Early spines!
A ruptured disc at 5l meant that I could hardly walk. Chiropractor nearly crippled me for life. Get to Headly court - yes, demand it! They are fantastic and the advice will be realistic. Be prepared for a long haul. It took me 1 year and 3 weeks before I could fly again ( no ejection seats though) but I managed it with physio only and no invasive surgery. Results for surgery are very mixed, so be careful. The best surgeons are not in the military! Also, get walking and swimming. No running, jumping, cycling or lifting, just steady walking. In swimming, no crawl or anything like that, more like just floating around to get relief from the pain (floating in the bath is good as well)! In "late spines" at Headly court the PTI said - 200 situps, 200 stepups, 200 pressups and a 2 mile run, then we will break for a coffee at 1100 - and I could do it!!! An unbelieveable prospect for the cripple that had arrived there a year earlier. Now years later I get the odd tweak if I do something really stupid but I ski, play tennis, ramble for miles and dig the garden (very carefully). Courage, my Lord, there is a light at the end of the pain filled tunnel.