The World Cup swimmer’s race trip turned into a nightmare.
André Klippenberg Grindheim had a terrible crash during the World Cup tour. PDO
Norwegian André Klippenberg of Grindheim the trip to the World Swimming Championships in Budapest went normally until the second last day of the competition.
Then the extremely violent pains started. The 22-year-old breaststroker’s belly swelled up recklessly.
– It looked like I was about to give birth to twins, Klippenberg Grindheim describes in an interview with Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK.
A few hours of life
After waiting for hours for an ambulance, Klippenberg Grindheim finally made it to a local hospital, where communication was difficult due to the language barrier.
However, the most important message got across. The Norwegian was told that the hernia had caused an infection that had spread to the appendix. To his shock, the man found out that the internal organs that had gone into the “knot” had stopped functioning.
The last thing Klippenberg Grindheim remembers before the anesthesia is the doctor’s words about the seriousness of the situation: either we do the operation right away or you have a few hours to live.
– It was pretty brutal to be put under anesthesia without knowing if I would wake up again.
Mother for support
Klippenberg Grindheim’s suffering did not end with a successful operation. Pneumonia and the coronavirus kept him isolated in the hospital for days.
The bed was so hard that merciless pains were directed at my back.
– The hospital time in Budapest was really tough mentally. I have hardly been able to communicate with those who have taken care of me, the man sighs.
He was disappointed that the Norwegian team management and medical team headed home, even though one of the team members was hospitalized. A few close teammates postponed their return and stayed to support their friend in Budapest.
The biggest help was my mother, who supported me throughout the treatment period lasting a few weeks.
– He has sometimes worked as a nurse in a hospital. Without him, I would hardly have survived, Klippenberg Grindheim sums up.