PolishDave Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Sorry for your loss. Awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadingpain Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 I am thinking of you and your family, Augie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Godspeed Michael. Thoughts to you Augie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsfansinceday1 Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 2 hours ago, BuffaloBill said: It is shocking how pervasive the opioid crisis is and how close to everyone it has struck. One does have to wonder if there is an end at sight at all. At least as a starting point there is general recognition of the harm and pain brought about by the situation. It’s not much given the ferocity of the epidemic but it does serve as a foothold to start the climb. The toll on Americans like Augie and his family is staggering. It will take more will from all of us to get this to a higher priority!on the national agenda. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deranged Rhino Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Terrible news, so sorry to hear this, Augie. Thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomper Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Sorry about your loss. God bless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSNBDSC Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 Prayers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Damn. So very sorry to read this. Especially for such a class act and decent sort as Augie, whom I am positive was a terrific father. Thoughts are with you, my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 We're going to have to start our own support group, aren't we? Goddamm drugs... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Augie, you & your son will be in our prayers. Very saddened at your loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. Obviously, this has been the most difficult period in my life. If we had gotten word in the middle of the night years ago that he had died, I would have been just as devastated, but less shocked. He has thrived in the past few years. This just goes to show the evil nature of addiction. Thinking you are doing better is a trap. I asked @Plenz to put out a post because I have a couple major points I want to share. (Thank you Paul! I was incapable at the time, and barely limping along now.) The first point is we need to learn to be open and talk about addiction. It’s everywhere! It is all around us, but people don’t like to talk about it. They feel a sense of shame, and want to sweep it under the rug so they don’t have to face the “stigma”. I can’t count the number of people who have reached out and said “thank you for being open about it”. We are NOT ashamed, in fact we are proud of how many families we have helped! Because we are open, we’ve had MANY families we barely know come to us seeking advice, or just someone to talk to who would not judge them. If it helps ONE person, it is worth it. Which leads to the second point I want to share. DO NOT JUDGE! You have NO idea what these individuals and families have been dealing with. We have gotten a flood of calls and messages from people who said “you know what, I’m hooked on coke and painkillers”. Or “I’ve been in recovery for 7 years, but I still struggle every day”. But these people only speak of it privately. There’s usually a story behind it. One guy is gay and single and lonely because everywhere he goes people are couples. His parents no longer approve of him. One young lady has never met her mother, who was raped when she was 12 by her brother’s 15 year old friend. THAT was how she was conceived. Her mother will promise to meet her in person, but has been a no-show countless times. The stories go on and on. Not that that is the only reason people get there, but YOU DON’T KNOW. It’s not an excuse, but it may be an explanation. Our son was abused at a young age in ways we were completely unaware of for many, many years. How we learned is too painful to share at this point. So, again, I thank all of you for your support. Michael was a great kid and a great person. I will love him forever! We tried to do a quiet little service in Nashville, but word got out. The funeral home had to bring in additional chairs four times, until they actually ran out of space and it was SRO with people out in other rooms. At the luncheon that followed the luncheon room overflowed and they had to open a ballroom! People loved this kid! You would have too! Michael worked as an admissions counselor at a mental health and addiction facility. My favorite guests were the people who said “I had to be here, he saved my life!” My message to them, and anyone else battling addiction is take care of yourself first. My son died because he tried to take care of everyone else, and forgot to take care of himself. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. (Sorry it’s so long...only Nervous Guy usually gets subjected to that, but he’s a good sport! God bless Danny! ) Edited January 7, 2018 by Augie 6 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Thanks for that, Augie. All of that rang true. And I'll add that a lot of people get addicted and in trouble for no specific single reason or trauma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 1 minute ago, Kelly the Dog said: Thanks for that, Augie. All of that rang true. And I'll add that a lot of people get addicted and in trouble for no specific single reason or trauma. No doubt! There are plenty of people with no future they can imagine, or rich kids who get hooked on mom’s pills in the medicine cabinet. It’s all kinds of things. As my son said years ago, you and your friends probably stole a few of your dad’s beers and smoked some Mexican weed that might have been oregano. (Yes, son, that sounds about right!) Now a high school kid’s introduction may be OxyContin and Jack Daniels as a sophomore while some kids parents are at the movies. It’s over for many of them before they know what happened - then it’s a matter of how long it takes to play out. And just how badly it ends.