Call me Mister.

I'm out.  Done.  Kaput.  Finished.

Retired.

I enlisted at 17, nearly a quarter century ago.  Now I am retired, free to say and do what I want.

First, thanks for bearing with me.  The last few years have been rough.

Second, John Patrick White is, in my opinion, one of the worst and most toxic leaders in the Army and a complete douchebag.

Third, ow.  During the last month, I've finally had the pain in my back diagnosed.  My L5 vertabrae is about 2/3 the size it's supposed to be, has bone spurs, and is canted and pushing down on my SI joint, and compressing the nerve clusters there, sending shooting and stabbing pains all the way to my feet, which have gone numb.  I will need a spinal fusion surgery to correct this.

The orthopedic surgeon I visited last week wants to see the images from the CT scan I had in November before scheduling surgery.  Right now I am waiting on the radiology department at Tripler Army Medical Center to get them to me.

Process will be (well, should be)
Get images, give to Doc. (I start calling up the food chain tomorrow morning.  I expect I will have my images in hand within the week.)

Doc reviews images, tells TRICARE I need surgery.  (+/- 1 week after getting images)

TRICARE approves surgery and it is scheduled. (I will be on the phone with TRICARE from the moment the request is sent until it is approved.)

Surgery happens approximately 2 weeks after request is approved, depending on availability of OR and Dr.

Ideally, by the end of February, my back should be fixed.  I'll spend the next three months in a back brace.

Approximately 9% reduction in flexibility of lower back and huge pain reduction.

Not exactly how I planned to spend my retirement, but no plan seems to survive around me.

We live in Texas now.  We have a nice house, nice land, a barn and a breeding facility for dogs. I plan to breed Labrador retrievers for service animals for wounded warriors.  If anyone has or knows of someone who breeds Labs, please let me know.

--Chuck