Can we discuss Don's cause of death here?
As I understood it, he had undergone angioplasty at some point since being told he was allowed to compete as a pro - that was in 1998, and Don had essentially retired from bodybuilding at that point. That is why Don took three years to get back into competitive shape, as he had to start from scratch at that point. I am unsure when the angioplasty procedure had taken place, but it may have been between his most recent competition in 2002 and the date of his death in 2005. Ron had posted a photo of Don from the 2004 NPC Nationals where he appeared to be over 300-lb with blood pressure through the roof [photo attached]. Don had previously been very lean in the off-season at 295, so I suspect he was at least 315 in the off-season photo from the Nationals. It was a horrible idea for someone who had been through angioplasty.
One thing I am not sure of is the exact cause of death. Bob Cicherillo reported it as a "massive heart attack", but I am not sure if it was caused by drug usage in any way. Someone on here stated that Don used insulin improperly, which caused his death. Another message board said that Don used a lot of recreational drugs, specifically speed. It does make me wonder with any death this young.
Can anyone elaborate on any of this? I believe enough time since Don's death has passed that we can have this discussion. It might be a wake-up call for other pro bodybuilders.
