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UnderArmour
09-21-2010, 08:11 PM
This article includes the findings of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's office, which concluded that McKinley was suffering from depression stemming from his knee surgery 4 weeks ago. I don't like posting a new thread as this already hurts enough, but here are the findings. I have still have no clue what to make of this and am stunned.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/09/21/report-mckinley-suffered-from-depression-following-knee-surgery/5286/

Report: McKinley suffered from depression following knee surgery
By MIKE KLIS

Broncos receiver Kenny McKinley was suffering from depression after undergoing knee surgery four weeks ago, according to a report released Tuesday night by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s office.

The department ruled that McKinley’s death was a suicide caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head while lying in his bed at his Aurora home. An autopsy performed by the Arapahoe County coroner’s office Tuesday morning confirmed the finding of suicide.

The report, quoting an investigator at the scene, said McKinley had made statements shortly after the surgery “that he should just kill himself.”

The report added McKinley didn’t know what he would do if he couldn’t play football because football was all he knew.

McKinley broke most of the significant receiving records at South Carolina previously held by Sterling Sharpe, but making it in the NFL had been a challenge since being selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2009 draft.

McKinley, 23, played sparingly last year as a rookie and was placed on season-ending injured reserve with his knee problem just before training camp.

The report said McKinley was found in his upstairs bedroom with a pillow over his head. The gun, a black, semiautomatic Taurus, was inside the pillow case and McKinley’s right hand was just below the gun’s grip. The TV in the bedroom was on the NFL Network. Police said the second floor was “very smoky” and the attending officer “could smell a strong odor of marijuana.” A bag of leafy substance was found in a shoe box that was in the bedroom.

The report also said McKinley had been taking 500 milligrams of Naproxen, an over the counter pain reliever.
Police responded to a call from a female who was hysterical, saying her friend (McKinley) just shot himself, saying he had the gun in his hand and blood was coming out.

Among those listed who presented information were former Broncos’ running back Cory Boyd, who was McKinley’s roommate at the University of South Carolina and a close friend, Boyd’s wife Brittany, and several females. Brittany Boyd and Shantell Smith, both of Aurora, and a small child were outside McKinley’s residence when officers arrived. The child was McKinley’s son, Keon.

An interview with Smith revealed she and Brittany Boyd picked up McKinley and his son at the Denver International Airport on Sunday night. The two women stayed at McKinley’s house with his son while McKinley went to an unknown female’s home. He did not return to his home until 7 a.m. Monday.

The report said officers were told Shantell Smith and Brittany Boyd went with a person to get lunch at 12:15 p.m. When they returned they went upstairs to McKinley’s room and saw a sheet pulled over his body.
They decided to let him sleep, but then both women went upstairs around 3 p.m. and pulled the sheet down from his body.

Investigators with the Arapahoe County sheriff’s office said no suicide note was left by McKinley.

Benetto
09-21-2010, 08:27 PM
Very, Very sad....I pray for his family and friends. I urge everyone to especially save some thoughts and prayers for his son Keon.

RIP Kenny

Shazam!
09-21-2010, 08:53 PM
Imagine if every injured young draftee or bust shot themselves?

C'mon Ken... you should've been stronger than that. Maybe he shouldve stroled around a veteran''s hospital first, and got some medication.

Grover
09-21-2010, 11:21 PM
You sitting on your sofa with a beer while making those judgments?

until you've walked a mile in his shoes man, until you've walked a mile in his shoes.

sneakers
09-21-2010, 11:23 PM
Being in constant physical pain can do strange things to the mind....this is one case of it.

Stargazer
09-21-2010, 11:43 PM
He was a fringe player to begin with. After this latest injury and surgery, he probably realized he was done in the nfl.

Ravage!!!
09-22-2010, 12:59 AM
Its pretty apparent that some need to take some time and educate themselves about depression and try to improve themselves before making such unbelievable short-sighted and uneducated statements/judgements.

Definition of Depression from the World Health Organization (WHO)

“Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide, a tragic fatality associated with the loss of about 850 000 thousand lives every year.”

Definition of Depression from MedicineNet.com

“An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts, that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with a depressive disease cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression.”

http://www.myshrink.com/what-causes-depression.php

Technically stated, it's the nervous system that's de-pressed. In depression, the nervous system operates in "conservation" mode, which is why fatigue is a defining feature, not sadness.

Two things about depression pose a conundrum for most people.

1. First, you don't have to feel sad to be depressed. Understanding what's going on in the autonomic nervous system explains this.
2. Secondly, you have no control over your thoughts, so memories from the past keep resurfacing.

honz
09-22-2010, 01:03 AM
I would guess that his injury and being out of football was only a small part of what was wrong with his head, although it may have set things into motion.

Watchthemiddle
09-22-2010, 01:25 AM
This thread....tragedies....peoples ignorance to the disease of depression....and ignorance in general is why I hate this place more often then not. C'mon Shazam....."you should have been stronger than that"??? Really??? Perhaps his deamons he battled were telling him that also. Being a man is not always about saying "C'mon Ken.....you should have been stronger than that".....sorry bro but your statement is flat put ignorant and stupid.

