Former Olympic wrestler and UFC veteran Ben Askren has opened up about the terrifying chain of events that led to his hospitalization and double lung transplant earlier this year.

Askren explained that it all started after a training session with Rafael Lovato Jr. when he felt what seemed like a routine back spasm:

I thought it was a back spasm, I’ve had maybe five in my career.
Then on Saturday afternoon, at the pool, my back started hurting so much I iced it.

By Wednesday, my wife forced me to the hospital.
I told them I had a back spasm, they gave me meds that didn’t work, and by the next morning I was in really rough shape.

I remember walking in but don’t remember anything after that until I woke up around July 2nd.

Doctors discovered that a staph infection from his elbow had spread to his bloodstream and lungs, causing necrotizing pneumonia:

I had a little spot of staph on my elbow.
I cleaned it, showered, and thought it was gone.

But it somehow got into my bloodstream, then into my lungs, and started eating them.
They tried heavy antibiotics, but my lungs kept failing, and the only way I’d survive was a double lung transplant.

The surgery involved removing his damaged lungs — which Askren described as doctors having to “scrape my previous lungs out of my chest cavity”.
He spent weeks in a medically induced coma, lost over 50 pounds, and has struggled with fatigue since:

Food finally tastes good again, so putting on weight is easier.
But I still lack energy – if I do three things today, I crash tomorrow. I hiked 47 minutes but felt awful for two days after.

I can walk and drive now, but I need help with chores, and my wife bears a huge burden handling medical, insurance, and our kids.

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