Heath Ledger has passed away :MEMORIAL PICS POSTED

[Disneyglobegirl]

Chris Nolan, the director of "Dark Knight" posted a tribute on the Dark Knight blog that was very touching.

Very nice!! Thank you for posting this

 

[EMom]

I think Ambien is the Devil's drug. I took it ONCE when it first came out and within minutes had the most horrible hallucinations.....Then I vomited like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. I told my doctor and she said there were no warnings about hallucinations.

A year or so later, my mother was in ICU, was given Ambien and became so out of control that they had to put her in restraints. She'd been weak and frail up until that point. MIL had a different, but equally bizarre reaction. A doctor I know had a horrible reaction and said the same thing as my doctor...."That's not in the literature!"

Even though they've changed the formula somewhat, I have heard numerous horror stories from people who have taken it. I used to belong to a chat board of people who traveled overseas often. They would post and ask for sleeping advice and someone would suggest Ambien. Regular flyers, flight attendants and pilots would come out of the woodwork with stories of how they witnessed (and sometimes personally experienced) terrible reactions to Ambien. Most involved doing bizarre things that they have NO memory of later. They act as if they are completely aware of what they're doing, but they aren't. Some of them were worthy of being restrained, etc. When the drug wore off, the person thought they had been asleep the whole time.

More and more stories of sleep-driving are being reported with Ambien. What good does it do to label the drug with "Don't drive while taking this medication" if you THINK you're asleep, but in reality, you're getting behind the wheel for a nice, long drive? What are you supposed to do, hide the keys from yourself?

This is one drug that I truly believe will eventually be pulled from the market as more info is made public. Sure, many people take it with no side effects. But maybe they just THINK they're sleeping, when really they're up and about during that time. Problem is, way too many people are taking this drug and having side effects that are dangerously serious. I think the drug company is doing all it can to keep this quiet as long as possible.

I'd tell anyone to take something else. There are other meds out there that involve much less risk. Sleep-driving, for crying out loud?

 

[Jennasis]

Sleep-driving...sleep-eating...sleep-cooking...and even sleep-car-buying! Yup, you heard right. Read about a guy who (at least claimed) he bought a car while on Ambien and had no memory of it.

 

[Christine]

I'd tell anyone to take something else. There are other meds out there that involve much less risk. Sleep-driving, for crying out loud?

Part of the problem with Ambien is patients not following directions. The literature I received specifically told me to swallow the pill and IMMEDIATELY go to bed, which I did (and proceeded to stay awake all night).

From what I have heard, the people that are doing this crazy stuff are NOT following the directions. They are popping the pill about an hour before the want to sleep, getting on the computer, doing dishes, and what have you. Then, the Ambien "takes over" while they are still up/ambulatory and then rational thought goes out the window.

I know a man who takes this stuff in my office and does not go right to bed. The next day his wife tells him about all the conversations he had that he has no recollection of.

I'm sure there are incidents where people might arise from a sleep and do something, but I think they've stated that most of the occurances have happened because people are taking it and not going DIRECTLY to bed.

But, I tend to agree with you, that if a drug requires that much adherence, it's probably not safe to give to someone who cannot be supervised.

 

[livie1205]

everyone is going to have their own reaction to a med...myself, i have never felt anything funny (other than a little bit dizzy if i get up for water) and it has helped me alot, I know alot of people that take this or have taken this with no side effects but i have a friend that took it and thought the walls were moving....i dont think it will be taken off the market because their are alot of meds people take including pain meds that have these kind of side affects on SOME people,it depends on your body.....my dad was on morphine after his heart attack and it made him see things that were not there and he stood up on his bed and thought he was superman...poor daddy but his body just did not handle it well...

 

[Cool-Beans]

I stayed out of that discussion with cool beans...but let me just say if you have to wait for a bad thing "someone passing due to drugs" to talk to your kids about drugs then you have bigger problems at hand. You should not need an excuse to talk to your children about drugs or any other matter! All cool beans needs to do is simply sit down one day and discuss drugs...if she need to have a "star" to point out there are plenty who have died in the past she can bring up...but to WISH anyone has died a certain way is uncalled for. It would be like me saying man I hope..Star X died form AIDS so I can talk to my kids about safe sex. It is sick and dispicable. I would never wish somethign bad on anyone, and thats what she was hopeing for. By all means talk to your kids.. But you do not need an excuse like a stars death to do it. You should be doing it anyway.

I'm just pulling your quote because it is here. Could have pulled any of a gazillion.