Buff
09-22-2010, 01:30 AM
This thread....tragedies....peoples ignorance to the disease of depression....and ignorance in general is why I hate this place more often then not. C'mon Shazam....."you should have been stronger than that"??? Really??? Perhaps his deamons he battled were telling him that also. Being a man is not always about saying "C'mon Ken.....you should have been stronger than that".....sorry bro but your statement is flat put ignorant and stupid.

I'd turn that right back on you. Whose to say Shazam hasn't suffered through depression himself and come to the same conclusion? Who are to judge Shazam? He's not the one who abandoned a 1 year old and shot himself while getting high.

Watchthemiddle
09-22-2010, 01:47 AM
Ii
I'd turn that right back on you. Whose to say Shazam hasn't suffered through depression himself and come to the same conclusion? Who are to judge Shazam? He's not the one who abandoned a 1 year old and shot himself while getting high.

Soooooooo......whether he has, you have, or I HAVE gives YOU...HIM or anyone the right to say MAN UP??? Rediculous. NO ONE has the right to say that. Did you or Shazam give a rats ass about Kenney to begin with????. NO....did you give a rats ass about his 1 year old son two days ago???? No. How about the suicide 911 calls I deal with on a daily basis??? Do you give a rats ass about those who are left behind??? NO. You and Shazam can "Man UP" and start taking care of the 1 year olds left behind since you care so much NOW after the fact.

Buff
09-22-2010, 02:05 AM
Ii

Soooooooo......whether he has, you have, or I HAVE gives YOU...HIM or anyone the right to say MAN UP??? Rediculous. NO ONE has the right to say that. Did you or Shazam give a rats ass about Kenney to begin with????. NO....did you give a rats ass about his 1 year old son two days ago???? No. How about the suicide 911 calls I deal with on a daily basis??? Do you give a rats ass about those who are left behind??? NO. You and Shazam can "Man UP" and start taking care of the 1 year olds left behind since you care so much NOW after the fact.

You're entitled to your opinion just like everyone else is entitled to theirs. I, for one, don't need a lecture on the realities of depression. That's my point here. Two logical human beings might come to different conclusions.

RyanC
09-22-2010, 04:04 AM
This blade cuts both ways....

Out of 6 in my dads family 2 have committed suicide, most recently my uncle Chris about a year ago. He just got married, had a beautiful son (pop warner allstar RB), a beautiful wife and a beautiful life in a huge house in Tahoe. When I found out that he took the dog for a walk and hung himself with the leash from a tree my first reaction, and in many ways still to this day my reaction is to be pissed at him.

If you've lived it, it really is too easy to be angry with that person, and subsequently anyone who does something so stupid and selfish (especially when they have kids). But at the end of the day I have to respect that for anyone who takes that step somehow their mind caved in and it seemed like the only way. Still, the operative word here is seemed...

Very few suicides come down to vengeance. People do it for their own reasons, reasons nobody can ever claim to understand. At the end of the day you can do 2 things, 1) understand and respect that in some F#$ked up way they did what they needed to do, and 2) Know. . . and I mean KNOW that you will never stoop to that.

In other words, "man up", but those are words that can only truly be spoken to oneself. In my opinion speaking ill of the dead never expresses any sort of strength, but I'm just one out of 6 billion and this is a topic no one will ever fully understand.

RIP Kenny

FanInAZ
09-22-2010, 04:38 AM
He wasn't just depressed, he was taking medication with serious side effects that could have pushed him passed the breaking point.


The report also said McKinley had been taking 500 milligrams of Naproxen, an over the counter pain reliever.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000526


Important Warning:
People who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (other than aspirin) such as naproxen may have a higher risk of having a heart attack or a stroke than people who do not take these medications. These events may happen without warning and may cause death. This risk may be higher for people who take NSAIDs for a long time. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke, if you smoke, and if you have or have ever had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Get emergency medical help right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness in one part or side of the body, or slurred speech.

If you will be undergoing a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG; a type of heart surgery), you should not take naproxen right before or right after the surgery.

NSAIDs such as naproxen may cause ulcers, bleeding, or holes in the stomach or intestine. These problems may develop at any time during treatment, may happen without warning symptoms, and may cause death. The risk may be higher for people who take NSAIDs for a long time, are older in age, have poor health, or who drink three or more alcoholic drinks per day while taking naproxen. Tell your doctor if you take any of the following medications: anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); aspirin; other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and ketoprofen (Orudis KT, Actron); or oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone). Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had ulcers, bleeding in your stomach or intestines, or other bleeding disorders. If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking naproxen and call your doctor: stomach pain, heartburn, vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds, blood in the stool, or black and tarry stools.


Of course he had the ability to do the research to learn what these risk were and decide if he wanted to take them. What about his loved one? All of us have loved ones that are on some form of medications for a variety of different elements. Do we know what some of these risk are so we can look out for them an possible try to intervene if we see them coming to past? As I ponder this, I must admit that I don't have this information about the medications that my own mother is taking. Some might say that even suggesting that I make such inquires is intrusive, but are there times that such intrusiveness is a good thing?

