I herniated my L4 four times and recovered without surgery every time. Prednisone (it really does work, @mistymage, your doc gave you the “good stuff”) and PT.
PT place called and I get to go get “tortured” on Friday! The lady who called me said she thought my name was familiar. When I said “Frozen shoulder” she instantly remembered me 
Last night/early this morning I was awake in bed so I did a few different stretches and felt my back “pop”. The pain in my buttocks is minimal… the thigh to ankle are still screaming if I walk too much. Too much being variable and relies on if I overdid it 10 minutes ago or 30 minutes ago.
Thanks for all of the encouragement!
Re: TENS units. I got an over the counter one from a drug store. It did help. So i turned it up. It helped a little more. So i turned it up more.
TL/DR. I got a scarred butt and left leg
So be careful with those things.
so, pinging @Lucas_Jackson for an update (this thread got washed into my feed today)…
how are things for the past 2-3 years? how did it work out, need to know for “closure” 
I made it past. I’m pretty good now but I keep an eye on it. I was laid up for about 3 weeks. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, I had searing pain that wouldn’t allow me to get up for more than a minute or two. I did get a Tens unit. I think it helped … it’s hard to know. The dr prescribed pain meds but they didn’t work that well.
In the end I think it was moving. I would get up and walk around the kitchen island. After a couple of minutes I’d do it again. I worked up to two times around and so on. It was painful but I kept it up. In a week I was able walk up and down the block.
Ice packs, heating pad. Lots of stretching. It was a long road back. It hasn’t returned, knock on wood.
But thanks for asking.