It's been pretty obvious from the start that Lamar Odom was under the influence of cocaine when he was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel on Oct. 13. Based on the white substance coming from the former NBA athlete's mouth and nose when found, and what everyone at the brothel has said, it has been known that Odom snorted cocaine during his stay. But a blood test hadn't confirmed it until now.
As expected, the results of the blood tests, which were taken when he was still in a Las Vegas hospital, tested positive for cocaine, according to TMZ. Sheriff Sharon Wehrly, who obtained the test results, has said that if there were any cocaine in his system, it's possible he could be prosecuted for drugs.
If he is prosecuted, he most likely won't face any jail time. Cocaine possession has a 1-4 year prison sentence in Nevada, but he would be a first-time offender, and first-time offenders typically only have to complete drug education courses until the charges are dismissed.
The overdose did some serious damage to Odom's body, and there's a chance he may never fully recover, but doctors are doing everything they can to ensure that he gets the care he needs. His kidneys suffered the most damage, as he has been suffering from kidney failure since he was admitted into the hospital. Odom is currently on dialysis, but is "definitely" in need of a kidney transplant, a source told Us Weekly. "He can say a few words. He's doing a tiny bit better," the source added. "But he has a very long road back to full recovery - if that."
While unconscious, he also suffered a dozen strokes, causing some serious brain injury, which is currently "of the most concern," another source said. "The doctors don't know the extent of all the damage yet. There are still a lot of tests that need to be done. He'll get more of his motor skills back gradually, but cognitively, he's not where he used to be."
All of this will come with a lot of rehab in the following months. "Obviously there is a lot of attention about all this but the thing to remember is that there is a long road ahead to rehabilitation," Odom's former college coach Jim Harrick told USA Today. "This is serious stuff. It could be six months or more for rehab and all that. We don't know what state his kidneys and lungs are going to be in."
