Toyomafia - The Clubhouse. Balls and Burgers Summer 2025

As good as you can hope i guess. rest up

 

Well it has been a journey for me for sure. I have been having an issue with my right hand since December 19th when I first went to Colorado and can barely use my hand. It hurts so bad I cannot sleep well since and never a full night, usually an hour here and there then get up and walk around.

Long story short (TL;DR) after going to several doctors and paying for my entire out of pocket costs in 3 weeks they are preparing a schedule for surgery. I got a shot in the front of my neck that went into the middle of C6-C7 which brought me relief the very first day after the shot but back to the pain after that. The spinal fluid is pinched so bad you have to zoom in on the MRI to see there is actually some coming through.

Ok, story too long I'm out... just trying to get my storage area complete before my surgery because the result is not certain

 

Good luck.

 

I went through a similar hell in 2012. One doctor diagnosed 'sympathetic scoliosis' - a back spasm in my thoracic and cervical areas twisted my spine pretty bad and pinched my brachial plexus bad enough to turn my hand off. Another doctor gave me the steroid shot through the front of my neck into my c-spine. Another doctor did an iodine-enhanced image of my entire spine to determine where the blockage was. They shoot the iodine into your L-spine, and none of that process was okay. Another doctor - one of Texas' leading neurosurgeons - prescribed a fun cocktail of Vicodin and muscle relaxers. It took the better part of a week to get my back to relax and turn things back on. Skelaxin(sp?) was the thing, along with the narcotic. The pain was horrible, and the drugs didn't really do that much to help until most of that week had past. I didn't get to sleep without help, didn't get up from the couch except to eat and shit, and worried the whole time I'd turn into a junkie. If I've ever had thoughts of permanent solutions to temporary problems, it was then. I still have atrophy in my hand, but most of my strength is back. Definitely one of those times that makes me realize how good most of life is.

Good luck with the surgery.

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2E8T8Ilt8yw?feature=share

 

So, what is the surgery they are doing. Hopefully it brings relief

 

It will repair the damaged vertebrae and fuse C6-C7 after 9-12 months

 

I had C5-C6 fusion in 2003. Best thing ever. Recovery was long though.

 

I was thinking about you the other day. Not like that so get your hand out of your pants.

Vanity Fair had this story:

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/life-aboard-a-nuclear-submarine

 

Good story. The China thing is preached at every Submarine event that I attend. Also the importance of SSBNs to the Triad.

As a side note, I've met Bill Houston several time. Good guy.

 

Enjoyed the read. Thanks for posting it!

 

John, it sounds as if you are a submariner also. I had no idea.

 

I want to say he built them.

Or didn't (I just saw a white government van pull up as I typed that).

 

Only on the civilian side. 35 of my 44 year career has been spent on subs or submersibles. New construction, maintenance and modernization, and repair.

I've ridden several but the longest sea trial I was on was 10 days.

Are you a SSN or boomer sailor? Which subs?

 

That was a fun read over my post-lunch coffee.

Submarines and undersea warfare fascinate me. I blame authors like Patrick Robinson and Tom Clancy for kicking off the interest when I was a young lad.

 

I served on both types and a squadron and group for a combined 12 years.

USS HENRY CLAY (SSBN-625)(BLUE)
COMSUBRON SIX
USS HAMMERHEAD (SSN-663)
COMSUBGRU NINE

 

This book is based upon the Freedom of Information Act, is very accurate, and even lists the two Meritorious Unit Commendations we earned on the USS HAMMERHEAD during 1990 & 1991 while I was stone aboard that boat.

I highly recommend this book if you like submarines.

Blind Man's Bluff( The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage)[BLIND MANS BLUFF][Paperback]

$28 Blind Man's Bluff( The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage)[BLIND MANS BLUFF][Paperback]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QQ7ZANS

 

I just put a hold request in for this at our library and look forward to reading it!

 

You doing ok?

 

After you have read it, please let me know what you thought of it.

 

Will do!

 

Both were decommissioned right when I was transitioning from new construction to fleet support so I never got a chance to work on them. I did work the last SRA on several 637s though. Those were fun, the planning yard was down to about six people so me and one other engineer were given limited technical authority. We could pretty do whatever we needed to get r done.

 

The best I've read.

 

I was stationed in Bremerton, WA at COMSUBGRU NINE when the USS HAMMERHEAD was decommissioned there. That was a bit surreal to me.

While I was at CSG-9, I rode each Trident boat twice a year (once for each crew) for their Logistics Readiness Evaluations (LRE). Also, while stationed at COMSUBRON SIX in Norfolk, VA I rode each SSN in that squadron each year for their Supply Management Inspections (SMI) which later was renamed the LRE.

Trust me when I say the Navy certainly did more for me than I ever could have done for the Navy.

 

You read it already. Cool!

 

It's a great one and part of my collection.





Here's my hardcover copies the Patrick Robinson books that started my interest.



And the paperback versions. Lol

 

All morning at the ball field. Slaps were present!

 

Oh my goodness! I think you just might like submarines - maybe.