Ben Askren?

[Hammerlock3]

Very difficult question requires medical knowledge, is there some time horizon, hill to get over, at which point we should drastically more or less optimistic? How long do people last in this condition? 

[152lbs]

He has been on a vent and ECMO for some time.  I am not optimistic at this stage. 

[fishbane]

16 hours ago, 1032004 said:

Is that what causes strep throat? 

I think that is a different species of strep, Streptococcus pyogenes.

Prevnar is one of the commercial available pneumococcal vaccines.  These vaccines first became available about 25 years ago and are only reccomended for young children, old people, and those at high risk.  Given Askren's age when it was released and current age it's unlikely he would have received it.  After this he would almost certainly be in the high risk category especially if he has a lung replacement.

[Hammerlock3]

2 hours ago, 152lbs said:

He has been on a vent and ECMO for some time.  I am not optimistic at this stage. 

can you explain what that means please?

[TNwrestling]

Just now, Hammerlock3 said:

can you explain what that means please?

It means those machines are breathing for him. They're keeping him sedated and breathing for him because he isn't capable of doing it on his own. Because of this he's extremely weak and may not be capable of handing a surgery the magnitude of a double lung transplant. He would need to respond to the antibiotics and get a little better before they could. And he isn't responding to the antibiotics. 

 

He's in a bad spot. 

[fishbane]

2 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

can you explain what that means please?

Vent=ventllator.  It's a device that moves air into the lungs.  Used when the lungs are unable to take in enough air on their own.

ECMO=extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.  It's an external device. Blood is pumped from the paitient into the ECMO machine which ooxygenates its and then pumps it back into the patient.  It's like a set of external artificial lungs/heart. Could also be used if the heart is too weak to move the blood on its own.

[MJD]

12 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

can you explain what that means please?

It's a dire situation. When a patient is on both (ECMO and ventilator), it means their lungs are so severely damaged that even with maximum support from the ventilator, they cannot adequately do much

[BarSeries]

So, punctured lung, staph, pneumonia, sepsis, ventilator, ECMO, lung transplant. This really sucks.

[MJD]

1 minute ago, BarSeries said:

So, punctured lung, staph, pneumonia, sepsis, ventilator, ECMO, lung transplant. This really sucks.

It's just awful. Even in the best case scenario (i.e. lung transplant successful) his life will be completely turned upside down forever.

[152lbs]

Patients  this condition are really super sick.  His lungs are no longer functioning efficiently and his heart isn't pushing blood and recirculating.  Couple with being stationary in bed opens you up to opportunistic infections.  He is on antibiotics, pressers, drugs to aid in liver and kidney function as well as tube feeding for nutrition most likely.  Also he would be dependent on a suitable donor becoming available.  In addition to being on a waitlist.  People do survive, however he has a long long way to go.

[CalWrestler]

In addition to donor lists, I think living donors may be an option.  I think they need to match Ben's blood type and have roughly similar sized lungs.

[flyingcement]

11 minutes ago, CalWrestler said:

In addition to donor lists, I think living donors may be an option.  I think they need to match Ben's blood type and have roughly similar sized lungs.

Maybe a stupid question but how could someone be a living donor for a lung? Wouldn't they need both of theirs as well?

[MJD]

12 minutes ago, CalWrestler said:

In addition to donor lists, I think living donors may be an option.  I think they need to match Ben's blood type and have roughly similar sized lungs.

I heard living donor for lung lobes is very rare

[CHROMEBIRD]

I heard about this on ESPN yesterday. Sheeh, this is scary. Hoping for the best for Askren.

[TNwrestling]

52 minutes ago, flyingcement said:

Maybe a stupid question but how could someone be a living donor for a lung? Wouldn't they need both of theirs as well?

Not a stupid question. There are lots of people who have to have a lung removed for a list of different reasons (cancer, trauma, infection, birth defects, etc). You can live a semi normal life with one lung.

 

"The average lungs can hold about 6 liters of air. Living with one lung reduces this capacity by about 30 percent. That said, 70 percent functionality is still enough to oxygenate the body properly."

https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2024/november/can-you-live-with-one-lung

[MNRodent]

His ordeal is a good reminder to check the donor box on your driver's license and/or your health care directive.  You never know when yourself or a loved one will need a transplant.

[scribers]

My goodness this doesn’t seem possible 

[jackwebster]

On 6/10/2025 at 4:52 PM, flyingcement said:

Each visit left more than just physical scars. They left marks on how I see fragility, survival, and resilience. I don't romanticize these experiences

I feel like a jerk for turning the conversation away from Askren, but this post hits on one of the most important lessons of my life. Nietzsche was wrong when he said, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and believing him can lead to an insidious shame cycle. Sometimes what doesn't kill you now just makes you an easier target the next time. 

[Saylors_Tiny_Willie]

9 hours ago, 152lbs said:

He has been on a vent and ECMO for some time.  I am not optimistic at this stage. 

UNOS won't place him for transplant in this condition.

[flyingcement]

13 minutes ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

UNOS won't place him for transplant in this condition.

Can you please translate for the dummies in the back (me)

[Hammerlock3]

25 minutes ago, flyingcement said:

Can you please translate for the dummies in the back (me)

United Network for Organ Sharing (i had to look it up)

[152lbs]

UNOS is clearinghouse for organ transplants. They evaluate candidates to see if they are suitable recipients.  I don't know the criteria or the entire process

[bnwtwg]

6 hours ago, MNRodent said:

His ordeal is a good reminder to check the donor box on your driver's license and/or your health care directive.  You never know when yourself or a loved one will need a transplant.

I feel awful that I walk around each day as an above-average healthy male adult with at least average (probably?) and some/most above-average organs (based on my athletic physio profile over 4 decades) that I will never be able to support others because I happened to miss out on the other end of the genetic lottery with a transmissible chronic liver disease.

It is not fair that I have enough physical gifts to stand out, relatively speaking, amongst society but I can never help others if something were to happen to me, much less if my parents or wife or kids needed even something as "simple" as a kidney.

No, the unfair part is that one day I will need to be the one asking for help despite all that was given to me. And when you don't just know, but you have to fully reconcile what that means, you know It is absolute bvll*I poop my pants, don't laugh at me*. It is an awful feeling that I wish upon no one else.

I hope Askren can get the help he needs. I also hate what that means. There is no god.

[GrandOlm]

1 hour ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

UNOS won't place him for transplant in this condition.

So how long can they keep him like this? He's been sedated for like a month now.  

[scourge165]

3 hours ago, Saylors_Tiny_Willie said:

UNOS won't place him for transplant in this condition.

Are you guessing or going off firm information here?

My guess would be you're saying because it's not likely to yield a good result, but... well, I don't want to guess.