Khloe Kardashian opened up for the first time since Lamar Odom’s near-fatal overdose in October at a Nevada brothel, sharing some accounts of caring for her estranged husband, and some of the toll it took on her.
When the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star received word of Odom’s situation, she and members of her family rushed to his side at a Las Vegas hospital.
Coming up on @GMA at 7am – @khloekardashian opens up about Lamar Odom's recovery for 1st time since hospital release pic.twitter.com/MgNRD7UBUm
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) January 13, 2016
“Mentally, it took its toll,” Khloe Kardashian said in an interview with People magazine. “But it wasn’t about me. I realized how much it was about [Lamar] so I didn’t think twice about it.”
Kardashian barely left Odom’s hospital room for a month straight.
“Normally, when I’m going through stuff, I have my release of energy or stress at the gym,” the 31-year-old says. “But I literally didn’t leave the room for a month. I wasn’t sleeping as well. I went a week without showering.”
Khloe Kardashian is "so proud" of Lamar Odom's strength: https://t.co/bQqiAA2GlM pic.twitter.com/n0KDHTtcQP
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) January 7, 2016
That kind of attentiveness wears on even the strongest people. Khloe Kardashian admits it started getting to her as well.
“I was stuck in a room with my thoughts. My mind didn’t have that release. I was like, ‘I can’t breathe!'” she says.
After that first month, and after Khloe had Lamar Odom transferred to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A., she was able to still care for Lamar while remembering to care for herself as well.
“I had to remember that even though something tragic was going on, I still needed a few minutes. I was like, ‘Okay I need to take a shower.’ Just the little things make you feel so much better. I had to learn to [take care] of myself,” she says.
Khloé Kardashian on Lamar Odom overdose: "I always feared this would happen": https://t.co/hpwAbZ4ydh pic.twitter.com/AqOrZd4Q2g
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) January 13, 2016
These days Lamar Odom is in a much better place physically, and he has been transferred from the hospital to a rehab facility.
Khloe Kardashian is back at work on her many projects. In addition to Keeping Up With the Kardashians, she stars in a new show, Kocktails with Khloe, set to premiere on January 20–and she is busy promoting her recently released book, Strong Looks Better Naked.
Despite the opinions of some who believe the Kardashian family is all about money and notoriety, Khloe Kardashian showed what she is made of throughout this near-fatal incident with her estranged husband. Not many women would rush to their almost-ex’s side–and remain there for a month–to ensure he received the best care and didn’t suffer alone.
