(WENN)
A man who befriended Anna Nicole on her visit to Disneyland about eleven years ago, revealed that she was plagued by aches and pains brought on by her battle against lupus. Frank Rodriguez said that he acted as Smith's tour guide during her trip to the amusement park more than once and enjoyed a "special friendship" with the former Playboy pinup. From The ShowBuzz:
I never told anyone this," Frank Rodriguez told "The Insider" in an exclusive interview. "She asked me to swear I would never, ever ever tell anybody."
Rodriguez said he is speaking out now because he doesn't like people calling the late starlet "a drug addict."
"She had a very serious condition, and I think people are entitled to know the truth," he said.Rodriguez spoke with "The Insider" in an interview set to air in Tuesday, and Howard K. Stern confirmed with the news magazine that Frank was in fact a close friend of Anna's.
I do admit that this puts her behavior in a somewhat more understandable light, but last time I checked, methadone was not a treatment for lupus.
margaretta says:
Sure, over there is the teacup ride and by the way I have lupus.
Happened just that way I'm sure of it
LRM216 says:
Not that I really even believe this story from this Frank guy, but please remember, Methadone IS used OFTEN for chronic pain caused by certain medical conditions. It is used because it actually is less addictive than oxycontin, vicondin, etc. Now that's not to say that people on it for legitimate reasons (other than to get of heroin) won't abuse it. I'm sure there have been many, but it is a known and common med that many people with chronic pain conditions are on - on a daily basis.
Ani says:
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned, so I apologize if I'm just repeating someone.. BUT.. ANS suffered from chronic pain. She had been on LEGAL therapy for chronic pain for YEARS. Was she on methadone for forever and a day? Yeah, and it wasn't because she was a crazy junkie.
Did she abuse drugs and alcohol? Sure. But she was also taken advantage of by everyone around her. She's not as bad as people make her out to be.
Mother With Lupus says:
I am in absolute shock at how the media has built her up to tear her apart in death! The sad thing is that her daughter will have to grow up seeing all of this and who is really benifitting here.....the tabloids and the media? If they took the time to find out WHAT was really wrong with her which could have been LUPUS ("SLE"), than they would understand a little as to why she was the way she was which explains so much. Do a GOOGLE search on LUPUS or look up The Lupus Foundation of America where there is a wealth of information about it!!!!!!
I can be very sympathetic to this as I suffer myself from Lupus (fibro, IC, APS, Sjogren's, Raynaud's, OA, Asthma, Neuro-Cardiongenic Syncope, Common Variable Immunodeficiency ("CVID"), GERD, Anemia, IBS and I'm also a Breast Cancer survivor) -- as do many of my friends that I have acquired on the Internet and my doctors offices. No one can judge anyone else for what they chose to deal with as far as treatment for their chronic pain or illnesses unless they have been there themselves!
Once I was privey to the fact that she could have had Lupus, it gave me a better understanding as to why she was the way she was.
Lupus is such a multi-faceted disease and can make you seem like you are in a "drunken stupor" which can be from kidney involvement and/or central nervous system involvement. A great number of lupus patients have major organ involvement. Most doctors can not treat infection, kidney, heart and CNS involvement because there really isn't anything to treat it. All of it is systematic treatment not a cure. I was treated with Cytoxan for my kidneys - didn't do much....I am being treated every 3 weeks for 3-consecutive days for infection with IVIG (gammaglobulin - human plasma) and taking many medications to treat the other symptoms of my lupus. I have a medaport in and will be getting these treatments for the rest of my life! I have been in and out of the hospital since my diagnosis in 2000. Currently, my monthly medical expenses to include doctors and medicines are approximately $18k!!
She may have abused drugs at some some point in her life, but who hasn't tried drugs? No one should pass judgment!! She was not a drug addict if she was taking medications for Lupus. Lupus patients take a significant amount of medications to symptomatically treat the symptoms so that we can function on a daily basis but even then it is a constant struggle. As Dr. Lahita said on Entertainment Tonight the other night that Methadone is used to treat chronic pain. It is also less addictive than many of the other pain medications that are used to treat chronic pain although like pain meds it can mask what is actually going on. I was on Imuran and Cellcept which also masked what was going on with me for my kidneys. These medications are used for transplant patients.
In adddition, I am APPAULLED at the fact that people from the Hollywood scene (fellow actors and coat-string wanna be's) as well are not being more compassionate. This Scientology crap is unbelieveable to me to even think that this was a quick fix to a cure that isn't. There is NO CURE FOR LUPUS!!!!
My doctors combine both traditional and hollistic medicines in the treatment of my Lupus. If people took the time to sit, learn and listen -- then we could all work together to find a cure for this dreadful disease. I have almost died 3 times because of Lupus. I have 2 small chldren that I am striving to live for every day so that they have a mother!
If a cure is found for Lupus, a cure will be found for so many other diseases, i.e., MS, parkinsons, AIDS, etc.!!!! Please, please help all of us that are suffering from this disease in finding a cure.
Thank you.
L.D.C. says:
I also have lupus and am in constant pain the majority of the time but never once has my doctor suggested methadone for the pain...she was heavy into drugs...both illegal and prescription and as a result of probably both she is no longer here...period!