Lamar Odom Not Out Of The Woods, Khloe Vows To Halt Divorce

Lamar Odom might be improving, but the former Laker is definitely not out of the woods yet. Yahoo News is reporting that in addition to waking from his three-day medically-induced coma on Friday, Lamar was communicative and able to speak a few words and even text. By his side when he woke was his estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, who’s been with almost since his hospitalization began. His children, their mother, family members, and even ex-teammates (including Kobe Bryant) have reportedly visited the ailing athlete in his Las Vegas hospital room.

“Lamar Odom is ‘way, way better’ and is more conversational as he remains in critical condition in a Las Vegas hospital, a source told ESPN on Saturday. […]”

Lamar Odom’s ordeal started on October 13, when he was found unconscious and unresponsive in a legal, rural Nevada Brothel, “The Love Ranch.” He was found by one of the working girls following a 4-day, $75,000 luxury binge at the establishment. During the 911 call, it was disclosed he’d been taking “herbal Viagra” during his stay, up to 10 pills. It later came out that he may have also been using cocaine. There has been massive reported strife between the Dennis Hof, the owner of “The Love Ranch,” and the influential Kardashian family, who asked for the situation to be kept under wraps. There is even some speculation that Lamar Odom has been set-up. By whom? It depends on who you ask.

Hof reportedly responded to the family’s request to stay quiet about the situation surrounding the hospitalization of Lamar Odom with a resounding “Go to hell!” The family responded by accusing the brothel owner (a reality star in his own right) of stealing money from Lamar Odom, both by potentially ripping off cash from his person and by overcharging him for “services” at the brothel.

Dennis Hof is the man of the year for telling the Kartrashians to go to hell… Respect their privacy? How about respecting yourselves.

— Lauren (@Lfacemaker) October 16, 2015

BET is reporting that despite Lamar Odom’s seemingly miraculous awakening, Khloe knows he’s far from out of the woods. The media outlet reports that she hasn’t left his side since he woke up, wanting to be there each time he opens his eyes. Even though he’s awake and reportedly even breathing on his own, he’s got a long way to go. His organs have reportedly suffered damage in his ordeal, and the extent of any potential brain damage is still unknown. While he’s come a long way from his initial condition, his future prognosis is anyone’s guess. He’s still in the ICU, and will remain there for the indefinite future.

Lamar Odom has been incredibly fortunate in his support system. Despite being long-estranged from Khloe Kardashian, the couple’s divorce was never finalized. She’s reportedly been responsible for making Lamar Odom’s life-and-death medical decisions as his legal next of kin. The couple’s relationship was highly publicized on two different reality TV shows — both their courtship and their downfall. However, the couple’s problems never stemmed from lack of love, and Khloe has publicly stated she wishes they were still together. Her love, plus the support of her famous family, has given Odom a strong social network when he’s needed it the most.

Today, despite the admittedly unexpected progress Lamar Odom has made in his recovery, it’s thought the ex-professional athlete will need months of rehabilitative therapy to get back to even a semblance of his old self. Odom will likely need physical and speech therapy, at the very least. Future legal charges also remain up in the air. It was initially reported that the local police department received a search warrant for Lamar Odom’s person in order to take blood samples for toxicology purposes. It’s been indicated it could be weeks before the busy metro forensics lab gets the test results back, but if it’s found that Lamar Odom did have illegal drugs (such as cocaine) in his system, he could be dealing with legal fallout from his ordeal, as well.

Fortunately for him, it’s now being reported that Khloe has decided not to finalize the couple’s pending divorce and to remain by his side. Her love and support will likely be invaluable to the estranged Odom in multiple ways. In addition to her presence, she can offer Lamar Odom some first-hand understanding of his situation. Prior to getting involved with Lamar Odom, she suffered a traumatic brain injury herself in 2001 as the result of a car accident. It’s been made public knowledge that she still suffers memory issues to this day.

“Khloe was allegedly in a relationship with James Harden, but has supposedly vowed to stay with Lamar Odom and will not finalize their divorce.”

Regardless of how things play out, things are looking much brighter for Odom than they were mere days ago, when even his ability to open his eyes again was in question. Despite many comparisons to Bobbi Kristina Brown, he was able to pull through. Many in his family and personal circle have attributed Lamar Odom’s progress to the power of well-wishes and prayer. For his sake, his supporters should continue to send the best of vibes to Lamar Odom.

[Photo Courtesy: Steven Lawton / Getty Images]