I know someone who had that surgery in early March. She was back on her feet pretty quickly, but felt tired for about 4-6 weeks afterward the procedure. Not able to drive for about a month and then only short trips for a while. She lives near a shopping mall and was going there every day to walk around and build her strength back up since the weather was not great for being outdoors at the time. I saw her a month after the procedure, when she traveled to DC for a weekend visit; she wore a cervical brace for part of the day but not all of it. She said most people are out of work for 3 months during recovery, though she's out 4 months due to the physical requirements of her job. The very good news is that she did not have pain after the surgery and the pain she had before is gone.