I thought the bleeding part was gratuitous pseudo-symbolism. I cut myself fixing the washing machine the other day, but I would never say "I literally bled for the cause of clean clothes."
Symbolism or not, I think there's no denying the fact that he worked very hard during the early stages. My point is to highlight the fact that in light of his struggles, I can appreciate his frustrations. While the attacks are not justified, I can at least see the path of events that led to this act.
