Duff's Surgery Not due to Relapse

via Blabbermouth
Duff McKagan is undergoing surgery on his sinuses after he developed a hole (perforation) in the cartilage of his nasal septum as a complication from years of cocaine use. His wife Susan writes on her Twitter profile, "[I] am thankful and blessed my man is alive today! Kids, don't do drugs! Say a prayer for Duff as he's getting surgery on his sinuses (a hole the size of a quarter from years of abuse). We must live and learn how lucky we are for our health and family and friends. Love you, Duff."

Duff was forced to comment on speculation he’s back on drugs – after news led people to believe he’d started using cocaine again. He insists he hasn’t started using again, and has thanked fans for their goodwill.

“Thank you all for the very nice well-wishes regarding my sinus surgery recovery.

I do want to make it clear for those of you who may be wondering… The surgery was a result of scar-tissue build-up from my cocaine use which ended sixteen years ago.

I have not relapsed on cocaine.”

Susan McKagan says that Duff has "Third Degree" burns on inside of his nose.

Duff revealed in a 2004 interview that he was forced to give up his hard-living lifestyle after encountering serious pancreas problems. He said, "I was drinking a gallon of vodka a day, doing cocaine, any pill I could get my hands on, heroin. And on May 10 1994, my pancreas exploded. The pain was like in the war movies, where they say, 'Kill me. Put me out of my misery.' I got out of the hospital, and I started riding my mountain bike; I was shaking so bad I didn't know what to do. The first day I rode for, like, eight hours. I didn't want to be static, or else I would think about drinking. Then I met Benny The Jet, my sensei. He saved my life, got me kickboxing. It's pretty much the most intense workout there is. I face everything in the ring that you face in life. Now I work out six days a week — kickboxing, lifting weights... I'm an extreme person. When I did drugs and drank, I was extreme, and when I go to the gym, it's not just to fuck around."

In a 2009 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Duff stated about his sobriety, "I had a relapse on pills in 2005. It came out of nowhere. It was because of all this bullshit. Xanax was prescribed for me. I was supposed to take one if I had a bad panic attack. I had them in my bag and that was my first mistake. I took one, and the next day, I took two. In only nine days, I was up to 22. That is what guys like . . I do."