I didn't wish anything bad on him. He was already dead. I just said that I hoped the COD would be drugs, because I could use that example for the kids. And even if I had wished something bad on him, it wouldn't make any difference. My wishing it cannot magically make it come to be. Even if I had wished for his death, it wouldn't have made any difference to him.

DH and I decided a long time ago that we weren't going to sit the kids down and say, "Drugs are bad. Don't do drugs." because we didn't think that was the best way to do it. When I was in the 8th grade, they came to our school and told us about huffing - said it was bad, don't do it. None of us had ever heard of it, but we went home and got out baggies and white out to try it out. We also laughed at the "this is your brain - this is your brain on drugs" as teens. It is my personal opinion that telling kids not to do something is not the best way to make them not do it.

We purposely decided to use celeb ODs (knowing there are always going to be some) as something to talk about to each other in front of the kids. We feel that it will drive the point home even better in that fashion. We both remember John Belushi dying. I told DH about how much my dad liked John Belushi and how when he died, dad was sorry about it. Dad said to me, "He was an idiot." I remembered it. That and the kid down the street who ended up in the hospital for drugs made the difference to me.

I was always curious about drugs. I had friends who did them. My best friend's boyfried did acid in the car once. I always did (and still do) want to know what it felt like. I wanted to try it out, too. But the idea of ending up in the hospital or dead - the real life stuff - is what scared me out of trying acid that night and a bunch of other drugs on other nights.

Plenty of kids who come from good homes get hooked. Kids who were talked to about drugs still get hooked. All it takes is a little curiosity and not REALLY believing you're going to get hurt. So we focus on the fact that drugs do hurt and kill people and even trying them is stupid. People who can't learn the lessons right in front of them are stupid. Can't stop the curiosity. It is our hope that we can stop the stupid with fear of harm/death.

DH and I were and are in total agreement on this. That's what we do. It may not BE the best way, but we think it is.

I turned a corner into a patient's room once and he was walking toward the door when I turned in. During his last few steps toward the door, he pulled his arm up and back and punched me in the face. (He'd been admitted the day before - I'd never seen him before - it wasn't personal.) I had the ugliest face and the big, black eye wasn't even the worst of it. In his defense, he HAD been complaining that he wanted methadone and saying the drugs he'd been getting weren't working - nobody listened (or cared.) He was right!

The kids were kind of upset over my face and I kept telling them, "It wasn't the guy. It was the drugs." I explained how drugs work in the brain and what goes on when the drugs are cut off, what it does to people. I was glad to have the opportunity. It meant a lot of headaches and a bit of pain (and pain in the butt to have an eye closed up) for me, but I would happily do it again to have the real-life example for the kids. "It was the drugs - it wasn't the guy. It was the drugs."

I wasn't hoping to get socked, but since it happened anyway, I seized the opportunity to use it. (The guy got the drugs he needed after that and was very, very apologetic once he was in a better state of mind. He even agreed to be bathed, which was good because I think it had been months since he had one and he was really stinking up the place.)

You brought up AIDS and I've used that, too. A friend of mine's brother moved in next to us when we were younger. He had AIDS - got it way back when. The kids knew him. I was over there a lot. I liked him - he was a good friend. And I used him as an example of why not to have unprotected sex. He even used himself as an example. I asked and he happily agreed to talk to my two oldest about sex and AIDS and condoms.

I've used my dad and his sucky heart to try to convince the kids not to eat like doofuses, to take care of themselves so they don't end up with bad hearts, etc.

I've repeatedly shown DD the scars on my body to explain why she can't go to a tanning booth. I tell her I was an idiot and had to pay for it and now I'm smarter and she won't. Hard to argue that a few times won't be harmful when all mom does is point to her scars.

I like real-life examples.

I don't wish drug addiction on anyone. And I don't hate the folks who get addicted. In fact, I always get them as patients because I'm good to them. And I'd rather have them than have with someone who is cold or mean to them.

I don't like the way so many nurses blame people for their own diseases. Well, of course he had a heart attack - he's fat. Of course she has COPD - she smoked. Of course his liver failed - he drank. I think they do it because it makes it easier to not care and that makes the job easier for them. But the fact that a patient has themself to blame just makes it worse for them and makes me feel sorry for them. I have often said that on these boards, too.

But the fact that I feel badly for them doesn't mean I think they made smart choices. It is stupid to take drugs. It is stupid to smoke. And it is stupid to eat yourself to death. I know it, the patients know it (they cry about it often), and everyone who has any sense knows it. You can feel badly about something and still know it is stupid.

