Yea surgery is always scary for people to consider, most people did not want it for me, but I'd already exhausted all other options and dealt with it for years, and my doctor recommended it. If you try physical therapy, they can show you exercises that will help stop your injured disc from irritating those nerves. Its just good if you have somebody, a specialist or a therapist that can monitor how you are doing and help you out. Some places have aquatic therapy as well. The clinic I go to has a big indoor pool for people that need that.
I hope things start looking up, don't get too down on yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help from family and friends. And if something is causing your pain to increase, stop doing it. It took me a long time to get it through my head to stop and ask for help if I needed it.