not good news. how big is the bulge?
my advice: explore all your options prior to surgery - you want to avoid it if other solutions exist, but once all other options are exhausted then accept it because it usually works. this means jumping through the hoops with your regular physio and maybe talking to someone with more experience with spinal stuff. If i had a do over i would probably have seen another physio before opting for surgery.
once you get past the physios, talk to more than 1 neurosurgeon - you want multiple opinions on the best approach. if you want recommendations for good surgeons you can ask taurus or myself as we've both been through this recently.
to help prepare you for the costs, with pretty decent private cover i was out of pocket about $5k for the surgery alone and that's not including $400 a pop to consult with the surgeons or a couple of months of physio before and after. This alone should have you exploring all non-surgical routes as thoroughly as you can.
good luck...