Compression feeling in lower back, BACK again 🤔

My question: can we actually FEEL our discs? Or is what we are feeling is how the disc is affecting other areas?

For instance: I feel fine lying down - virtually no pain. Yet, when I stand, within a few seconds I start to feel, what I would call, disc compression. Now, is this me actually feeling the disc or is it actually the lower muscles feeling compression and not me feeling the disc at all?

Quick bit about me:

Dec 2014 went to the hospital for excruciating back pain - discovered L4/L5 disc herniation. Spent the next decade doing PT. Nov 2023 - first signs of sciatica. Aug 2024 - sciatica so debilitating I couldn’t work. Sept 2024 - 2 different epidurals. Nov 2, 2024 - microdiscectomy

Today - no sciatica pain but for intermittent numbness in some right toes and intermittent numbness on side of right foot. No discomfort while laying down but increased discomfort standing. Lower back.

Awaiting time with my PT but just wanting to hear other’s experiences or similarities and what the results were.

Thank you and Happy New Year.