POST LAMINECTOMY MICRODISCECTOMY PAIN

I am a 56 year old grandmother who has always been moderatly active and enjoys playing with the grandkids and working on my yard and garden. My gp sent me for an mri in the summer of 2010 for back pain/sciatica that wouldn't go away. The mri showed DDD, DJD, stenosis, arthritis, facets disease so was referred first to a pain clinic [nothing worked], then, I had a L5-S1 microdiscectomy and laminectomy surgeries done Dec. 8th, 2010 and felt I was slowly but steadily improving [occasional spasms in my mid & lower back-the PA frowned at this information by the way] untill about 6 or 7 weeks. I had returned to work at 19 days which, I think, was far to quick but the dr said it would be ok [he also stated that patients who insist the surgery didn't work were doing so because they wanted something, like disability-$$$] in hindsight I should maybe have seen a red flag!. At the 6 week mark I began to have some lower back and sciatica pain in my right leg. This pain increased to the point I couldn't bear it, couldn't sleep, could hardly move or walk, and although pain tabs helped it, the pain just wouldn't stop. The neuro-surgeon said it should not take this long to heal [about 7weeks] and put me on oral steroids for a week with zero effect. Within 10 days I was on a second round of the steroids, this time they acted like they were working a little and at the end of the course the pain was a wee bit better. In these weeks/months since the surgery I have missed 1 day of work due to back pain, preferring to power thru if possible [hurray for lortabs]. I have also gained 25 lbs. since eating seems to have become one of the few things I can still enjoy and an after-effect of the pain pills and steroids. Yesterday [March 22, 2011] I saw him again and he wants me to wait yet another few weeks and if I still have pain I can call his office [?]. He seemed offended that I suggested we may have missed something or there may be scar tissue? [he is rather arrogant] He did not offer any other help or suggestions and wouldn't look at me or my back, the appointment was over in 7 minutes. I felt abandoned and worthless, by the time I got to the elevator to leave I was in tears. I have no desire to return to that office. I am having trouble climbing the stairs to my office, I can walk for half an hour maybe then it starts hurting, I can sit at my desk for about half an hour before it aches, [I told him all this stuff], getting in and out of my car or any other similar movements cause pain all the way to my toes on the right, part of my upper thigh and hip feel like dead meat at times and at my desk I feel like someone whacked me with a 2x4 mid to lower back! I feel like loading up on lortab and pushing through my yardwork and garden but know I will pay dearly afterwards, what the heck do I have to look forward to? Am I not finished healing or should I give up and admit to being screwed, I thought the surgery was supposed to make me better?