Michael suffered from insomnia

According to the Associated Press: In recent months, Michael was very upset and distressed by his chronic insomnia, and he strongly insisted on getting sleeping medication, ignoring warnings. These were said by Sheryl Lee, a nurse and nutrition specialist who had been preparing Michael for his concerts in recent months. On Tuesday, she said she had repeatedly refused Michael’s requests for receiving the drug Diprivan. Diprivan is an anesthetic drug injected into a vein. It is used in operating rooms to put patients to sleep. Excessive use of this drug—or similar drugs—can disrupt breathing and, by increasing carbon dioxide in the body, can cause irregular heartbeats and ultimately cardiac arrest. This drug is not sold by pharmacies, and for that reason some nurses or hospital staff take advantage of the situation and steal this drug from inside the hospital. Four days before Michael’s death—June 21—Sheryl received an intense phone call from him, which made her think that perhaps Michael had personally obtained Diprivan or another sleeping medication from somewhere. Sheryl was in Florida that day. She says: "One of Michael’s employees called me and said, very nervously, that Michael needed to see me right now. I asked what happened. I could hear Michael’s voice saying, ‘One side of my body is hot, hot, and one side is cold. Very cold.’ I said, ‘He needs to go to the hospital. I don’t know what happened to him, but he needs to go to the hospital right now.’ I realized that someone had given him a medication that affected his nervous system. He was suffering on Sunday and crying." Michael did not go to the hospital and four days later, on June 25, he died of cardiac arrest. The autopsy has been completed, but it will take a few weeks to determine the exact cause of death. Lee says: "I don’t know what happened there, but the only thing I can say is that he was stubborn and refused to accept this medication." After Michael’s death, rumors about his use of painkillers and antidepressants intensified. But Lee says: "He was tortured by insomnia and he was against recreational drug use. He didn’t want to get high or feel energized or calm himself down with medication. He wasn’t addicted to drugs; he was desperately searching for help just so he could sleep a little, rest a little." Michael worked intensely for his concerts, which were supposed to open in July, to the point that it could wear down his body. Pain had also become part of his life since 1984. In that year, while Michael was recording a Pepsi commercial, his hair caught fire and he suffered severe damage to the skin on his scalp. Lou Ferrigno, Michael’s fitness trainer during the preparation rehearsals for his concerts in recent months, said that Michael focused on maintaining his health: "When he was with me, it wasn’t different—he wasn’t intoxicated, he wasn’t euphoric, he wasn’t isolated or sharp-tempered. He never talked to me about drugs. I never saw him use drugs. He always only talked to me about proper nutrition." Lee says that in recent months, Michael didn’t take her warnings seriously. Lee says Michael told her: "I got an injection, and when it entered my vein, I fell asleep. That’s what I sleep with." "I told him, ‘Michael, the only problem you have is that you’re taking these medications.’ And this was three months ago—my body was freezing and tears were gathering in my eyes. I said, ‘The only problem is that when you use these drugs, you won’t wake up again.’" Lee says Michael told her he had received this medication before, but he didn’t want her to say anything about the situation or the doctor who gave him the medication. Landel McMillan, the lawyer for Michael’s parents, told CNN yesterday about Lee’s disclosures: "These statements are at the level of rumors. These claims have no evidence in any court. I also don’t know why everyone is commenting on things they don’t really understand. They haven’t seen Michael use drugs. These statements are because he is Michael Jackson." Lee says Michael made a distinction between drugs and prescribed medications, and said: "I don’t like drugs. I don’t want any narcotics. My doctor told me this medication is safe." Lee says she showed Michael medical sources the next day so he could understand what Diprivan is. And Michael said: "No, my doctor told me it’s not dangerous. It works very quickly, and it’s not dangerous as long as someone is next to me to watch and keep me awake. Nothing will happen." Lee says Michael did not reveal the name of his doctor. Lee says she once spent a night in Michael’s room to keep an eye on him while he fell asleep. Lee says that night she gave Michael an herbal sleeping medication and sat herself on a chair in one corner of Michael’s large room. When Michael lay down on the bed, Lee told him to turn off the lights and the music. "Classical music was playing in the house. He also had a computer on the bed and was watching Disney cartoons. He was watching Donald Duck. I said, ‘Maybe we should put on softer music.’ And he said, ‘No, I’m going to sleep with this music.’" One and a half hours later, Michael jumped up from where he was lying, with wide-open eyes, and told Lee: "This is what happens to me. The only thing I want is to be able to sleep. I want to be able to sleep for eight hours. I know that if I do this, I’ll feel better the next day." Comedian Dick Gregory, who knows Lee, believes Michael’s insomnia stems from his 2005 court case. At that time, Michael’s health had deteriorated so badly that his parents contacted Gregory, who promotes natural foods, and asked him for help. Gregory says that at that time Michael wasn’t eating or drinking anything, and when Gregory convinced him to take a test, he was hospitalized due to severe dehydration. But Jackson was definitely healthy enough to go through the medical testing steps for the London concerts. According to Gregory, "You can’t succeed in those tests by cheating." Lee, who had been introduced to her by the mother of one of Michael’s employees—who had also been a nurse for other celebrities such as Stevie Wonder—says she went to Michael’s home in January, and this was the first time she went there out of 10 times she visited until April. Lee gave the children vitamin pills. Michael asked her curiously what other medication she had, and then accepted Lee’s suggestion to inject a mixture of vitamins and minerals to boost his energy. Lee says she normally prescribes this medication. "He wasn’t sick. He just wanted more energy." Lee says she has spoken out to protect Michael from accusations that he was addicted to drugs. "I think it’s very wrong for people to say such things about him. He was an amazing, loving father and wanted the best for his children." Source: eMJey / AP