Christopher Pledger/The Telegraph
Although Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng was released Saturday afternoon from Rush University Medical Center, he is still not out of the woods yet.
Deng, a two-time NBA All-Star, was kept overnight in the hospital because he had been experiencing complications from a spinal tap that he had undergone on Wednesday to rule out viral meningitis. The spinal tap proved negative. However, Tribune.com reported that he was administered a “blood patch” procedure to halt spinal fluid leakage. Evidently, the leakage was at least in part responsible for the very debilitating side effects from the spinal tap, which included severe headaches, disorientation and an unstable gait. The “blood patch” involves an injection of some of Deng’s own blood into the affected area, which will allow the spinal tap puncture to heal naturally.
Deng was unable to travel to Brooklyn for Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, but he was elated over his teammates’ victory over the Brooklyn Nets, 99-93, and tweeted this after the game:
So fu****g proud of my team, it’s been a rough 4 days for me but this makes everything better. See you guys in miami. #SeeRed#Holdat
— Luol Deng (@LuolDeng9) May 5, 2013
Hopefully, Deng can join his Bulls team in South Beach for Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals against the reigning champion Miami Heat on Monday.
Hollie M. Woods is a writer for Rant Sports covering the Chicago Bulls and the NBA. “Like” her on Facebook.
