u/tossedsaladandtravel

Planning a 3-night Sedona trip and deciding between:

• Briar Patch Inn (Oct 10–13): ~$1,450
• Orchard Canyon (Oct 17–20): ~$2,000

We love the quiet, creekside/cabin setting of both. Orchard Canyon's later dates may be better for fall colors, but Briar Patch is $550 cheaper and seems more convenient for exploring Sedona.

I've also read mixed recent reviews about Orchard Canyon's included dinner — that it may be delivered to the cabin rather than served in the lodge, and sometimes arrives cold. Can anyone who stayed recently share how the dinner experience currently works?

For a Oct Sedona trip, which would you choose? Is Orchard Canyon worth the extra $550, especially considering the later fall-color timing?

Would love any recent firsthand experiences with either property!

California SDI question: I start disability leave on 08/03 and will use employer-paid sick leave only for the first week (08/03–08/07). Since CA SDI benefits begin in the second week (after the waiting period), the online application asks "Will you or did you receive any pay from your employer while on disability?" but doesn't let me specify it's only for the first week. Should I answer "Yes" or "No"? Has anyone been in this situation?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice from people who have been through something similar because I feel like I'm stuck.

I had a 14.3 mm L5-S1 disc herniation in 2023. It caused excruciating pain (around 8/10) for a long time. The good news is that my latest MRI in 2025 shows that the herniation has largely reabsorbed, and my doctors don't see significant nerve compression anymore (there was no nerve compression before as well).

My pain has improved, but it has plateaued at around 3/10. It's not debilitating like before, but it never really goes away.

The biggest problem now is that my muscles are getting weaker because I can't seem to tolerate exercise.

Every doctor tells me to do physical therapy, but I can't even get through the most basic exercises. Bodyweight squats, bridges, bird dogs, clamshells—nothing fancy. Even these can flare up my back and leave me sore for days, so I end up stopping. Then I lose more strength, which probably makes things worse. It feels like a vicious cycle:

Pain → can't exercise → muscles weaken → more pain → can't exercise.

Gabapentin was a complete failure for me. It didn't help at all and just gave me side effects. I also never really had classic nerve pain (no burning or shooting pain down my leg). My pain feels much more muscular and mechanical.

Otherwise, I'm a very healthy person. I eat well, walk daily, sleep well, and don't have other major health issues.

Has anyone been in this situation where the disc healed on MRI but the pain persisted?

If so:

• What finally helped you break the cycle?
• Were you eventually able to build strength again?
• Did you need a different type of rehab than standard PT?
• Did anyone find that the issue was muscle inhibition, central sensitization, fear of movement, or something else?

I'd really appreciate hearing success stories or any advice. Right now I feel like I'm doing everything my doctors tell me, but I can't seem to get past this plateau.

Hi all,

EB2 India PD: Sep 2017 (approved I-140), married couple, no kids.

Debating EB2 vs EB5 and getting mixed signals.

What I’m hearing:

• EB5 now ~5–8+ years to conditional GC, plus another 2+ years to permanent (and capital at risk)
• EB2 India (2017 PD) could be ~10–15+ years, highly uncertain

So the tradeoff feels like:

• EB5 = faster path but expensive + capital locked + still uncertain timing
• EB2 = no capital risk but potentially very long wait

Question:
Is it realistic to expect Sep 2017 EB2 India to become current within ~10 years, or are EB2 and EB5 timelines now basically converging in practice?

Hi everyone — looking for recommendations for good EB-5 broker-dealers and independent advisors/consultants who help investors evaluate projects.

I’m interested in both:
• Broker-dealers who work with RCs/projects
• Truly independent advisors who are paid directly by the investor for unbiased due diligence

Would love to hear from people who had a good experience working with someone trustworthy, thorough, and responsive.