mercysgirl's blog: "feelings"

Chris Benoit's father Michael appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning and shed new light on his son's final days. Tests of Chris Benoit's brain tissue revealed that Chris had severe brain damage. The level of brain damage Chris had was equivalent to an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient - and similar to three NFL players who committed suicide. There were abnormal protein deposits in the brain caused by trauma to Benoit's head. Chris' brain tissue was tested at the request of his father, Michael Benoit. Michael Benoit says that he agreed to have his son's brain tested because he found a recent diary his son wrote that indicated he was "extremely disturbed". Severe brain damage can lead to depression and irrational, violent behavior.

In a recent interview with NYDailyNews.com, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) recently commented on WWE's actions of suspending wrestlers in the company. Stearns didn't have many kind words in response to the action by WWE adding quote, "The WWE does not have a drug policy that's worth a flip. Because the WWE didn't catch them, the district attorney in (Albany) New York investigated and found them. If those are all from Signature Pharmacy, I'd like to know how many other pharmacies might be involved." Stearns also commented further on how he felt WWE didn't provide Congress with enough information about their current drug testing policy adding, "We asked them for their testing information; what they came back with was not sufficient. We do not have a copy (of the actual testing policy). We didn't understand whether it was random, what the threshold (level for drugs) was, whether any of these wrestlers were getting post-dated prescriptions after the fact." A press conference will be held tomorrow morning at 10:45 a.m. Eastern at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to release findings from the examination of the brain of Chris Benoit. Michael Benoit, the father of Chris, gave Julian Bailes, MD, the Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University, the rights to examine his son's brain. Michael Benoit will be speaking at the press conference along with Dr. Robert Cantu (Director of sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA) and Cary Itchter (Benoit's lawyer). It is believed at this point that the findings reveal at the press conference will confirm damage that would enable a "diminished capaciy" defense for Chris Benoit's slaying of his wife and son before killing himself. As reported earlier, Michael Benoit will be appearing on ABC this Thursday on "Good Morning America" and "Nightline" to talk about the diminished capacity theory.

In a recent interview with NYDailyNews.com, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) recently commented on WWE's actions of suspending wrestlers in the company. Stearns didn't have many kind words in response to the action by WWE adding quote, "The WWE does not have a drug policy that's worth a flip. Because the WWE didn't catch them, the district attorney in (Albany) New York investigated and found them. If those are all from Signature Pharmacy, I'd like to know how many other pharmacies might be involved." Stearns also commented further on how he felt WWE didn't provide Congress with enough information about their current drug testing policy adding, "We asked them for their testing information; what they came back with was not sufficient. We do not have a copy (of the actual testing policy). We didn't understand whether it was random, what the threshold (level for drugs) was, whether any of these wrestlers were getting post-dated prescriptions after the fact." A press conference will be held tomorrow morning at 10:45 a.m. Eastern at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to release findings from the examination of the brain of Chris Benoit. Michael Benoit, the father of Chris, gave Julian Bailes, MD, the Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University, the rights to examine his son's brain. Michael Benoit will be speaking at the press conference along with Dr. Robert Cantu (Director of sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA) and Cary Itchter (Benoit's lawyer). It is believed at this point that the findings reveal at the press conference will confirm damage that would enable a "diminished capaciy" defense for Chris Benoit's slaying of his wife and son before killing himself. As reported earlier, Michael Benoit will be appearing on ABC this Thursday on "Good Morning America" and "Nightline" to talk about the diminished capacity theory.

The Los Angeles Times has published an article today talking about the findings of damage to Chris Benoit's brain, as reported yesterday. In the article WWE responded by saying "Today's attempt to explain that Chris Benoit's murder of his family was possibly caused by some form of dementia as a result of alleged concussions is speculative. WWE can certainly understand the anguish of a father having to deal with the fact that his son allegedly murdered his wife and young son, as Chris Benoit is alleged to have done. We respect the desire of that father to do whatever he can to find some explanation as to why his son might commit such horrible acts." Jennifer McIntosh, a spokesperson for WWE was quoted as saying that WWE found, "no medical records of [Benoit] suffering a concussion. We don't have any answers as to why Chris did what he did. We're still awaiting the law enforcement investigation to be concluded."

