A Personal Update, Another Spinal Surgery, and My Thoughts on Iran, Trump, and What's Next

I am always so thankful for your support

As-Salaam-Alaikum and good afternoon from New Jersey to each of you. As you may know, I am a very private, almost reclusive person. As Muslims we believe that you should, generally speaking, keep your personal struggles and battles between yourself and Allah - and I have been practicing this.

But today I needed to update you all because I have some news that will impact my ability to type and speak publicly for a while.

In March of 2025 I had two discs in my cervical spine (my neck) replaced with artificial titanium discs. Later in the year, the pain in my right arm and hand was so excruciating that I had to have a surgery to address that pain.

Now, the two discs below the ones I had replaced are pushing directly on my spinal cord and on nerves that have made the pain simply more than I can handle from day to day. I just saw a second doctor who agreed with the first that I will need to have these two additional discs removed as well because nobody could sustain this level of pain for too long.

I can take a lot of pain. For 30 years I’ve been in pain. But when my average daily pain is above a 7 on a scale of 1-10, and sometimes peaks higher than that, it’s simply more than my mind and body can take.

So, I am preparing for another major spinal surgery. Of course the insurance companies are always terrible, but we are working now to get approval. I have a procedure tomorrow to help me deal with the pain until I have the surgery.

Thank you for your patience with me. I am somewhat embarrassed to say this, but I really could not provide for my family without your support of me.

I will keep all of you posted and updated as I learn more. You are really my tribe and I am grateful for each of you.

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Over the next few days I want to take some time to really explain my thoughts and views on Iran, the horrible and unmerited violence visited upon them by the United States and Israel, and what I think has been the most masterful response to these two violent nations I’ve seen in my lifetime. Iran did not ask for this, but has stood boldly in the face of two of the most heavily armed colonial powers in the world.

Hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, mostly to civilian infrastructure, has been caused in Iran. Thousands of Iranian civilians, including so many children have been slaughtered, and it’s all so purposeless and cruel.

A short note about Donald Trump…

He is owned by Israel. It’s obvious. He will do whatever they want, allow whatever they want, and fund it with our money. He has violated his own base. His own supporters hate this.

He ran as a man who hated wars all over the world and is now going into his 3rd month with a senseless war against Iran. We are now learning that Iran basically destroyed almost every single US Military base in the entire Middle East.

I don’t mind, but the whole thing is such a disaster for Trump - and now he is basically begging Iran to allow everything that they were already allowing before they were attacked.

It’s all about Israel. That’s all this is.

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I have to run, but will be doing my best to write you all here in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Your Friend and Brother,

Shaun