L5/s1 herniation now approved for surgery

So I’ve been dealing with this pain for almost 5 months with no improvement and after exhausting all conservative treatments I’ve now been approved for surgery. My neurologist was extremely helpful and said there was no pressure to do the surgery if I didn’t want to, but I most likely wouldn’t improve without it. I finally got to see my MRI today and my l3/4 disc was completely black and I could see my l5/s1 which was a massive bulge pushing directly out onto my spinal cord which explains me not improving at all. I couldn’t take a photo but I just wanted to say that I was originally told I had a very minor bulge that would heal itself… that wasn’t the case at all. I’ve been advised to continue with pt for the next few weeks to help with the inflammation until my surgery date is scheduled. I must admit, I’m petrified of getting the surgery and I’m needing some words of encouragement. Will it be less painful than what I’m currently going through after it’s done? How quickly will I recover? Thank you 🙏