[From Monty] Back in Kathmandu - climb over

It’s been a rough few days for both Val and me, for very different reasons. I was evacuated to Kathmandu after significant blood loss, and Val summited, but needed to be escorted down to C4 at the S Col due to loss of eyesight. I’ll let her fill in the rest; just before we left she was resting at C4, debating whether to spend a night there or continue descending.

So here’s what led up the the evac: After the extra rest day at C2, Val and I were READY. We were both feeling strong; all the ailments were over. Planned 4am breakfast, then climb to C3 on our way to the summit. At 3am I was waiting for the alarm to go off; I was somewhat surprised at fluid running down my throat. When the alarm struck, I rose, but needed to wipe a runny nose. Uh, no… the snotrag was instantly drenched in blood. Drat – why now?

A few minutes passed and it wasn’t abating; I finally resorted to TP plugs in my nostrils and tipped my head back. I called for Val to come over (tent next door) and we discussed the situation. By now all the blood was running down my throat. I called Tuck at BC, and apprised our Sherpas of the situation.

By 4am it stopped, so I moved the dining tent to discuss with our Sherpas but the activity caused the bleeding to begin again. With the bleeding now recurring, it was clear that I needed to get it stopped PERMANENTLY before heading to C3. It continued for a few more hours, at which point Val and I agreed she’d take off without me. I consulted with the ER doc at the BC med tent as well as Scott, an ER doc on our team. None of their suggestions helped, indicating the bleeding was likely further back (not from within the nose itself).

By ~7am, with no slowing to the bleeding, Pasang and I decided to descend to BC; this was a risky decision – how much blood loss had occurred, and would I be safe descending? We decided the benefits of lower altitude and real medical care outweighed the risks. I was feeling extremely weak, but within five hours I was back at Base - normal descent time ~half that.

I went immediately to the med tent of the HRA; Himalayan Rescue Assn runs a medical clinic staffed with two ER docs. It was determined I needed (I love this term…) a nasal tampon in one nostril. This slowed the external blood flow, but for the next day I still had significant blood running down my throat or out the other nostril. So the next day I had a second one installed. If you’ve never had the pleasure of a nasal tampon, imagine a 3/8” x 3”long stick shoved into your brain. Trust me – it SOUNDS better than it feels. And the resulting headache is not to be missed!

Between the blood loss and sickness with swallowing the blood, hiking the 36 miles to Lukla was out of the question, so a helicopter was arranged. Scott Paraczinski, the ER Doc/Astronaut team member, joined me for the ride out. That afternoon we hiked to Gorak Shep, the nearest settlement, awaiting a military chopper at dawn. Well, the military had some bureaucratic SNAFU and didn’t get clearance to depart until late morning, but by then the clouds had moved in. We were instructed to descend further to Lobuche, where there was more chance of better weather (and more activity, which re-started the bleeding again).

We arrived Lobuche ~10:30, and waited four hours until we gave up and finally got a room at the lodge there. Scott and I were napping at 4pm when the Sherpas burst in – “Helicopter coming!!”

We grabbed our bags and ran outside just as the bird was landing, and hopped aboard. Then they threw me out! The pilot began liftoff, but we really weren’t getting anywhere. He turned to me and said “Get out – we’ll be back soon!” and departed down the valley.

I was chuckling at the irony that I, the evacuee, was now stranded, hoping for the RE-appearance of the rescue chopper. Fortunately in a few minutes they DID return. Scott was dropped off a thousand feet lower, they came back and got me, then picked Scott up at the lower altitude where they could lift off with both of us aboard.

Wow. WOW! A helicopter ride from the upper Khumbu to Kathmandu is NOT TO BE MISSED. It didn’t quite make the whole ordeal worth it, but it sure was cool!

The next morning in Kathmandu I went to the local Trekker’s Clinic where I finally had the plugs removed – every bit as painful as having them inserted. But HEY – no bleeding! Yippee!

So now I’m in Kathmandu, awaiting luggage and Wednesday’s departure. I got the previous ticket mess cleared up and I’m cleared for a flight home.

Am I disappointed? Sure, at first, but not after how things played out. When the bleeding started and I headed down, I admit to being in tears over the unfortunate turn of events. Then the bleeding continued and I got weaker. Soon, the summit faded and my own evacuation became the prime thought in my head. Yeah I’m disappointed, but I’m FAR happier to be down and safe. And I’m VERY thankful to Steve at the HRA, Scott, Pasang, Tuck, Jangbu and everyone else who helped me get here.

So I’ll be home soon, contemplating the future. Will I return to try again? I don’t know – it’s too soon to answer that question. There’s too much death and injury on this mountain, and I’ve come to believe getting both up and DOWN has a greater element of luck than skill, at least for a weekend warrior like me. And it might be too much reliance on luck for the return of this loved father, husband, brother and friend.

Monty