Well, 2 1/2 weeks into PT with no overall improvement in the leg. Sometimes (usually mornings) the pain seems lessened, but often (generally afternoons on) it's worse. The back pain does seem better overall, which is in keeping with what the neurosurgeon and PT both expected, so I think the exercises are helping in that regard at least.

Now that I'm looking more seriously at surgery, the naturopath/alignment experts in my acquaintance are telling me vociferously that I'm far too young for surgery, should look at fixing my posture, should walk more and avoid sitting; PT is only one non-surgical option; have I tried [X]?; and so on. There are days when I function more or less normally and think, "this isn't bad enough to merit surgery." And then I realize that I still can't ride or play tennis or hop off a low garden wall, and getting out of bed means grabbing a wall in anticipation of a surge of pain -- and I'm overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of the limitations. I come close to tears trying to justify the surgical option when people suggest yet another alternative. Maybe there is more I should do -- walk in the pool, take ibuprofen religiously, get acupuncture. But at what point is it enough?

Well, that update devolved into a whine-fest. Sorry. :/ Thanks for being so understanding earlier.