And the fact that I feel badly for addicts doesn't mean that I won't use them as examples. Especially celebrity addicts who the kids think they like a lot, but don't really care about. It isn't the kind of real emotional upheaval as it is when someone you love or care for dies. It's just superficial.

IMO, DH and I doing a very quick, "What an idiot" and laughing at someone will drive the message home much better than any sit-down "Drugs are bad" conversation. So that's what I'm doing.

I wasn't taking joy in the late Mr. Hedger's death. I wasn't sitting around hoping he'd get addicted to drugs or die or whatever. I just would like the COD to be drugs so that I can use it. It isn't like I'm sitting around hoping this real hard or wringing my hands in anticipation or anything. It would just be nice to have that as it works into our way of doing things. If it ends up being something else, I'll like that, too. I don't actually care that much what killed him.

The fact that we make laugh about how stupid the celebs are for getting hooked on drugs (and never learning the lessons of previous celebs who did it and died) in front of the kids does not mean that we are cruel or heartless. It's just what we decided to do to get our kids to take the drugs seriously.

I also think it is slightly hypcritical to say all manner of nasty things (the name-calling, the terrible mom bit, etc.) about me for me to read and be up on a high horse about kindness and compassion.

But I've often been wrongly accused of being a saint, so I expect that I had this coming. I'm no saint. I'm not heartless and cruel. Like most folks, I fall somewhere in between.

 

[Aisling]

I just would like the COD to be drugs so that I can use it.

The COD may be drugs, but that doesn't mean he was addicted to drugs, nor does it mean he was an idiot.

Will you still call him an idiot to your children if it turns out he took, say, a prescribed anti-depressant and a prescribed sleep-aid and a prescribed anti-anxiety med, and accidentally mismanaged the doses because of being sick with jetlag and pneumonia?

I worked in a nursing home/long-term care facility, and over the years we had patients who were there because of brain damage resulting from mismanaged medications. Would you call those people idiots?

I understand where you're coming from, as you have a healthy fear of recreational drugs, but don't you think teaching compassion along with instilling the fear is the best way to teach kids?

Reminds me of when Anna Nicole died, and I spoke to my 15 year old son about it. I explained to him that Anna was a poor soul, and ruined her life and caused so much grief because of her addiction. I told him that taking drugs for fun traps you, and you can easily end up dead, like those weren't strong enough to get help, or just didn't care enough about themselves. I would never think of calling them idiots, because they're more than that, they're sick people on the path of destruction by their own hand.

I like real-life examples, too, but I take a less judgemental approach with my kids. My kids are 15 and 22, and both are anti-drugs, as well as sympathetic to those who have died of OD.

As parents we are all trying to do our best, that's what we can all agree on.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The COD may be drugs, but that doesn't mean he was addicted to drugs, nor does it mean he was an idiot.

I never said it meant he was addicted. You could die the first time. In fact, that would be an even better thing to tell the kids, that he died the first time he did it.

It is pretty idiotic to take drugs. Especially in Hollywood, when so many before you have taken that road. So, you can't take drugs and be 100% non-idiot. But it doesn't make him 100% idiot, of course.

However, that's not what we tell the kids. We want them thinking that the kids doing drugs are idiots and, like I said, I want them in the group laughing at the idiots taking taking the drugs. Not in the group taking them and not in the group on-the-fence about the whole thing. I want my kids convinced that drugs are for morons. And at the very least, I want them to know that most smart people think that.

Will you still call him an idiot to your children if it turns out he took, say, a prescribed anti-depressant and a prescribed sleep-aid and a prescribed anti-anxiety med, and accidentally mismanaged the doses because of being sick with jetlag and pneumonia?

No. When I said "drugs" I meant of the recreational sort. If I'd meant the other, I'd have said "meds."

Having worked hospice for many years, I know how people get very confuzzled about when they are supposed to take what and that it is hard to remember what got taken when. I made up several ways to help people remember - little booklets that I made, timers, special SMT***S doo-dads. My kids have seen me help relatives/friends/church people with this stuff (I swear I'm going to market it one day) and I think that if they had to, they could probably figure out a system for themselves or someone else.

I worked in a nursing home/long-term care facility, and over the years we had patients who were there because of brain damage resulting from mismanaged medications. Would you call those people idiots?

Nope. It happens all the time. It is unfortunate that nobody bothers to figure out who can and can't handle their meds and that nobody bothers to get them a system or into a place where other people do it for them. But it happens all the flippin time. Hell, tons of people don't even notice that the person they're living with has dehydrated until the person totally loses their mind or passes out. People just don't know to watch for all that stuff.

