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TJ Lavin Battles Pneumonia, But Docs Deliver Good News

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TJ Lavin Battles Pneumonia, But Docs Deliver Good News

Wednesday October 20, 2010 08:45 AM EDT

TJ Lavin Battles Pneumonia, But Docs Deliver Good News

TJ Lavin

Stephen Lovekin/Getty

TJ Lavin is waging a war against pneumonia, likely because of the breathing tube that is assisting the injured BMX rider in his medically induced coma. But his family has received good news from doctors – his brain appears to be fine after his horrific crash last week.

"Everything is good there," Lavin's friend and business manager Chas Aday told PEOPLE on Tuesday. "Doctors are not expecting any [brain damage], but we're just not going to know until he wakes up if there is any loss or how bad it is going to be."

Doctors are hoping to have the pneumonia treated and the breathing tube removed by the weekend to re-evaluate his condition. As yet, doctors haven't tried to remove either his breathing tube or feeding tube.



Once the tubes are removed, the host of MTV's Real World Road Rules Challenge is expected to come out of the coma and slowly begin opening his eyes, something he has yet to do.

"Getting the tube out is the big thing. That's what's holding him back," Aday said. "Once they get the tube out, he could be home two, three, maybe four days later. … They don't know. It could be a week. It could be two weeks. It really depends on the antibiotics."

The pneumonia has delayed surgery on Lavin's shattered wrist. But generally, the prognosis is good. "He's responding well," Aday said. "He's squeezing our hands, so he's responding appropriately. ... He is coherent, but not fully awake. He's following simple commands."

BMX athlete Anthony Napolitan, who has also been at Lavin's bedside, adds: "He'll pull through, for sure, and I guarantee you he'll be back riding on the bike again."



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