Former UFC fighter and Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter semifinalist Chris Leben continues to battle the aftermath of COVID-19 in the hospital.
Leben was admitted to the hospital in the first week of February after developing a cough and shortness of breath after getting COVID. He remains hospitalized.
Leben was moved to the ICU unit after his situation worsened and was intubated. Two days later he came out of intubation. On Feb. 9, Leben tweeted, “I’m awake.” On Feb. 13, he posted a photo of himself weighing in and wrote, “I didn’t tap.” On Feb. 13, Leben shared a video of him getting up and walking a short distance.
This week, he posted a video from his hospital bed and provided an update on his condition.
“That flashing blue number up there, that’s my oxygen. It’s going back up now,” Leben said in the video. “I feel pretty good. I’m off all the other things. I’ve got no tubes in my body at all right now. The only thing is this oxygen.
“I think that’s what took the most damage was my lungs. They did say that 100 percent of my lungs are damaged, but they also said that 100-percent recovery is possible. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. It’s going to take some time.”
The experience has put life in perspective for Leben.
“I’m still alive. I’m still here, and for that I am so grateful,” Leben said. “Where I was and to where I am now, I tell you what, you count everything as a blessing.”
“I learned a lot. It’s not that I’m scared to die. It’s that I’m in love with life. I have so much to live for. I have a beautiful child, a thriving new business, and family, and I have the greatest, closest friends in the world that all came together and showed me how much they cared about me during this trying time.”
See the full video below.
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