I have long said that more needs to be done on care-giver education. Just make up a few pamphlets, for Pete's sake. People will read them and they'll help. Stuff like, "watch your mom/husband/sister to see that she's drinking every day." Get to them the first time they come along on a doctor visit and you'll prevent a whole lot of suffering down the road. I think it would do a world of good. But I'm not running the Clinic. I'm just a cog.

I understand where you're coming from, as you have a healthy fear of recreational drugs, but don't you think teaching compassion along with instilling the fear is the best way to teach kids?

Nope. I don't want my kids having compassion for the druggies just now. All they need to know at this age is that drugs are for idiots and they can hurt/kill you. They're good kids. They'll figure the rest out later. If they don't, I can help.

But there are people who have no respect whatsoever for drunks and drug addicts. Read a thread about drunk drivers around here one day and you'll see them out in force. I don't begrudge people that. I happen to see it differently, but if the kids end up hating the addicts...well, I'd rather err on that side than the other.

I have good kids, though. I don't see any of them ending up that way. They haven't so far, anyway.

Reminds me of when Anna Nicole died, and I spoke to my 15 year old son about it. I explained to him that Anna was a poor soul, and ruined her life and caused so much grief because of her addiction. I told him that taking drugs for fun traps you, and you can easily end up dead, like those weren't strong enough to get help, or just didn't care enough about themselves. I would never think of calling them idiots, because they're more than that, they're sick people on the path of destruction by their own hand.

I like real-life examples, too, but I take a less judgemental approach with my kids. My kids are 15 and 22, and both are anti-drugs, as well as sympathetic to those who have died of OD.

As parents we are all trying to do our best, that's what we can all agree on.

DH always said Anna Nicole was a pig. I always felt bad for her - that guy left her the money, she deserved to have it. The rest of it we never paid any attention to. But I did always feel that she got screwed.

I'm not saying that everyone should do what I do. I'm not even saying it is THE right way to do it. But we think it is the best way, certainly the best way for us. We're not the kind of parents who sit the kids down and talk to them like we're reading a pamphlet. The things suggested here just wouldn't work for us.

We do what we do. We're doing the best we can. The first two I'm (knock on wood) pretty confident about. College freshman and high school senior - no drugs yet. The younger two, we're just doing what we can and crossing our fingers. But we're sticking with our own way. It works for us.

 

[canwegosoon]

I have to say what Heath did was his business- we were not there for all his around the world flights, sickness, work, responsibilities/duties, and having a small personal life. I do know my son would be dead by his mid twenties if I had not caught a very difficult to diagonis heart problem. You know I could really care less what the actual COD was- because he was too young, had a family that cared for and loved him, and I believe no child deserves growing up without a father. It is a tragic loss.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I have to say what Heath did was his business- we were not there for all his around the world flights, sickness, work, responsibilities/duties, and having a small personal life. I do know my son would be dead by his mid twenties if I had not caught a very difficult to diagonis heart problem. You know I could really care less what the actual COD was- because he was too young, had a family that cared for and loved him, and I believe no child deserves growing up without a father. It is a tragic loss.

I agree!

 

[Disney Doll]

Cool-Beans....just stop posting. Just stop. Whatever you are trying to say, whatever point you are trying to make...it's not coming across how you want it to. So just stop.

At the end of the day, someone's son, brother, father, friend is dead, and that is very sad.

 

[Aisling]

Cool-Beans....just stop posting. Just stop. Whatever you are trying to say, whatever point you are trying to make...it's not coming across how you want it to. So just stop.

At the end of the day, someone's son, brother, father, friend is dead, and that is very sad.

Disney Doll, it's my fault. Cool was just answering my post.

Cool, we're all unified in wanting to keep our kids away from drugs. And I do respect your opinion even if I use a different method. I hope and pray that all or our kids learn the right lessons from us as parents.

And now I promise not to bring it up again.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Even more sadly ET just reported that there is an incrimidating tape that will be released on tv in Australia.

I too think the whole situation is incredibly tragic and I really feel for his family, having to deal with this, along with the protesters etc. Bless them, I hope they all can find some kind of peace in the midst of this. I also think whatever the cause, it's about too much for a family to bear

 

[chisnpeke]

I have to say what Heath did was his business- we were not there for all his around the world flights, sickness, work, responsibilities/duties, and having a small personal life. I do know my son would be dead by his mid twenties if I had not caught a very difficult to diagonis heart problem. You know I could really care less what the actual COD was- because he was too young, had a family that cared for and loved him, and I believe no child deserves growing up without a father. It is a tragic loss.

