed need time and exercise to recover. By day 9 it was slowly improving, and the important signs were good: no foot drop, normal bladder and bowel. When I stopped the painkillers around day 13, mild pain showed up at the incision, my hip and my calf.
The rules: no sitting on the floor for 6 months, no heavy lifting, desk work after 3 to 4 weeks, and the gym after 6 to 8 weeks. In Bangladesh, where meals and prayer often happen on the floor, that first rule changes daily life.
Where I am now
Six weeks on, the numbness is mostly gone and the pain is gone. Before surgery I could walk for 2 minutes. Now I can walk for an hour.
I’m working normally again, as much as I need to, with one rule from my doctor: take a break every 30 minutes. For now the only exercise is leg raises.
Some things are still off-limits: bending, sitting on the floor, praying on the floor, and riding rickshaws or travelling on bumpy roads. But mostly I just feel relieved and relaxed, something I hadn’t felt since May.
I’ll post a follow-up at six months.
What I’d tell another developer
- Fix your chair. Get lumbar support, put the screen at eye level, and stand up every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Rest means rest. Feeling better isn’t permission to do more.
- Leg pain is a nerve warning. Get it checked properly.
- Know the red flags. Loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin, or weakness that keeps getting worse means you need emergency care.
- Ask why. Understand your MRI, and get another opinion if something doesn’t add up.
A final note
If you’re in the middle of this, it does get better. Be patient, and keep asking questions.
I’m a developer, not a doctor. This is my personal experience, not medical advice.