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Eric Osterlund gives health updateAfter a horror fall from a horse – “Stranger Sins” tantra coach is fighting back
In rehab, Eric Osterlund feels motivated by every tiny improvement his body makes.
tantric_eric / Instagram
Giving up is out of the question for him!
A few weeks ago, “Stranger Sins” star Eric Osterlund fell from his horse in South Africa. He suffered a burst fracture of the fifth cervical vertebra with an incomplete spinal cord injury. As he describes on RTL, the 34-year-old has since then been fighting in tiny steps to regain mobility in his body.
Every little bit of progress encourages Eric Osterlund
Eric Osterlund dictates his answers because he cannot use his hands at the moment. Eric currently has no motor control below his chest. “That’s why we’re concentrating a lot on strengthening my upper limbs,” says the 34-year-old in an RTL interview from rehab. The first successes motivate him enormously. “My occupational therapist recently saw me on a Sunday, and when he saw me again on Wednesday, he couldn't believe that I had doubled my strength in just a few days,” says the tantra coach. He can now do bicep curls with 6 kilograms, whereas at the beginning he could barely lift his arms. “Every day there is a little progress, so I am very hopeful”said the “Stranger Sins” star, who also goes by the name Tantric Eric.
Reading tip: Tantra coach Eric on riding accident: I knew that my life would no longer be the same
His treatment day at the clinic in Cape Town (South Africa) was tightly scheduled. “Someone helps me eat breakfast and brush my teeth, and then throughout the day – literally every 20 minutes – there's a nurse, doctor, carer, or cleaning staff in my room. People assume I have all this time to watch Netflix, but I actually have very little time to relax,” he jokes, continuing: “Usually I have a bed bath around 10:30 p.m., my last void around midnight, and then I sleep from 0 to 4 a.m. before someone has to turn me over to prevent a bed sore.”
“Even though I couldn’t feel my legs, I felt their presence”
One recent experience in particular deeply moved him. Eric reports an almost surreal moment during his rehabilitation. “I experienced a euphoric, blissful state for a few hours that I have never experienced in my life.” And further: “Even though I couldn't feel my legs, I felt their presence and the presence of my body. It was pure bliss and zen.” This experience gave him new strength.
“Physically, I am now able to feed myself while sitting in a chair using a special strap that holds a spoon. I can also hold my arms outstretched behind me to support my own weight, which is a huge milestone,” he reports.
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“She is my angel, my savior and everything to me right now”
His girlfriend Anna is always by his side: “She is my angel, my savior and everything to me right now”he enthuses. Anna not only takes care of insurance and organizational matters, but also plans the next steps in their future together. “We plan to do about 8 to 10 more weeks of rehab here in Cape Town and then we will look at flying to either Finland or Canada to continue my rehabilitation,” Eric said.
In the video: Emergency surgery with “Stranger Sings” expert Eric
He wants to regain full function of his body
The doctors explained to him that the healing process could take a long time. “The surgeon said it could take up to two years to see all possible movement.” Eric still has a long – and expensive – road ahead. So family and friends have one for him Call for donations on GoFundMe started. Because Eric Osterlund has a clear goal in mind: “My main goal is to regain full function of my body, including my hands and legs.” He wants to fight for this and use every means available: “I will do everything in my power to achieve this – whether through natural healing, biotechnology or robotics.”
Sources used: own RTL research
