Doctors didn’t know when or even if he would wake up.
Seven weeks after a bad breakup, Alpine talent Lukas Ermeskog dreams of skiing again.
When I woke up I couldn’t talk, couldn’t walk and had trouble moving, says the 18-year-old.
Less than a minute after the Super-G kick-off during the Swedish Championship in Åre on March 23, Lukas Ermeskog crashed hard. The first reports were scarce, indicating seriousness.
Two weeks ago, the 18-year-old was seventh in the slalom in the small water course, but now he has a serious injury and is sleeping in a hospital in Trondheim. Every now and then no one knows when or even if he will wake up.
“disgusting to see”
But after three days of sleep, Luke woke up. Then he could not speak or walk, in fact he could barely move.
– I don’t remember anything from the accident. The first 2-3 weeks after waking up are completely gone. After a week and a half in Danderyd, I have memories. Then I can start asking questions and understanding what happened. Previously, it was all just a mess in the head, he says.
What were you thinking when you started to understand?
– At first I was curious about what happened, so I watched the video when I crashed to get an idea and was told all that happened, then I realized it was very dangerous.
What was it like to see the accident?
Very annoying considering I don’t remember anything. It doesn’t even look like me. I recognize the riding style, but since I don’t remember anything, it’s pretty weird. It’s disgusting because I can see that I am unconscious and wander around uncontrollably.
Is it okay not to remember?
– I think he’s so cute. If I had been conscious from the start after I was in a coma, it would have been more terrible than it was.
‘Doctors are surprised’
For the Ermeskog family, who was always on his side, it was a nightmare experience.
– They have been with me since the beginning, including my sister who lives in Stockholm. Of course, they thought it was totally bad. The worst they’ve been through.
Ermeskog suffered from what’s called a DAI (diffuse axonal injury) in the brain. Despite the fact that the initial predictions were very uncertain and it was only seven weeks after the accident, the doctors were already able to assure that Ermeskog will be fully restored.
– The doctors were surprised at how fast it was. At first when I couldn’t speak, it was very uncertain. I had real nerve damage in the brain, and they said it could have been anyway, and they didn’t even know if I was going to wake up, Ermiskog says.
– It’s gradually getting better and better. Now I can be in the gym and run. It’s just that I get tired in my head if it’s too much, or if I’ve been reading more than half an hour or working out where there’s a lot of people or music, but I still almost come back.
Ermeskog defended his best slalom results ever before crashing. In addition to the seventh place at the European Junior Championships, the 18-year-old finished 29th in the European Cup slalom.
not afraid
Now he wants to get back into skiing ASAP.
– I’m so excited to start skating. It will take some time to get there and drive fully. I have to be very careful, especially the first trimester, and I shouldn’t hit my head. But I think I’ll be there when they start in August.
Are you not afraid?
– no not now. I don’t know how I will feel when I come back, but since I don’t remember anything, I don’t feel afraid.
However, he must put the speed branches behind him. Instead, investment continues in giant slalom and slalom slalom.
– I think it’s fun with Super-G, but I’m not going to be competing anymore and definitely not going downhill. It would be very risky. I understand that it has been very good for me, as far as it can be.
