Ben Askren inspires fans as he walks "a full lap" in the hospital en route to recovery after double lung transplant: "Humbling & the hardest laps"

Ben Askren recently shared an encouraging message for his fans while successfully taking a full lap of the hospital floor as he recovers from a life-altering double lung transplant.

Askren has been battling some serious medical issues for almost two months due to a near-fatal case of pneumonia reportedly caused by a staph infection that got out of hand. After spending 59 days in the hospital, Askren was recently discharged for a few days only to be re-admitted a few days later due to an infection. Nevertheless, the former UFC star is as determined as ever.

In an Instagram video, Askren shared the ninth health update for his fans since his ordeal began and showed a video of him taking a lap of the hospital floor. He said:

"That's progress. I'm gassed... That's my third lap today, so that's progress. Hope you guys are doing the same with your lives."

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Fans soon flocked to the post's comments section to express their love and support for the MMA star.

One fan wrote:

"I remember those laps around the hospital vividly. Humbling & the hardest laps of my life. It gets better, keep up the good work brother."

Former UFC star Sergio Pettis wrote:

"Askren strong."

Check out some more reactions below:

Screenshots from @benaskren on Instagram

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Ben Askren shares powerful message while recovering from major surgery

Ben Askren recently shared a message of inspiration for his fans and supporters while recovering from a double lung transplant. Askren opened up about reflecting deeply on his ordeal and what he's been through over the past few weeks.

Refusing to feel sorry for himself, Askren spoke about accepting reality as it is and moving forward with a positive outlook in an Instagram post and said:

"Everything is going pretty well. I got another tube out. I only have one tube left. I wanted to make a reflection with where I was less than a month ago... I feel like holy cr*p, I came a long way since then. I'm going to plead guilty — I felt guilty for myself one time. That doesn't do anybody any good. I thought, man, I never smoked one cigarette, never smoked any weed, never did anything. Why did my lungs get stolen from me?"

He continued:

"Then I realized, it happened. It's over. It’s done with. I can be bitter and angry. I could whine, cry. That’s not going to help anybody. I am where I am now, and I’m going to move forward the best that I can. So I hope you guys are enjoying the updates. I will not feel sorry for myself. I'm going to get out of here pretty soon, and I hope you guys have a great day."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.