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Two childhood friends

Mets Guy in Michigan Jul 13 2016 08:20 PM

I had two close friends growing up, Jeff and Craig. We were especially close in high school. We were inseparable, and they stuck by me in some trying times. They were both honor students -- I was not -- and went on to big things. Jeff married his high school girlfriend, had two daughters and became an orthopedic surgeon upstate. He was the best man in my wedding. Craig, who also was in the wedding, of course, went to Rensselaer and moved somewhere in the city and worked with computers. Craig wasn't much for posting on Facebook, but his wife would tag him in photos, including one last month for Father's Day. Jeff was more active posting, but not recently. He was the team doctor for some of the minor league hockey teams and he'd post about fishing and his kids. (He was divorced and had another daughter through another relationship.) I hadn't seen him posting much recently, but I've been a little busy with work in the last year, too. Today I saw a post from Craig's wife saying that he died. I have no idea what happened. He was just 51. I don't think his daughters are older than 10. (He married later than Jeff and me.) There isn't much detail in the post, so I'm assuming this must have been today or in the last couple days. I tried to track down Jeff to find out what happened, and did a Google search to locate his office. I was horrified. Earlier this year he was sentenced to six years in federal prison for writing roughly 250 prescriptions for cash to illegally sell nearly 60,000 oxycodone pills. [url]http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Ex-surgeon-gets-6-frac12-years-in-federal-prison-6782500.php I did not know that any of this was going on. I don't know which of these shocked me more. For a guy who was really smart, Jeff would occasionally engage in some riskier behavior. (Much more so than I. I'm the nerd in the bunch.) I don't know what happened here, but I can only imagine that it was something that started small and he just got carried away. Or, he had a problem himself that he needed money for. That's giving him every benefit of doubt. It might just be greed. I'm just ... stunned at all of this. I'm a glass half-full kind of guy. But this year has been rough in a lot of ways. It's good for perspective, I guess. I'm still pissed at Terry for not using Familia or Colon, but not as much as I was a couple hours ago.

themetfairy Jul 13 2016 08:28 PM Re: Two childhood friends

So sorry for your news - two separate simultaneous kicks in the gut! {{Hugs}}

Edgy MD Jul 13 2016 08:44 PM Re: Two childhood friends

What an staggering tale. I'm very sorry to hear. Oxycodone addiction is tearing this country to bits. So much of the heroin abuse is about people who never would have tried it, but who got hooked on Oxy, but found heroin to be a cheaper alternative. It would have been a great subject to bring up during our presidential election.

Mets Guy in Michigan Jul 13 2016 09:22 PM Re: Two childhood friends

Thank you both very much. It would have been a great subject to bring up during our presidential election. My daughter has an internship in Lansing this summer, and she's great company on the hour commute. Last night we listened to NPR the way home -- I can do this without screaming back at the radio most of the time now that things have calmed down a little -- and as each campaign issue was discussed, we sorted it into two mental piles -- "noise," and "issues that actually matter to real people and affect their lives." Sadly, the vast majority of the issues discussed were sorted into the "noise" category, and very few made it into "things that matter" pile. Prescription drug abuse is a problem in so many ways, especially when it spreads into other problems, like criminal justice and the problems being in jail causes people for the rest of the their lives. (In a plug for the boss, we're taking a hard look at this issue and its ripples.) Of course, it doesn't help when doctors write bogus prescriptions.... What a waste. He could have helped so many people with his talents.

Zvon Jul 13 2016 09:50 PM Re: Two childhood friends

Wow. My condolences MGIM :(

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 13 2016 10:32 PM Re: Two childhood friends

I may have mentioned this before but here in me & gwreck's hood was a boutique type pharmacy run by Poles that to us regular folk looked like a kind of Whole Foods-ish pharmacy. They had a whole range of homeopathic medicines and cures, sold cosmetics and stuff like a Rite Aid or CVS but tended toward high-end and European brands, and had other gift-type stuff. They were located across the street from my doctor's office and I liked getting my scripts there because it was an interesting place to shop while you waited. It was well appointed inside. The pharmacist was always quick to suggest other stuff you might want based on your prescription -- for example, yogurty shit to accompany antibiotics or whatever. Then one day it closed suddenly, and bam.

Centerfield Jul 14 2016 02:13 PM Re: Two childhood friends

Wow. Sorry to hear about this MGiM. I think it is toughest when you hear about things like this with childhood/HS friends. One of my HS friends died a few years ago and another was seriously injured in a fall and is paralyzed from the waist down. For me, it was hard to juxtapose the seriousness of real like with the carefree time that was our childhood. I wish the best for your friend's families. And also for your's. Although not explicitly said, I'm sure they appreciate that you have made better life decisions than your friend Jeff.

d'Kong76 Jul 14 2016 04:03 PM Re: Two childhood friends

I been through a lot of this stuff (early death, suicide, prison and paralysis) with a number of my teen-age gang. We had a large group of us for awhile and some of the bunch just never fully grew up. It's sad, and I hope you can quickly process some of it and find closure and peace. Hug your wife and kids a little harder, 'cause ya just never know sometimes.

Ashie62 Jul 15 2016 12:06 AM Re: Two childhood friends

Edgy MD wrote: What an staggering tale. I'm very sorry to hear. Oxycodone addiction is tearing this country to bits. So much of the heroin abuse is about people who never would have tried it, but who got hooked on Oxy, but found heroin to be a cheaper alternative. It would have been a great subject to bring up during our presidential election. Christie tried.

Edgy MD Jul 15 2016 02:11 AM Re: Two childhood friends

Yeah, he did. Good call. Christie was a nut, but a more-or-less healthy part of our republic, not so long ago. Now he lives in infamy. And bothers Syndergaard on the Acela.