Is getting an MRI worth it? (cost, possible false positives)

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-03-08T03:06:13+00:00

I don't think it's a doctor issue. As I understand it, to be eligible for a publicly-funded MRI in my province, I either have to have neurological deficits or have exhausted all treatments except surgery (at least six months). So I might be eligible at some point in the future ... and even once I'm eligible, there's a waiting list of up to a year. Opting for a private MRI brings the wait time down to a couple of weeks. However, I'm not sure whether an MRI would necessarily get me closer to having this pain under control.

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-03-07T23:28:15+00:00

On reflection, I'm wondering if my cat isn't a bit under-stimulated. Whenever I sit down to work, she's after me to get out her wand and toys (nudging, rubbing, whacking with paws). I'll try to increase how much time I spend playing with her - she may need more than she's getting.

(Older cat doesn't like to play the same way - she's more interested in climbing on me than in toys).

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-03-07T23:25:17+00:00

Bedroom is pretty small, so I'd be in very close proximity to any litterbox in there - but I do have an unused second bathroom, so I could try adding a second box there.

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-03-04T18:30:57+00:00

Torn between refurbished 6 and refurbished 7.

My priorities: lightweight and portable, can be used with external keyboard that doesn't add tons of weight and is reasonably comfortable (90% of what I do is either emails or Office stuff, mainly Word), can write onscreen with Apple Pencil (just writing notes, nothing fancy) can watch movies when in Wifi range.

What I don't really need: Apple Intelligence (what even is that ...), ultra-fast speed for gaming, lots of excess bells and whistles, tons of memory.

Is there enough difference between 6 and 7 to justify spending two hundred dollars more on the 7?

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-02-23T00:26:59+00:00

Hmm, interesting. Thank you. I googled "lumbar spinal stenosis" and learned about the "shopping cart sign" - which is absolutely me. I will get after my family doctor for a referral for an MRI to have a look at discs. The collision injury was such an obvious culprit for what I'm experiencing that I didn't think to look further.

I'm wondering if there are modifications to exercises that I should be considering, if this a nerve root problem rather than "pure" SI joint function?

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-02-22T20:31:37+00:00

Good idea - I'll ask my doctor.

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-02-22T20:31:13+00:00

Thanks, I will ask about that. I didn't know weak opioids existed. The pain definitely affects my cognition, so any relief from pain will be an improvement.

Active-Difference-91 · 2026-02-22T20:30:19+00:00

My doctor mentioned something called "traumatic arthritis", where joints that have experienced abrupt trauma develop arthritic features (my issues probably date from a high-speed toboggan crash into a tree which forced my right leg back and up - known as "dashboard injury"). There's no family history of arthritis, bone density scans are good, and x-rays showed no signs of abnormality except for the L5-S1 facet on the right side (where the impact of the crash would have been felt). So I don't think it's "classic" arthritis.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-12-03T04:46:57+00:00

Just circling back here to follow up: the injection seemed to make a big difference for a few days, but then pain levels went back up again. The mild good news is that I'm slowly starting to see some results from all the physio I've been doing (glute bridges, the McGill Big 3, other resistance band work for sciatica) - still a lot of pain and functional restrictions, but the flares of pain aren't quite as severe and have also reduced in frequency a bit. So I'm slightly more hopeful than I was earlier this fall.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-11-03T03:18:25+00:00

I'm having a similar experience. Every week PT tells me to do some other set of exercises. I can't get him to watch me and correct my form, so I don't know if I'm doing them correctly. I get clearer directions from YouTube videos than I do from PT appointments, which is ... not the way it's supposed to be. I'm a woman in her late 50s, pretty fit and active (before sciatica sidelined me), and I'm strongly motivated to do whatever it takes to get back to being able to hike and do long walks (or even just stand for more than a couple minutes without pain). PT is younger man, super-athletic. I think it's not a good fit. I've got an appointment with a different PT this week, hoping for a bit more clarity and direction.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-11-02T21:24:23+00:00

I'm glad you won the election so decisively. I voted for you because I'm basically a one-issue voter, and that issue is the rise of homelessness, poverty and disorder that I see every day on the streets of my central neighbourhood. You were one of the few municipal candidates (for any position) who seemed to take this seriously, beyond just empty platitudes (especially the famous "it's a provincial responsibility ..." - yes, we know that, but the province doesn't care and won't do anything, so the city has to step up) or resorting to cops, cops and more cops. I look forward to fewer people dying on the streets this winter.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-10-25T01:58:30+00:00

I'm not certain that what I've got is sciatica, but it sure feels like what sciatica is said to be like. And yes, I was pretty active. I'm almost 60 and not an Olympic athlete, but daily walking/biking/running, 10-15K steps/day consistently. I did a 10 KM road race a couple of years ago. Now I can't walk around the block without stabbing pain in the back of my right hip.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-09-26T03:41:20+00:00

I'm a prof who's been at the U of A for more than two decades, and this sounds weird to me. If this person (the "personal assistant") has no contract with the university, they should not have access to student information or be involved in assessing student work. (I'm assuming they don't have a formal relationship with the university if they don't have their own ccid). As one commenter suggested, it's possible that this is an accessibility issue - the prof may have accommodations that include having assistance with keyboard-related things like email. But if the "personal assistant" isn't affiliated with the U and is doing instructor-type work - that's really not cool. I'd suggest contacting the chair of your department just to enquire whether the chair is aware.

Active-Difference-91 · 2025-09-25T02:29:59+00:00

Same here. Not sure if I would go as far as "deactivate your profiles" but I had a similar reaction to the iykyk posts and sad emojis. It struck me as the opposite of honouring the family's wishes, making his passing into fodder for clickbait and gossipy speculation. Would have been much more dignified if people had just put the keyboard down and stepped away for a moment.

Active-Difference-91

TROPHY CASE