I blew out a disc when I was in my mid-40's working for Uncle Sam in a foreign country. Adrenaline got me through the moment, but then I crashed. Pain brought tears to my eyes and I couldn't breathe or stand up. I never had the surgery and on rare occasions it will still flare up on me, but I haven't jumped out of a plane since then either. I'm 71 now and still going strong, despite living foolishly. Do what you feel is best for you, but like someone else mentioned, surgery isn't a panacea. Good luck.