@rnlorena You do not have to wait for something to happen before getting decompression surgery. I also had a normal signal through my spinal cord along with symptoms that were caused by spinal cord compression. My surgeon said mild myelopahy does not always show up on an MRI. When you see an MRI that shows cord compression with whitish areas inside the spinal cord, that shows nerve axons that have died and dissolved. Obviously, you don't want that to happen. I also had bone spurs. If your discs have not herniated yet, that is good. When they herniate and spill the jelly like stuff, that causes inflammation which causes bone spurs to grow in that area. I suggest keep a journal with dated entries so you know what your symptoms are, and if there is pain, etc. You will know how fast something changes by looking back. You do have a significant amount of foraminal stenosis and I suspect you may have pain or weakness from that. A spine surgeon would also clean out those areas where nerve roots exit the spinal cord.

According to my physical therapist, aging does cause stenosis in the spine in nearly everyone eventually.

Yes, you need answers. It is likely your decision if and when you have any surgery. I am not sure what an ARNP is?