Cool-Beans....just stop posting. Just stop. Whatever you are trying to say, whatever point you are trying to make...it's not coming across how you want it to. So just stop.

At the end of the day, someone's son, brother, father, friend is dead, and that is very sad.

I agree with both of these.

It's very, very sad. I feel that the world has lost someone very special.

 

[KikiFan]

The fact that we make laugh about how stupid the celebs are for getting hooked on drugs (and never learning the lessons of previous celebs who did it and died) in front of the kids does not mean that we are cruel or heartless. It's just what we decided to do to get our kids to take the drugs seriously.

Oh Really??? You're laughing about someone that died. How on God's green earth can you say that's not cruel and heartless???

Cool-Beans I said this before and I'll say it again (even though I'm afraid it's pointless) You need to think about what lessons you are really teaching your kids. Your example with your father and John Belushi stuck with you because it was the real and heartfelt reaction of a fan who was angry/hurt/disappointed. What you and your husband are doing is entirely different.

You and your husband are laughing and ridiculing random people and their tragic deaths. That's entirely different. You're teaching your children to laugh at the suffering of others, to ridicule those who are addicted and weak.
Worst of all you're teaching your children that if they make a stupid mistake they can expect ridicule and scorn - not compassion and assistance.

I understand what motivates you to do this - and I believe that your intentions are good, but imo what your father said and what you and you're husband are doing are like apples and Oranges.

 

[SandiH]

Did you see her when she tried to skate without him? It was 1996 and she broke down crying on the ice....I was at WDW and cried, and cried and cried. It broke my heart, I will never forget it.

That performance was amazing. I thought they were fabulous.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Even more sadly ET just reported that there is an incrimidating tape that will be released on tv in Australia.

I too think the whole situation is incredibly tragic and I really feel for his family, having to deal with this, along with the protesters etc. Bless them, I hope they all can find some kind of peace in the midst of this. I also think whatever the cause, it's about too much for a family to bear

News is coming out now that ET will NOT be showing this tape. I guess the tape from 2 years ago is heavily edited and it NEVER shows Heath doing any drugs. He is heard making a comment about smoking pot but that is it. I think it is really sad that all the tabloids and entertainment shows are all jumping to conclusions. They need to shut the hell up until all the reports are back. Also Michelle Williams is saying that reports of her wanting Heath to go to rehab are all false.

 

[KikiFan]

News is coming out now that ET will NOT be showing this tape. I guess the tape from 2 years ago is heavily edited and it NEVER shows Heath doing any drugs. He is heard making a comment about smoking pot but that is it. I think it is really sad that all the tabloids and entertainment shows are all jumping to conclusions. They need to shut the hell up until all the reports are back. Also Michelle Williams is saying that reports of her wanting Heath to go to rehab are all false.

Yeah they really tried to pull a fast one with the tape. Apparently in the tape he is at a party where there are drugs but he talks about how Michelle would kill him for being there and how he used to smoke pot all the time. So it's clear he wasn't actually doing anything. It was really crappy the way they tried to make it seem like he was using.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I applaud Access Hollywood for truly Honoring Heath's memory and not even discussing the tape last night on their show. The Insider and Entertainment Tonight should be ashamed of themselves.

You don't know anything yet about his cause of death. Until you know don't speculate, just honor him.


I was a big fan and the night he died I went in to the city and laid flowers down and left a note for him. Then I still didn't feel better about the whole thing and it was just sad. Still is...so I decided to make something for Matilda (yeah I know a bit much but I felt better) It was an "Oscar" surrounded by Red (silk) flowers and some baby's breath. I also wrote her a letter. Went to his home in Brooklyn and left it there for her.

I took the time to do that for her, because she is the one who is going to suffer the most out of this whole ordeal. Whether he was famous or not, she is without a father and from all the reports he loved her dearly and wanted to watch her grow up.

RIP Heath, you will be missed

 

[harleyquinn]

It situations like this that make me so glad that the Internet is around.

Everyone from people like us to celebrities to even Perez Hilton were condeming ET and they got them to not shoe the whole tape.

BUT I think they showed too much as it is, especially since he never does anything on the tape and the worst thing he says is that he USED to smoke 5 joints a day. Whippidedoda. Especially if we get the tox report and it says he died of natural causes.

ET has totally lost me as a viewer.

Don't report crap until the cause is OFICIALLY released and then let everyone mourn.