Ben Askren remains in good spirits since returning home from a double lung transplant, but “Funky” still has a lot of work to do to live a comfortable life.
Askren’s struggles over the past two months have been well documented. The former UFC welterweight was hospitalized back in early June and ended up needing a double lung transplant to save his life. Askren claimed to have died four times during his hospital stay before receiving his life-saving surgery in late June.
Unlike most fighters who wouldn’t show themselves in a weakened state, Askren has been giving fight fans updates the entire way through. From his long stay in a hospital bed to finally coming home earlier this week, “Funky” has been sharing positive and negative updates as much as possible.
On Saturday, Askren once again took to social media to deliver a message to his fans. The former UFC contender wasn’t wearing a shirt and was clearly struggling to put weight back on. He remained in good spirits, but Askren revealed he still can’t walk and has a long journey back to full health.
“I’ve been home for four days now,” began Askren (shown in the above video player via Instagram). “It’s awesome. Sit in my own bed. Eat my own food. Hang out with my family. It’s great.
“That being said, I still have so many physical challenges to deal with. I’m still down 35 pounds from where I should be. I have to walk with a walker. I can’t walk. This five pound weight is actually hard for me to curl. Right before I had to go to the hospital I was feeling strong. I was probably curling like 45 pounds.
“I can’t walk without using a walker or do a five-pound curl, it’s pathetic, I totally understand that. But it doesn’t matter where I’m starting I’m going to finish somewhere different. So for those of you who aren’t getting started, get your butt moving. Get started. I’ve got a long way to go. I think you do, too. Let’s make it happen.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
