Any Success Stories of Lumbar Stenosis Surgery?

My MRI report says I have severe spinal stenosis at the L4-L5 and severe left foraminal narrowing at the L5-S1. The first spine doctor at University of Chicago sent me to PT for 6 weeks which didn’t do much.
I actually don’t have that much pain, but my toes have gone numb, and my legs have been getting weaker for the past year.

I also have bulging discs in my neck from my C4-C7 most prominent at the C5-C6. My body has been a mess since New Year’s Eve when I was lifting heavy weights and felt a burning in my lower neck/upper back area. My body went weak like I had low blood sugar or something, but it was different. It happened again 4 days later at the gym.

I was lucky to get in with a neurologist a few weeks later who dismissed my ALS concerns even though I have many symptoms. He agreed to give me an NCV/EMG a week later, but only because I had neuropathy in my toes. The conclusion was mild sensory axonal polyneuropathy. Since my weight lifting incident, I have been dealing wit the following symptoms rated 1-5 in January and current
Fatigue Jan 5 now 3
Night Sweats Jan 5 now 1
Finger numbness. Jan 4 now 3
Feet Numbness. Jan 4 now 4
Weakness Jan 4 now 4
Trouble breathing deep. Jan 3 now 2
Muscle twitching. Jan 4 now 2
Itching Jan 4 now 1
Ear Ringing. Jan 3 now 3
Dizziness Jan 3 now 0
Digestion and nausea Jan 4 now 0
Hand Edema. Jan 0 now 3
Nerve numbness. Jan 4 now 2
Erectile Dysfunction. Jan 4 now 1
Cramping. Jan 3 now 2
Head Pressure. Jan 3 now 0
Joint Pain. Jan 1 now 3
Myclonus Jan 4 now 1

So some things have improved, and most of them are the sensory issues. I’m pretty sure I shocked my system pretty bad that day, but a lot of these symptoms were around way before that incident. My legs have been gett Weaker at the gym for a year, but I just figured it was from my horrible sciatica and my severely arthritic knee which was jus replaced last November.

I also should mention that I am a 55 year old man who plays between 75-100 games of baseball every year until now. I had to call all 4 teams I usually play with and let them know that I’m finally retiring from the game. It really stinks since i just retired a year ago.

I am trying to get a second opinion from a neurosurgeon at Rush in Chicago. I have a few questions that maybe this knowledgeable group can answer.

Can a bulging disc or stenosis cause neuropathy, numbness, weakness, or fingertip edema?

I have recent MRIs of my entire back and head. Can nerve damage or compressed nerves be identified on an MRI?

Has anyone here ever had spine surgery that improved numbness / weakness symptoms? I usually only read the opposite on this site. I realize back surgery has been known to cause nerve problems.

Has anyone ever had a nerve conduction test that actually improved due to surgery or the nerve injury was acute and healed over time?

I love this message board. The information is great!