I feel your pain but not to worry. I had the same exact surgery 4 years ago now on the same discs. I put up with extreme sciatica pain for 2 years before I got the surgery done so recovery might have been longer for me. I was also only 23 years old. They cut me up first part of February 09' and the next winter of 09'-10' I was riding at 100% I felt.
Like ultrasks700 said, If you make sure you do your post surgery therapy you should be back to 100%. The hardest part is staying motivated. All I did was recalled how miserable I was before the surgery and I told myself I never ever wanted to feel like that again.
After my surgery I also started up an exercise program (p90x). And ever since then I have never, EVER had another lower back issue. And I feel great being in such incredible shape. Another exercise I did during recovery is yoga. As silly as it may sound, I believe yoga was the key to my recovery. I am actually one of those people that can say "Yoga Changed My Life" haha. Be sure to ask your doctor though before you start an exercise program or yoga.
Best of luck to you on your recovery and being able to ride again!