(Former WCW/WWF wrestler Bret 'the Hitman') Hart recovering from stroke

Calgary Sun ^ | 6.22.02 | Eric Francis

[mhking]

Hart recovering from stroke

By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun

CALGARY -- Five days before his 45th birthday, Bret (Hitman) Hart lies in a Calgary hospital fighting to regain use of his left arm and leg following a stroke.

The former wrestling star had the left side of his body paralyzed on Monday when he suffered a blood clot in his brain seconds before or after he fell off his bicycle.

Hart, who wasn't wearing a helmet, landed on his head but was able to call for help on his cell phone despite having lost feeling in his left side. He was stabilized by EMS officials and transported to hospital where doctors continue to run a battery of tests seeking to find out the extent of damage done to his body.

"He has made incredible progress every day and seems to have more and more use of his left side," said Hart's personal assistant, Marcy Engelstein, who said the numbness on the left side of Hart's face has subsided considerably, allowing him to speak normally, again.

"Doctors are anticipating he could be 100% but it will take a lot of work," she said.

'VERY SERIOUS'

Doctors suggest Hart will remain in hospital for at least three more weeks and is expected to start rehab within days.

"This is a very serious situation and we are all deeply concerned. But we are all hopeful for a full recovery and we are encouraged by his continued progress," said Hart's sister-in-law, Martha Hart.

"I'm confident he'll be okay," said Ross Hart, one of Bret's nine living siblings.

"He seems to be having a lot of discomfort but he is speaking normally and hasn't lost any memory."

In an effort to ensure his legion of fans weren't concerned by his closely guarded hospitalization earlier in the week, Hart played down the seriousness of the incident by issuing an e-mail statement to supporters on Tuesday.

"Yesterday I took a tumble and , since I retired due to a career-ending concussion, the docs are checking me over as a precautionary measure," the e-mail read.

[white trash redneck]

I don't want to hit a man when he's down, but this makes me wonder if he was using anabolic steroids.

[Colonel_Flagg]

That family has been through quite a bit in recent years. I hope he's okay.

[goodieD]

Sorry to hear this.

[strela]

Is his family striking for Von Erich status? Now THERE'S a wrestling family with some hard luck - 4 or 5 of the Von Erich men died within 10 years of each other, mostly suicides.

[Gurn]

That's exactly what I was thinking. That stuff will mess you up. A professor at the med school here (who works out at my gym) told me that if you do one cycle of juice, you increase your risk of pancreatic cancer and heart attack 40 times. And those wrestlers have done them for years. Too bad.

[Just another Joe]

I doubt it. Brett was never big enough. If he would have been doing anabolic steriods he would have been a LOT bigger.

[Sonny M]

If you've ever seen pictures of Bret Hart when he first started out, and then now, he did get a lot bigger. Realize that Tom Billington (aka the dynamite kid, 1/2 of the british bulldogs) is now is a wheel chair, from the years of confessed steriod abuse. Personally, I think this came from a combination of multiple concussions and his use of steriods. Steroids don't always make you into a huge monster, but they do make you bigger, Bret is relativly big compared to his previous years when he was younger. Also note that with the exception of Owen, just about every member of the family has addmitted use of steroids including his inlaws.

[Trust but Verify]

Well, my mom had a stroke and she never took anabolic steroids.

[lelio]

I would tend to believe that but if it were true then pro football players from the 70s should all be keeling over right now and we would hear about it. Maybe not unless it happens to a big name player.

[EllaMinnow]

Is Billington the one of the British Bulldogs who is Bret Harte's brother-in-law?

[lelio]

Is Billington the one of the British Bulldogs who is Bret Harte's brother-in-law?
According to this Billington married Michelle, sister of Julie Hart, Bret's ex wife. I recall that the other Harts shunned him as I think he was abusing her, but I'm not sure.

[D.P.Roberts]

Nope. You're thinking of David Smith, who died recently at 39 of a heart attack.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Hart, who wasn't wearing a helmet, landed on his head

Stupid, stupid, stupid...always wear a helmet.

[white trash redneck]

my mom had a stroke and she never took anabolic steroids.

Yes, but I doubt your mom was a pro wrestler.

[The Iceman Cometh]

That's exactly what I was thinking. That stuff will mess you up. A professor at the med school here (who works out at my gym) told me that if you do one cycle of juice, you increase your risk of pancreatic cancer and heart attack 40 times. And those wrestlers have done them for years. Too bad.

Well, if steriods can do that.....

What the hell caused this?