Hi twowheelyankee,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
Have fun at the Super Bowl – what a great experience! I hope it’s a good game. As you already know, Texas Mattress Makers is a member of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
I’m sorry to hear about your herniated disc issue. I hope that your eventual surgery is successful.
Because each person is different in terms of their physiology, weight distribution, and body shape as well as the positions they sleep in, their individual preferences, and the specifics of any back issues they may experience, there is no such thing as a mattress that is “better for backs” or one that I could pick form a list in general because a mattress that is good for one person’s back (or back issues) may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on … even if their body type, sleeping positions, or back issues appear to be fairly similar. There is only a mattress that keeps you in good alignment which would be best for YOUR back, especially with your pre-existing condition.
In general … what you would be looking for is a mattress with firm enough deep support and then comfort layers that are “just enough” in terms of thickness and softness to “fill in” and support the more recessed parts of your sleeping profile and relieve pressure in your most pressure prone sleeping position (usually side sleeping for those who sleep in this position) so that there is less risk to alignment in your other sleeping positions.
If you haven’t already, I would read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones. This way you’ll be able to properly assess the mattresses you view at TMM.
I’ll look forward to learning about your visit to TMM and the Super Bowl.
Phoenix