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 Thinking about you, Michael and all your family today Augie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsfansinceday1 Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 7 hours ago, Augie said: Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. Obviously, this has been the most difficult period in my life. If we had gotten word in the middle of the night years ago that he had died, I would have been just as devastated, but less shocked. He has thrived in the past few years. This just goes to show the evil nature of addiction. Thinking you are doing better is a trap. I asked @Plenz to put out a post because I have a couple major points I want to share. (Thank you Paul! I was incapable at the time, and barely limping along now.) The first point is we need to learn to be open and talk about addiction. It’s everywhere! It is all around us, but people don’t like to talk about it. They feel a sense of shame, and want to sweep it under the rug so they don’t have to face the “stigma”. I can’t count the number of people who have reached out and said “thank you for being open about it”. We are NOT ashamed, in fact we are proud of how many families we have helped! Because we are open, we’ve had MANY families we barely know come to us seeking advice, or just someone to talk to who would not judge them. If it helps ONE person, it is worth it. Which leads to the second point I want to share. DO NOT JUDGE! You have NO idea what these individuals and families have been dealing with. We have gotten a flood of calls and messages from people who said “you know what, I’m hooked on coke and painkillers”. Or “I’ve been in recovery for 7 years, but I still struggle every day”. But these people only speak of it privately. There’s usually a story behind it. One guy is gay and single and lonely because everywhere he goes people are couples. His parents no longer approve of him. One young lady has never met her mother, who was raped when she was 12 by her brother’s 15 year old friend. THAT was how she was conceived. Her mother will promise to meet her in person, but has been a no-show countless times. The stories go on and on. Not that that is the only reason people get there, but YOU DON’T KNOW. It’s not an excuse, but it may be an explanation. Our son was abused at a young age in ways we were completely unaware of for many, many years. How we learned is to painful to share at this point. So, again, I thank all of you for your support. Michael was a great kid and a great person. I will love him forever! We tried to do a quiet little service in Nashville, but word got out. The funeral home had to bring in additional chairs four times, until they actually ran out of space and it was SRO with people out in other rooms. At the luncheon that followed the luncheon room overflowed and they had to open a ballroom! People loved this kid! You would have too! Michael worked as an admissions counselor at a mental health and addiction facility. My favorite guests were the people who said “I had to be here, he saved my life!” My message to them, and anyone else battling addiction is take care of yourself first. My son died because he tried to take care of everyone else, and forgot to take care of himself. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. (Sorry it’s so long...only Nervous Guy usually gets subjected to that, but he’s a good sport! God bless Danny! ) My most sincere condolences, Augie. This has to be heart wrenching. My wife and I were up in New Hampshire this past May and there were billboards proclaiming the disastrous impact of opioid addiction there in that pristine state. It seemed so out of place there but spoke loud and clear about the pervasiveness of this cancer in our nation. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Very sorry to hear this. God bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 Augie, my heart and prayers goes out to you and your family. I hope you pull the silver lining out of this black cloud. Sounds like you've already started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 God damn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 I saw Nervous Guy's response in the Jacksonville post. Now this. My condolences. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted January 7, 2018 Share Posted January 7, 2018 12 hours ago, Augie said: Thank you to everyone for your kind words and prayers. Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Augie thank you for sharing such personal thoughts at an exceptionally difficult time. Sometimes around here we get chippy with each other and stupid in our typing of posts. However, what’s always true is that there are great people on this board. We reach out to you in the sister and brotherhood of Bills fandom. More importantly, we support you and offer prayers, condolences and hope in this very sad time. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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