While Lamar Odom may be making progress while receiving treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, it appears he is still facing a very treacherous road to recovery. 
 
 A source close to the situation tells ET that the 35-year-old athlete's brain injuries are "still serious," and that Odom is being treated by doctors as a victim of brain trauma. 
 
 "It wasn't just one small stroke, it was a series of strokes," the source tells ET. "They won't know the extent of the damage for a few months. They need time for the brain swelling to go down." 
 
 WATCH: Lamar Odom Reportedly Undergoes Surgeries, Is in 'Fragile Mental State' 
 
 
 
 Odom has been hospitalized since Oct. 13 when he was found unconscious in a room at the Love Ranch brothel in Crystal, Nevada. The former Los Angeles Lakers star spent a week at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas before being airlifted to Cedars. 
 
 Reports of Odom making "miraculous" progress soon began to circulate, with claims that he was having conversations with visitors and even getting out of bed. However, according to ET's source, these early reports were "grossly exaggerated." 
 
 "He can speak, yes, but he’s not having conversations. He's not operating like he was before this," the source says. 
 
 WATCH: Khloe Kardashian Is 'Not Delusional,' but She Won't Give Up on Lamar Odom 
 
 
 
 Odom's hospitalization is just the beginning of a difficult road to regaining his health and cognizance. The source tells ET that, in the future, "depending on the extent of the damage" he's suffered, Odom may need a voice therapist, a speech therapist and a physical therapist so he can "learn how to do certain motor skills again." 
 
 In the wake of Odom's medical emergency, Khloe Kardashian has decided to put a hold on their ongoing divorce proceedings, reportedly so she could retain her power of attorney privileges, which will allow her to continue to make medical decisions for Odom. 
 
 The source tells ET that the 31-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians star has hope that this incident could be the catalyst to a sober and drug-free life for her estranged husband. 
 
 WATCH: Kobe Bryant on Lamar Odom's 'Amazing' Progress -- 'It Truly Is Remarkable' 
 
 
 
 "The doctors have already told Khloe that if he ever did drugs again, the damage it would do his brain will be irreversible," ET's source says. "This is his chance to finally quit drugs all together and start a new life, and everyone is just hoping he will." 
 
 However, just because the former couple are putting their divorce on hold, doesn't mean Kardashian has ended her relationship with NBA star James Harden. 
 
 
 
 On Wednesday, she flew to Houston for that evening's Rockets game, where she watched from a suite. Check out the video below to find out more. ||||| Lamar Odom Kidney Turnaround Off Dialysis 
 
 EXCLUSIVE 
 
 Lamar Odom has made a shocking turnaround ... his kidneys have improved so much he'll be off 6 hours of daily dialysis and he won't need a kidney transplant ... TMZ has learned. 
 
 We're told the big hurdle for days has been Lamar's kidneys and they've responded so well in the last 48 hours they've moved him from the ICU where he was getting dialysis in a private room. 
 
 Doctors told Lamar his kidney problems were life-threatening, and they told him they're surprised at the dramatic improvement. 
 
 Lamar is on the floor where hospital staff performs physical therapy. We're told Lamar's motor skills are impaired from the strokes, and he'll undergo increasingly rigorous therapy to regain function. 
 
 We're told the Kardashians are happy about the news, with one big caveat ... Lamar's now able to make his own decisions, and he hasn't necessarily chosen wisely during the last few months.
– Some majorly good news, if true, for Lamar Odom: Sources tell TMZ he's undergone a "shocking" improvement, with his kidneys doing so much better that he'll soon be off dialysis and won't need a kidney transplant after all. Sources say doctors were surprised at the turnaround, seeing as they thought Odom's kidney troubles were life-threatening, and Odom has been moved from the ICU to a hospital floor focusing on physical therapy. Some perhaps not-as-good news for him? Khloe Kardashian may not have been kidding when she insisted the two weren't back together romantically. Despite reports claiming that she was taking a break from current boyfriend James Harden (another NBA player) in order to focus on Lamar, E! reports that she attended Harden's Houston Rockets opener Wednesday to support him. "Khloe and James never broke up," a source says. "He's been so understanding and he knows that Khloe's love for Lamar is deeper than what most people can understand." (Another report says Lamar is being treated as a brain trauma victim.)