Sports Legacy Institute Announces Findings of Forensic Examinations on Wrestler Chris Benoit's Brain NEW YORK, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading medical experts associated with the Sports Legacy Institute today appeared with Michael Benoit, father of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, to release the results of neuropathological tests that demonstrate his son suffered from a type of brain damage called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which was found in all regions of his brain. The Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), which oversaw and coordinated the testing, is an independent medical research organization dedicated to studying the long-term effects of head injuries in sports. SLI President Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit on June 28th, the Thursday after his son's death, to obtain permission to study the wrestler's brain. SLI's research has indicated there is a connection between the repeated head injuries suffered by many athletes involved in contact sports and an aggregation of abnormal Tau proteins in the brain, causing CTE. CTE's most common symptoms include depression, cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinsonism and erratic behavior. Experts believe that CTE may have been a cause or contributing factor in the Benoit tragedy. While CTE has long been found in boxers, and more recently in NFL football players, the findings of CTE in Benoit suggest that athletes involved in other contact sports may also be at a heightened risk for this type of brain injury. "When Chris Nowinski contacted me about conducting tests on Chris' brain, I was extremely hesitant given the circumstances surrounding my son's death," said Michael Benoit. "I agreed to the testing after he explained their desire to expand knowledge about the potential brain damage that athletes can suffer from repetitive head injuries in contact sports. When the results were explained to me by the SLI doctors, I was shocked to learn the extent of damage and saddened that he could have been suffering from this without anyone's knowledge. I hope the examination of Chris' brain leads to greater understanding and ultimately helps protect athletes of all ages." Bennet Omalu, MD, MPH, a leading forensic neuropathologist, the Chief Medical Examiner of San Joaquin County, CA, and founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute examined Chris Benoit's brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project and had also examined the brains of Mike Webster, Terry Long, Andre Waters, and Justin Strzelczyk all of whom were professional football players, died by the age of fifty, and displayed similar psychological and behavioral profiles. Their brains showed evidence of CTE and two of the players -- Long, and Waters -- committed suicide. Mike Webster died of a heart attack, but suffered from dementia, depression, and exhibited erratic behavior after retiring from football. When Justin Strzelczyk died at the age of 36, he had been telling relatives he was hearing voices from "the evil ones" and then led police on a 40 mile high- speed chase through central New York at speeds up to 100 mph on the wrong side of the highway, which resulted in an explosive crash and his death "When the SLI approached Michael Benoit about testing Chris' brain as part of the Sports Legacy Project, our goal was to determine if there was evidence of CTE caused by repeated trauma to the head sustained during Chris Benoit's career. We have now confirmed multiple concussions are part of his medical history, along with clinical symptoms associated with CTE," said Julian Bailes, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University School of Medicine and an SLI founding member. "Because my SLI colleagues and I have found evidence of CTE in the brains of four former professional football players, we felt an examination of Chris Benoit's brain may bring awareness to CTE's existence outside of boxers and football players. The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit suggest that there may be a common syndrome among athletes who suffer multiple head injuries in contact sports." The neuropathological findings were confirmed by other neuropathologists, and correlate with recent findings of an increased risk of depression and cognitive impairment in professional football players who have suffered multiple concussions, according to research conducted by Dr. Bailes and another SLI founding member, Robert Cantu, MD, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, and Co- Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a form of brain damage that is best documented in boxers, but can also occur in athletes who played football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, or any sport associated with impacts to the head. It can only be confirmed by a post-mortem neuropathological immunohistochemical study. While studies show that as many as 20 percent of professional boxers show evidence of CTE, there has been little study of CTE in athletes involved in other contact sports. According to the examinations, Mr. Benoit's brain exhibited large amounts of abnormal Tau protein, manifested as Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs) and Neuropil Threads [NTs]. These represent aggregates of abnormal Tau protein, which are remnants of the cytoskeleton of the brain cells and their connections. Frequent NFTs and NTs were distributed in all regions of the brain including the neocortex, the limbic cortex, subcortical ganglia and brainstem ganglia accompanied by loss of brain cells. Accumulation of abnormal Tau protein in the form of NFTs and NTs in the brain has been confirmed to cause neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia. There was no other neuropathological evidence for any chronic or acute disorder to explain his clinical symptoms. "The findings of CTE in Chris Benoit's brain, which are consistent with the previous examinations of athletes who suffered from repeated head traumas, confirm the need for a large-scale study of CTE in athletes who participate in contact sports," said Chris Nowinski, who retired from professional sports after multiple concussions and conceived SLI, a collaboration of doctors and advocates that includes renowned attorney Robert Fitzsimmons, who played an integral role. "The link between CTE and contact sports is clear. We need to conduct more research to understand the full spectrum of the disease and raise awareness so parents, coaches, medical staff and athletic officials know how to respond when athletes, including children, sustain head injuries. If we apply this knowledge we believe we can successfully prevent future cases." The Sports Legacy Institute is dedicated to studying the effects of concussions and other sports related brain injuries. Through its efforts, SLI aims to maximize the safety and vitality of all athletes who participate in contact and collision sports around the globe. The designation of the Sports Legacy Institute as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation is in the process of being submitted. The Sports Legacy Institute relies on donations from concerned parties to fund its work. Sports Legacy Institute

