One of my customers was telling me about his back surgery today...believe it or not, he went back to work after only five days(on heavy meds, of course)! He had big-time back problems before the surgery, and says that he considers himself lucky as he has few problems now. Several of his friends have had similar surgery and have had very bad outcomes.
For those wondering about golf, I asked a Dr. friend of mine that very question (he is not a Rush fan). He said it would be perfectly possible to play golf almost pain-free as long as you were on enough medication. Who knows what damage he's done to himself, though, if he couldn't feel the pain.