what to do after a herniated disc?

i keep hearing that laying around is NOT GOOD for lower back injuries. i laid around most of this week because i was in pain- today i am not in much pain so i decided to take a walk to the end of the street. my back was super tight by the time i got there so i came back home. i iced it. then i laid around some more. do i keep doing this until i can walk with no pain/tightness at all? i am still taking ibuprofen during the day because of the tightness, i assume there is still inflammation. i just don't want to lay around so much that it gets worse. my doc said to not over do it and wrote me a note for 2 weeks off from work. but i can't afford physical therapy so i do some stretches on my own and when i have no pain i get up and do some chores around the house. i guess if i have pain tonight i will be able to tell if i over did it. i'm going crazy though! it's only been a week and i'm not as in much pain as i was in. i have little to no pain with the ibuprofen where as before i had pain all the time even with ibuprofen. i take a muscle relaxer at night along with tylenel with codeine. i cannot take those during they day or else i'd be sleeping all day too. it's a catch 22 this back injury! they say not to lay around but not to over do it. so i guess i just need to know what the heck i'm suppose to do in order to heal fast and not hurt it again. i know of the stretches, i do them when i am laying down a few times.