I’d say your recovery is normal. I wasn’t able to stop taking gabapentin for 2 months after my December surgery and am still taking acetaminophen regularly. My surgeon said that compressed/damaged nerves can take a long time to heal and can be easily be irritated during recovery. I actually experienced this 10 days ago when I overdid it and ended up experiencing pain radiating from my hamstrings to my feet. It scared me. But several days of rest and careful exercises and I’m back on the mend.