I feel that we really never really know what really happend that weekend I don't think that anyone will ever really know. Maybe there may be something in the Dieary that Chris had or was given after the death of his friend and a fellow great wrestler Eddie G. Maybe there is something in that and maybe then they will truely be able to know what really happened and why it happend. But untill they truely know what really happened and what went on ect. I am not going to pass judgement. I think Chris Benoit was a great wrestler and I will miss him as will alot of people he did alot in his career. And he left way too early just like Eddie and just like Owen and Davey Boy Smith and the others that have gone before it was there time!!! I have been a big wrestling fan for over 27 years and I have met alot of wrestlers and seen alot come and alot go, but one thing I can say that I know for a fact is that they always gave it there all for us fans each and every night that they went out. I for one am not gonna hate Chris for what happened nor am I gonna stop0 admireing him because of what happend. I don't know I just hope that they will one day really find out what really happend that dreadful weekend and maybe let us know, but I for one am not going to stop watching because of what happend, I still watch every week. I am gonna end this with I am a big wrestling fan and always will be till the day I die. But I do appreceate what they did for Chris,Nancy and Daniel Benoit that night on Raw I for one when the show first started I thought it was another joke or stupid story line but it wasn't I just wish that maybe someone would of came and checked up on them sooner like when they first got the strange texts from Chris. Oh yeah not to get off the subject but I think what the wwe did with the Mr. McMahan story line about him getting blown up was extreamly stupid!!! This is just some of my feelings on how I feel about what is going on. Sara aka Mercysgirl

From The Associated Press: Medical Examiner's Report DECATUR, Ga. (July 17) - Investigators said Tuesday they found steroids and other drugs in the body of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and young son last month before hanging himself in the family's home. Besides steroids, Benoit's body contained the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone, according to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI said Benoit tested negative for blood alcohol. Benoit's wife, Nancy, tested positive for Xanax, hydrocodone and the painkiller hydromorphone. The son, Daniel Benoit had Xanax in his system, the agency said. The GBI said it could not perform tests for steroids or human growth hormones on the son because of a lack of urine. The test results were expected to shed more light on Benoit's last moments. Authorities said Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son in their suburban Atlanta home, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine. Anabolic steroids were found in the home, leading officials to wonder if the drugs played a role in the killings. Some experts believe steroids can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage." Federal authorities have charged Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, with improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit. He has pleaded not guilty. Investigators have also raided Astin's office several times since the deaths, seizing prescription records and other documents. Before he was charged, Astin told the AP he prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past. He would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his wife. Steroids Found in Pro Wrestler's Body DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit had a steroid and other drugs in his system when he killed his wife and young son last month and hanged himself in the family's home, investigators said Tuesday. Benoit's body contained 10 times the normal level of testosterone, as well as amounts of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone, authorities said. The testosterone, a synthetic version of the primary male sex hormone, is considered an anabolic steroid. The state's top medical examiner said it appeared to have been injected shortly before Benoit died. Dr. Kris Sperry said there was no evidence of any other steroids in the wrestler's body, and nothing to show that steroids played a role in the death of Nancy and Daniel Benoit. He also said the boy appeared to have been sedated when he was asphyxiated, and Benoit's wife had a "therapeutic" level of sedatives in her body. Sperry said there is no consensus that the use of testosterone can contribute to paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage." "This a question that basically no one knows the answer to," Sperry said. "There is conflicting scientific data as to whether or not testosterone creates mental disorders or leads to outbursts of rage," he said. "There's data that suggests it and other data that refute it." The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Chris Benoit tested negative for alcohol. Investigators had been eager to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the killings after 10 empty beer cans were found in the home, as well as an empty wine bottle a few feet from where Benoit hanged himself. Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine. After the slayings, prescription anabolic steroids were found in the family's home, raising questions about whether the drugs played a role in the killings. Benoit's wife, Nancy, tested positive for Xanax, hydrocodone and the painkiller hydromorphone. Daniel Benoit had Xanax in his system, authorities said. The GBI said it could not perform tests for steroids or human growth hormones on the boy because of a lack of urine. Nancy Benoit's body had a blood-alcohol level of 0.184 percent, more than twice the level at which Georgia law considers a driver intoxicated. But, Sperry said, that level may have been affected by decomposition. Federal authorities have charged Chris Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, with improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit. He has pleaded not guilty. Investigators have also raided Astin's office several times since the deaths, seizing prescription records and other documents. Before he was charged, Astin told the AP he prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past. He would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his wife. World Wrestling Entertainment last screened Benoit for steroids in April. It said the results released Tuesday were proof Benoit did not test positive for illegal substances. "All it means is that scientifically, it's now known that sometime between April 10 and when he died, he had treatment with testosterone," said Jerry McDevitt, a WWE attorney. "That's all it establishes."

