WWE.com: There are a lot of stories circulating on the Internet about your condition. To set the record straight, what is your current condition?
Hardcore Holly: Right now, instead of being in the hospital, I’m sitting at home, hooked up to IV antibiotics. Because the staph infection got so bad, I was hospitalized twice because the antibiotics weren’t strong enough. When it came back the second time I had to go in for emergency surgery. The infection was growing on my bone. If they didn’t get the infection then I could have lost my arm, and I’m still not in the clear from that. Instead of having to stay in the hospital for the next several weeks, I’m at home getting antibiotics twice a day. And that stuff is strong as sh*t, boy; it makes me feel like crap.
WWE.com: How did this condition come about?
Hardcore Holly: Basically what happened was, the first time I got the infection, I took antibiotics to get rid of it, and it went away. Then it came back, and I just never had it taken care of properly. I started getting the infection again the same week Eddie died in Minneapolis. I was getting conflicting stories form the doctors. One doctor told me to go home. Another doctor wanted to send me to the hospital, but instead they sent me overseas to wrestle. And I have no problem with that. That’s my job. But I didn’t realize the situation was as bad as it was, and I got really sick while I was overseas. When I came home, I had surgery on my elbow, and that’s when I found out the infection was in my elbow, growing on the bone. And that’s why I’m having these problems now. I thank Dr. Rios, because the night we landed overseas, he got all the junk cleaned out of the infection to where I could work and stand the pain a little bit. Then when I got back home, I said enough was enough and I had to get this taken care of.
WWE.com: Why did you go in for the elbow surgery in the first place?
Hardcore Holly: I went in because I had numbness in my fingers. I had bone spurs and bone chips so bad in my elbow that it was pinching the nerve. And I had put that off for a long time. With that surgery is when everything got worse for me.
WWE.com: What would have happened if you didn’t go in for the elbow surgery?
Hardcore Holly: I probably wouldn’t have an arm right now or I’d be dead. The doctor told me I’m lucky to be alive and lucky to have an arm. And that’s because it wasn’t taken care of when it should have been. I didn’t know it was that bad. It was painful and it made me sick, but I didn’t realize how serious it was. Two weeks ago I woke up with a fever and thought I had the flu. I got up and threw up, but didn’t think anything of it. But then my arm swelled up like a balloon. I was sent straight to the hospital, and that’s when they found out the infection was in my arm. We won’t know for sure if they got all of it until I’m done with the antibiotics, which will be another three weeks or so. And now I do nothing except sit around hooked up to that stupid machine. It zaps all of my energy because it’s so strong, and it doesn’t make you feel really well. I can’t work out. I can’t do anything. I’ve lost so much weight. But I’ll be back. I’ll come back like I always have come back. This is just another hurdle. That’s all it is.
Hardcore Holly: I knew something was wrong. I just knew something wasn’t right. If it was taken care of the right way I wouldn’t be having this problem. I don’t know if it was a matter of miscommunication or what. I don’t know. I’m going to do what I’m told to do. If I’m told to go somewhere to wrestle, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to dispute anything because that’s what I’m paid to do. I’ve been getting a lot of response from the fans, and I want to thank all of them. And for the fans that don’t like me, they only know me from television. If they were to meet me, they would see the kind of person I really am. I’m a giving person. I give to charities and stuff like that. It’s the fans choice if they don’t like me, but they don’t need to say derogatory things because I’m sick. This could be life-threatening. I also want to thank Vince for taking care of me. I have the utmost respect for that man. Even though we’ve had our differences and stuff like that, that man has always taken care of me. And I won’t ever, ever forget it. I am grateful to him. I’m just ready to get back to work. I’m frustrated. It’s depressing just sitting around. At least when I broke my neck I could get out and do stuff. Now, I’m hooked up to an IV and can’t leave the house.
WWE.com: What drives you in this fight, how do you try to maintain a positive attitude?
Hardcore Holly: E-mails from fans and stuff like that have fueled me. I’m not done yet. There’s still things I want to accomplish. By no means am I finished yet. I’ll be back just as I was before, if not better. When I came back from my broke neck I was better than I was before, and with this, I’ll come back better again. I’m not worried about that. It will be a little harder this time because I haven’t been able to work out or do any cardio or do anything. Nothing’s easy. It’s just a test to see how bad I want it – how bad I want to come back. I belong in that ring.
WWE.com: Do you have a message for your fans out there that are pulling for you?
Hardcore Holly: I just want to thank them for their support. It has meant a lot to me and makes me want to come back even more. I didn’t realize how many people out there really cared. There are a lot of fans out there that do, and I really appreciate that. The fans are my main motivation. When I come back I’ll do the best I can to entertain them. And for the fans that don’t like me, I’ll do the best I can to make them still hate me. I want to hurry up and come back, but I can’t hurry up. It’s one of those things I have to make sure that it’s gone before I really let loose. The drive is there, and the passion is there more than it’s ever been. I’ve got a lot to prove when I come back. I’m not through yet.
