Not good news mate. If you're bad enough to need surgery, you'll be virtually pain free when you wake up. But it is a slow road to recovery, The dumbest thing you can do is try to rush it. The operation itself doesn't take long (1-2hrs) but the surgery is in a very complex area of the body, so everything is slow to recover and gain and rebuild strength.
My surgeon was Dr Ian Farey, in Chatswood Sydney. Specialises in spinal reconstruction and orthopedic surgery. You can find his details on the web is you want a reliable and honest 2nd opinion. He is extremely well known, respected and recognised as one of the best. He doesn't fuck around and is straight to the point - but I would let him chop into me any day.
As a guide from my post op recovery, I spent the first 6 weeks walking. Then the next 12 months having physio - starting at 3x per week and working down to 1x per month. Also did a fair bit of swimming after the first 6 weeks. Do all the physio exercises- they are boring as hell but work a treat. It took me almost a year to lift anything over 15kg from the ground. I comfortably do double that now but and still very guarded - be fucked if I want to go though it all over again. You would be mad to think of lifting weights again inside 6months, the your surgeon will advise you best.
Mods might like to split the last few posts into it's own thread.
Sorry to the OP for the thread highjack.