OTC Meds...Goodbye Russ.
crazy vampire addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: just north of hell.
Posts: 429
OTC Meds...Goodbye Russ.
Someone told me, when I began intensive outpatient therapy, that if you can make it through the 12 weeks without seeing someone in your group die, consider yourself lucky.
Next week is 12 weeks for me. Tonight we were told one of our group members died.
Russ was a cocaine addict. He was doing really well in IOP, had about 10 weeks clean. Didn't touch his drug of choice in all that time. However, he was taking a lot of benedryl and tylenol PM. He said it was because he was having trouble sleeping. He took it in excess and readily talked about it in group.
Apparently, this particular time, he took a little too much. Got him very lightheaded. He took a fall and hit his head. According to his family, he went to go lie down on the couch to sleep off the injury.
He never woke up.
His cause of death was traumatic brain injury related to a fall. However, I can't help but wonder...if he was not all doped up on all those meds, would he have stumbled and fallen? Probably not.
Just another senseless death from drugs.
He was a single father who leaves behind a six year old son.
Next week is 12 weeks for me. Tonight we were told one of our group members died.
Russ was a cocaine addict. He was doing really well in IOP, had about 10 weeks clean. Didn't touch his drug of choice in all that time. However, he was taking a lot of benedryl and tylenol PM. He said it was because he was having trouble sleeping. He took it in excess and readily talked about it in group.
Apparently, this particular time, he took a little too much. Got him very lightheaded. He took a fall and hit his head. According to his family, he went to go lie down on the couch to sleep off the injury.
He never woke up.
His cause of death was traumatic brain injury related to a fall. However, I can't help but wonder...if he was not all doped up on all those meds, would he have stumbled and fallen? Probably not.
Just another senseless death from drugs.
He was a single father who leaves behind a six year old son.
crazy vampire addict
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: just north of hell.
Posts: 429
Originally Posted by crzylilmndfreak 
very sad
I thought about you as soon as we discussed this.
Your next time could be your last time.
TheMostSordidSpotOnEarth
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ParadiseOnEarth
Posts: 811
Chery, thank you so much for posting this.
I would sincerely like to repeat those prayers for you, for Russ, and for everyone whose lives he touched.
This is, in all of its forms, a tragically serious disease.
This morning, to my great dismay, I am going to my first funeral from someone in my home group. His story is a little different, but the connection to addiction as the direct or indirect cause of death sure isn't. Ivan would have had 10 years clean at the end of this year. He contracted Hepatitis C through his drug use during active addiction. When I met him, he still looked almost invincibly strong inside and out. Things changed very quickly, and in the course of just about a month, he got very sick and then passed away early Wednesday morning. He did have a choice though -- he had the opportunity to live 10 amazing years clean, to live (as someone from my group so beautifully pointed out) his life with dignity, to raise his daughter,to make amends, to reconnect with his family, to fall in love, to become a beloved sponsor, to give back, and to be in the room to help me along when I wound up walking through those doors just months ago. He also leaves behind his companion of many years, who is also a member of our home group and is equally beautiful as a truly recovering addict. Ivan lived a life in recovery, and he will be dearly missed.
I should say that I have been floored by the support that has rallied around in this time of need through the very earthly magic that is NA. We are just a single small home group in this area, but other members from NA have come by planes, trains and automobiles to be here in this time of need from other regions, other groups and even other countries. As another addict told me, when she was just a teenager in recovery and her own mother passed away, there were more members of NA there than there were members of her family at her funeral. It is...an amazing thing to be a part of, and the love that is so apparent almost softens the pain of this loss.
Prayers to all who are still suffering today because of addiction.
We who make it out...are so lucky. I hope that today all of us can remember just how truly blessed we are.
Again, thank you for posting this.
And thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this morning too.
Hugs, love and blessings.
I would sincerely like to repeat those prayers for you, for Russ, and for everyone whose lives he touched.
This is, in all of its forms, a tragically serious disease.
This morning, to my great dismay, I am going to my first funeral from someone in my home group. His story is a little different, but the connection to addiction as the direct or indirect cause of death sure isn't. Ivan would have had 10 years clean at the end of this year. He contracted Hepatitis C through his drug use during active addiction. When I met him, he still looked almost invincibly strong inside and out. Things changed very quickly, and in the course of just about a month, he got very sick and then passed away early Wednesday morning. He did have a choice though -- he had the opportunity to live 10 amazing years clean, to live (as someone from my group so beautifully pointed out) his life with dignity, to raise his daughter,to make amends, to reconnect with his family, to fall in love, to become a beloved sponsor, to give back, and to be in the room to help me along when I wound up walking through those doors just months ago. He also leaves behind his companion of many years, who is also a member of our home group and is equally beautiful as a truly recovering addict. Ivan lived a life in recovery, and he will be dearly missed.
I should say that I have been floored by the support that has rallied around in this time of need through the very earthly magic that is NA. We are just a single small home group in this area, but other members from NA have come by planes, trains and automobiles to be here in this time of need from other regions, other groups and even other countries. As another addict told me, when she was just a teenager in recovery and her own mother passed away, there were more members of NA there than there were members of her family at her funeral. It is...an amazing thing to be a part of, and the love that is so apparent almost softens the pain of this loss.
Prayers to all who are still suffering today because of addiction.
We who make it out...are so lucky. I hope that today all of us can remember just how truly blessed we are.
Again, thank you for posting this.
And thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this morning too.
Hugs, love and blessings.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 8,326
((((Chery))))
I'm so sorry to hear about Russ. I know it's extra-hard to lose those with whom we've been in rehab with. We will always remember them and I hope learn in even greater depth just how awful and insidious this disease is.
Much love to you,
Lenina
I'm so sorry to hear about Russ. I know it's extra-hard to lose those with whom we've been in rehab with. We will always remember them and I hope learn in even greater depth just how awful and insidious this disease is.
Much love to you,
Lenina
Now with fewer opiates!
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Southern New Jersey, USA
Posts: 1,405
It's probably more common than we know that drug addiction/abuse is thought of as a secondary or tertiary cause of death when, in fact, the abuse was, indeed, the direct cause.
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