I had a diskectomy done in 2006, and am happy with the outcome.
The nerve pain was gone pretty much immediately.
However, the muscle/tissue recovery was a slow, gradual process (lots of muscle spasms in the beginning). After about 2 years I was back to running a sub-12 minute 1.5 miles. I know...that's no land speed record, but it was my indication that I was finally "healed."
Everyone's recovery is different. Don't half-@$$ your physical therapy, but don't over do it either.
Hey...we're not 20 years old anymore. Don't expect miracles, but trust that you will be better off having the procedure done.