WWE ISSUES STATEMENT REGARDING TOXICOLOGY REPORT - WWE issued a statement just moments ago regarding the toxicology report on Chris Benoit. The full statement reads as follows. "WWE understands that the toxicology reports for Chris Benoit indicate that he tested positive for testosterone and negative for anabolic steroids. On Mr. Benoit's last drug test in April 2007 administered by Aegis Labs, he tested negative for anabolic steroids and for testosterone. Given the toxicology report of GBI released today, it would appear that Mr. Benoit took testosterone sometime after his April 2007 test and the time he died. WWE understands that his dealings with Dr. Astin are currently being investigated, and WWE has no knowledge of whether Dr. Astin prescribed testosterone for Mr. Benoit at some point after the April 2007 tests. For over 20 years, the WWE has been demonstrating our concern for the well being of our contracted athletes, instituting drug testing in 1987 leading up to our current Wellness Program which began on February 27, 2006, administered by Dr. David L. Black of Aegis Sciences Corporation - one of the world's foremost drug testing authorities. We believe our Wellness Program is at the very least comparable to those of professional sports and is a program that will benefit WWE Superstars for generations to come."

TOXICOLOGY REPORTS ON BENOIT FAMILY RELEASED - Toxicology reports on Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and son Daniel were released today at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation headquarters. Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard opened the press conference saying that all the findings so far still leads that Chris murdered his wife and son and then committed suicide. He thanked the crime lab for giving a lot of attention to this case considering there are other urgent cases that need to be taken care of. He said that they will be unable to reply to most of the questions regarding the crime scene or the investigation as the investigation is still ongoing. Dr Kris Sperry, Chief Medical Examiner at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab took over to explain the results. Three drugs were discovered in Nancy's body. These were Hydromorphone, a drug to relieve severe pain. Hydrocodone, otherwise known as Vicodin, which also releaves pain as well as Xanax, which is used to treat anxiety. Her blood alcohol level was 0.184 although Dr Sperry said that it's wrong to speculate about this because it could have been elevated due to the body decomposing. Going over Daniel Benoit, he said that Xanax was found in his system as well although this is not a drug that is usually given to a seven year old. Dr Sperry said that they believe that he was sedated by Xanax before being murdered but he wasn't overdosed with it. They couldn't get any more results on him due to the very low level of urine found in his body. Chris Benoit had Xanax and Hydrocodone in his system which were not at a toxic or elevated levels however he had an elevated level of testosterone found in his urine. "The presence of the testosterone alone even could be an indicator that he was being treated for testicular insufficiency," he said. Dr Sperry added that no other illegal steroids were found in his body. A reporter asked if Soma - a muscle relaxer - was found in his system but he said no. He also said that the injection of testosterone was irrelevant to the murders and they still can't explain why he did what he did.

I HOPE I DO NOT HEAR OF ANYONE BREAKING THIS ONE OR SEE DELETED This is a ribbon for soldiers fighting in Iraq. Pass it on to everyone and pray. Something good will happen to you tonight at 11:11 PM. This is not a joke. Someone will either call you or will talk to you online and say that they love you. Do not break this chain. Send this to 13 people in the next 15 minutes. Go. SLEEP LAST NIGHT? Bed a little lumpy... Toss and turn any... Wish the heat was higher... Maybe the a/c wasn't on... Had to go to the john... Need a drink of water... ?????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? Scroll down Yes... It is like that! Count your blessings, pray for them, Talk to your Creator and the next time when... the other car cuts you off and you must hit the brakes, or you have to park a little further from Walmart than you want to be, or you're served slightly warm food at the restaurant, or you're sitting and cursing the traffic in front of you, or the shower runs out of hot w ater, Think of them... Protecting your freedom! DO NOT DELETE-PLS PASS ON-Message from Iraq The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute To our fallen comrades. So since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is By taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel. It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen. I was wo ndering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that "WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN" and are proud to serve our country." Semper Fi 1stSgt Dave Jobe The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq. They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they're there and that they remember those who've been lost.