Lamar Odom (Getty Images)
The
minute it was reported that Lamar Odom had been rushed to a Las Vegas
hospital after being found unresponsive in a legal brothel, early
speculation was that Odom had overdosed on drugs. After all, the former
Los Angeles Lakers star’s substance addiction issues played a large part
in the dissolution of his marriage to Khloé Kardashian. Sadly, it’s now
been confirmed that indeed an overdose is the case.
E! News
has confirmed through a source at Sunrise Hospital, where Odom remains
unconscious and on a ventilator, that drugs were found in the
35-year-old’s system. “Virtually every drug imaginable was found in his
system,” the source says.
Witnesses have also confirmed
the drug news to TMZ, claiming Odom had cocaine and opiates in his
system. They also noted track marks on one of his arms, but it was
unclear if they were fresh or from previous drug use.
Odom
is currently being treated as the victim of an overdose, though details
revealed about the former NBA star’s condition reveal it’s not the only
problem. He possibly suffered a stroke while unconscious and likely
incurred brain damage.
“He
was doing crack cocaine all weekend and he choked on his mucus,” E!’s
source said. “They’re now having to fix all the damage it has done.”
Odom
reportedly suffered from an ischemic stroke, which is caused by
blockage in a blood vessel resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain.
It is the most common type of stroke and, according to the National Institutes of Health, can be associated with cocaine use.
The
situation probably wasn’t helped by Odom’s size. After he was found
Tuesday afternoon, paramedics reportedly planned to airlift him to the
nearest hospital, but at 6-foot-10, he was too tall and had to be driven
the 60 miles to the Las Vegas hospital instead.
Odom has a family history of addiction; his father suffered from an addiction to heroin
when the basketball player was young. Odom also lost two close friends
over the summer to drug-related deaths. The death of his best friend
Jamie Sangaouthai was attributed to necrotizing fasciitis and chronic
intravenous narcotism, the latter being the result of using unclean needles. Less than a week later, Odom’s friend Bobby Heyward, died of an accidental overdose.
Odom’s rep has released only one statement about his condition thus far, warning to “please don’t listen to the false information being circulated unofficially.”
Dennis Hof, the owner of the brothel where Odom was found, has previously stated that “there was no sign of drugs at all” in his client’s room, but noted that he was taking “herbal viagra” and had requested a bottle of cognac.
Odom’s
ex-wife Khloé Kardashian rushed to Las Vegas after word of his
hospitalization got out, and she’s reportedly not left his bedside
since. Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian have also made the trip to Vegas
to be with Khloé.
Odom’s ex-sister-in-law, Kendall Jenner, tweeted out a brief but harrowing message, seemingly directed at Odom, saying, “please don’t go.”
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