Lamar Odom taken off ventilator

Former Lakers and Clippers forward Lamar Odom showed improvement Friday night and Saturday morning with his vision. (photo by John McCoy/Staff Photographer)

Former Lakers and Clippers forward Lamar Odom showed improvement Friday night and Saturday morning with his vision.
(photo by John McCoy/Staff Photographer)

Increased optimism continues to bloom surrounding Lamar Odom’s recovery after he spent nearly all of Friday without the aid of a ventilator, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. Odom also showed improvement with his breathing and vision, including recognizing his father (Joe), daughter (Destiny) and son (Lamar Jr.), sources added.

Odom still feels fatigued and remains physically limited, sources said. Concerns also persist on the state of his kidneys, though there is a feeling that they are fixable. But Odom has shown slight albeit steady improvement in the last three days after he was initially hospitalized Tuesday night at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas. Brothel workers from Love Ranch South in Crystal, Nev., reported in a 911 call released Wednesday that Odom took cocaine and 10 doses of a sexual performance enhancer over three days there.

On Thursday, Odom woke up for the first time and showed some responsiveness. That progress continued on Friday morning when Odom spoke briefly and had his breathing tubes removed in favor of a mask. Nonetheless, sources have stressed Odom is not out of the woods and is still considered in critical condition.


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