Martina Navratilova discharged from hospital after scare
Former tennis professional Martina Navratilova was released from the hospital this Sunday, three days after her fluid filled lungs caused her to return home without having attempted to climb Africa’s highest mountain, namely Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Aged 54, Navratilova was carried down Mount Kilimanjaro on a stretcher on Thursday night. Prior to which Martina stated that she was aware of the fact that she would not be able to reach the peak of the 19,340 foot mountain in
Tanzania.
“I didn’t feel badly, I just couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t get a full breath of air,” Navratilova said shortly her release from the Nairobi hospital, where she was treated for high-altitude Pulmonary edema.
“Nothing hurt, and for an athlete that’s weird. Nothing hurt but I (couldn’t) go on,” said Martina.
Additionally, the eighteen-time grand slam winner, who fought breast cancer this year, reached nearly 14,800 feet shortly after which a doctor apart from a climbing team consisting of 27 people told her that it was required of
her to descend. Navratilova stated that she does not believe in quitting, but
“when the doctor said you’re going down, you’re going down.”
Prior to moving down, Martina wrote the following in the diary she carried along with her:
“‘I’ve never been so utterly exhausted. Everything is taking monumental effort, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, setting up tent. I don’t want to ever …’ I can’t read it. I stopped writing because I was crying, because I was so disappointed at how
I felt,” stated Navratilova.
Shortly after Martina returned, her appetite seemed to have gotten back to normal. According to the former professional, she had not been eating for the past three to four days as she had not been hungry and believed that it may have been due to an intestinal
issue as she ate bad fish on Sunday.
Furthermore, two days prior to the climb, Navratilova told the press that she was in good enough shape to get to the top. However, she also said that she was not sure whether the altitude would 'get' her or not as she believes
that it is unpredictable.
The reason Navratilova was climbing Kilimanjaro was to raise money and awareness for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. According to Laureus’ representative, Kate Brewer, who was on the climb, the mountain guides stated that
the weather - torrential rain, cold and mist was the worst they had ever witnessed.
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