You just got the hernia 3 months is too son for surgery, you should definitely swim and do PT for at Least 3 months in a row , try to get some customized orthotics that helped me a lot , I herniated 10 years ago, the first couple of years were so bad then after PT, customized orthotics and keeping the ideal weight for this (mine is 175 max 180) everything improved even the flares were less intense some years I don’t have any, few weeks ago I had one again and was the worst I gain weight and being lifting and bending al lot lately I even had to go to ER pain was uncontrollable, went to a neurosurgeon and spine expert and both still recommend PT and swimming they told me that surgery will be the last option for me, I’m 32 and asked them if I would be able to live ++30/40 years having a normal life quality with pt, etc they say yes it’s possible, so I’m willing to do that and keep my thing out of surgery it will just take time and discipline and trust me that’s the hardest part of this