SonoftheSouth
09-22-2010, 04:39 AM
We can all speculate; but if Kenny had really wanted anyone to know his reasons, he'd probably have left a note.

RedFalcon
09-22-2010, 04:51 AM
More likely it was something that McKinley did at that moment, without thinking at his family, friends, fans, and being depressed and under the influence of drugs and beer shot himself. That can explain that there's no note to do that. It wasn't planned. It just happened. He may have realized that he may not be playing football again, and was very upset and depressed. All that got him to the edge...

Too bad. Life is more than football. He should have considered that. Too bad that he was too weak in this situation, and now he's dead.

rationalfan
09-22-2010, 10:39 AM
damn. this board has become harsh, and even less sympathetic than normal. makes me think most fans don't care about the players; they just see the players as commodities.

BeefStew25
09-22-2010, 10:51 AM
I will say something that is true but will piss people off:

If McKinley was a better player, more people would have cared.

slim
09-22-2010, 11:08 AM
Beef, I think you are right about that.

Nomad
09-22-2010, 11:11 AM
I will say something that is true but will piss people off:

If McKinley was a better player, more people would have cared.

The way Gamecock Nation is taking this sad situation is a perfect example of what you speak!

frauschieze
09-22-2010, 11:20 AM
Its pretty apparent that some need to take some time and educate themselves about depression and try to improve themselves before making such unbelievable short-sighted and uneducated statements/judgements.



Please do not assume that because you do not agree with someone else's opinion that they are uneducated or short-sighted about the issue. All it means it that they disagree with you; nothing more, nothing less.

That is why it is an opinion, and not a fact.

BeefStew25
09-22-2010, 11:40 AM
The way Gamecock Nation is taking this sad situation is a perfect example of what you speak!

Great point. For me, it would be if we lost Glenn Martinez.

OrangeHoof
09-22-2010, 01:45 PM
I just commented at length in the suicide thread but I'll repeat two inescapable truths:

Suicide is ALWAYS a choice. People may see no hope and no other way but to kill themselves but it is still, ultimately, a choice. And when you are the parent of a young child, suicide is a devastating choice.

Secondly, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Who's to say that he couldn't have gotten help and then gone into coaching or working with youths and find a very satisfying life away from the NFL? It shows me a certain amount of ego that if he couldn't be an NFL star, then nothing else was worth him staying around - not raising a son or giving back to his community.

If you want to call that cruel or harsh, too bad. He had better options than the one he took. I've been suicidal. I know the power depression has over you but I also know that my death would have always been my choice and I ultimately chose, with the help of others, to overcome it. Kenny could have chosen that too.

I Eat Staples
09-22-2010, 02:11 PM
I will say something that is true but will piss people off:

If McKinley was a better player, more people would have cared.

Sad but true. It's human nature.

In regard to the OP, I believe it was the drugs more than the surgery that led to this.

BORDERLINE
09-22-2010, 02:13 PM
for one i say leave him alone...R.I.P kenny hope he's in a better place...the marijuana and medication don't matter...he's gone...i do feel extremely bad for his son...every kid deserves a father...

silkamilkamonico
09-22-2010, 03:16 PM
Its pretty apparent that some need to take some time and educate themselves about depression and try to improve themselves before making such unbelievable short-sighted and uneducated statements/judgements.

Definition of Depression from the World Health Organization (WHO)

“Depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide, a tragic fatality associated with the loss of about 850 000 thousand lives every year.”

Definition of Depression from MedicineNet.com

“An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts, that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with a depressive disease cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression.”

http://www.myshrink.com/what-causes-depression.php

Technically stated, it's the nervous system that's de-pressed. In depression, the nervous system operates in "conservation" mode, which is why fatigue is a defining feature, not sadness.

Two things about depression pose a conundrum for most people.

1. First, you don't have to feel sad to be depressed. Understanding what's going on in the autonomic nervous system explains this.
2. Secondly, you have no control over your thoughts, so memories from the past keep resurfacing.

Best post probably in a few months.

Anyone who feels the need to take a shot at McKinley, or all suicide victims, simply because they have to get an opinion off their chest isn't worth the time regardless.

Don't like my opinion? Deal with it.

silkamilkamonico
09-22-2010, 03:18 PM
Secondly, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Who's to say that he couldn't have gotten help and then gone into coaching or working with youths and find a very satisfying life away from the NFL? It shows me a certain amount of ego that if he couldn't be an NFL star, then nothing else was worth him staying around - not raising a son or giving back to his community.

Great point, but considiering people who commit suiide are generally ****** in the head, a lot of times those problems aren't temporary, but indeed permanent.

The chemistry of the brain is a funny thing. Some people can get help, others are just ****** up for life, and there is no way out.

Ravage!!!
09-22-2010, 03:32 PM
Please do not assume that because you do not agree with someone else's opinion that they are uneducated or short-sighted about the issue. All it means it that they disagree with you; nothing more, nothing less.

That is why it is an opinion, and not a fact.

Fair statement, but it wasn't the opinions that I was talking about.. it was the blatant expression of misinformation.