Seven months after being hospitalized with a serious illness, Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton says doctors “still don't know exactly what disease continues to affect her lungs.” I don't know.''
Retton, 56, told Entertainment Tonight in a story published Wednesday that he still needs to breathe through an oxygen tube in his nose every day as he continues his recovery.
“They still don't know what's wrong with me,” she said. “They call this a rare type of pneumonia.”
The retired gymnast spent about a month in intensive care in October 2023 and said she suffered permanent damage.
“My lungs are pretty scarred and will stay like this forever,” she said.
“I'm not a very depressed person, but this experience changed me a lot (mentally) and I'm struggling with that,” she said.
But she has tried to maintain a positive mindset.
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“I have a lot to look forward to, and I know that,” she said.
Retton told “Entertainment Tonight” that his health issues have been “difficult.”
“Give me my hip and shoulder to rehabilitate,” she said. “The lungs are another matter.”
Retton's daughters played an important role in his recovery.
Retton's daughters revealed on October 10, 2023, that Retton was “fighting for life” in the ICU with pneumonia. At the time, Retton's daughters asked for financial support on a crowdfunding page, and Retton explained that she did not have health insurance. .
Retton is the mother of daughters McKenna Kelly, Sheila Schlepfer, Skyla Kelly, and Emma Jean Kelly. According to People magazine, she has four daughters with former University of Texas quarterback Shannon Kelly, whom she divorced in 2018.
In the weeks since, her daughters have updated their followers on her continuing fight and expressed gratitude for their continued support.
After Retton was released from hospital, her daughters caught up on what was going on with their mother.
Retton, who became a powerhouse in the gymnastics world in the 1980s as a teenager, wrote on Instagram that her heart is “overflowing with deep gratitude” in an update on her health for Thanksgiving 2023. . It's improving. ”
About a month ago, on October 30, she released her first statement on Instagram since being hospitalized with pneumonia.
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“I couldn't be more fortunate to have the opportunity to make this statement,” she wrote in a post shared to her account. “I'm overwhelmed by the love and support I've received from all over the world during my fight. I'm forever grateful to you all!”
“I am staying very positive as my family and I continue to slowly recover and know that this recovery is a long and slow process,” Retton continued in the post.
“I appreciate everyone respecting my privacy at this time. When the time is right, I will share more information about my health issues and share with others who may face the same battles as me. I hope I can help people. I love you all.”
