In all reality, you should be a little scared. A healthy fear means that you’ll always treat with respect. That will insure that you’re technique stays on point. This will mean that you can continue to progress with little to no fear of getting hurt. Now, how do you push yourself? That’s another matter. If you’re being honest with your RPEs then it shouldn’t be an issue. You should be going by feel.
I realize hernia surgery isn’t major back surgery but when I was coming back, I just didn’t rush it. Pushing into the belt and bracing always gave me pause. Still does to be honest. I’m consistent with the program and am consistently making progress. Confidence takes time and persistence to build back up. I know we all wanted it yesterday but have some patience. Stick to the program, don’t push past your RPEs and it’ll come quick enough. With your deadlift moving up like it is, your squat might not directly correlate. Nothing is linear, so it could just be your deadlift’s time to grow. The squat won’t be too far behind it.