I think the term "bulging disc" can be misleading.
I've had back problems and an MRI showed two bulging discs. According to my doctor, the severity of a bulging disc ranges from zero to can't stand up. In fact, most adult males would show irregularities on an MRI that could be called a bulging disc.
Anyway, my experience with back stuff is that it is often very open to interpretation and you can definitely get very different information from different doctors.