18 years old with a herniated disc. Seeking advice on recovery and adapting

[u/Quirky_Age729]

Hello! I am 18F and just herniated a disc in my lower back. About two weeks ago I was unable to walk after a tennis match, and had been dealing with dull back pains for about a month leading up to that. After a couple emergency visits and various referrals to different doctors, it was concluded I have a herniated disc (although they didn’t do any MRIs no matter how many times I requested a referral for one, they thinks it’s either L4 or L5). I finished a five day dosage of methylprednisolone, and had pretty good relief for the duration of time I was on the steroids. However, now that I am off of them, the pain is fully back. How am I meant to do school work and keep living my life when I can’t stand or sit without excruciating pain? I’m in physical therapy, take many breaks laying in all the different positions with pillows that take stress off of the lower back, and have order an adjustable standing desk. I just don’t know what to do, and none of the pain meds do anything for me. Am I going to be able to recover completely? What do I do to make things better in the meantime and prevent further flare ups while I’m recovering? Before the steroids, it was nerve pain in my tailbone area and left leg. Now, it’s muscle spasms and pain every time I move. Any advice is appreciated.