Story
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Well what can i say this was probably the most challenging expedition i've done. However, what made it harder was that the things we take for granted at home, were not available up in the mountains, e.g. no clean drinking water, no "proper toilet facilities; sometimes no facilites at all and it being impossible to go to the loo (if ur a female that is), very basic food available, freeeeezing conditions no matter how many layers u wear, the uphill parts of the mountain seemed to go on forever, and no one knowing who mountain sickness would strike next.
14 people were in my group- 12 were on DIOMOX-(altitude sickness prevention/curing meds).
However, myself and one other girl were not on this. 9 people showed visible signs of altitude sickness with one trekker having to be escorted down the mountain urgently! Others were wheezing, getting splitting headaches and tingling in extemities. Personally, I was lucky to have just got away with minor blood from nostrils, preety bad and recurrent food poisoning and have a close encounter with hypothermia!! No altitude sickness for me, probably due to the 5k swimathon I did prior to my expedition to Everest Base camp trip.
Y TRIP TO EVEREST BASE CAMP...
Another thing is because the hygiene was preety poor, food poisoning was easily contracted. I seemed to be quite susceptible lol.. dont no why exactly:P The fact that toilet or "holes" as we called them for hard to find didnt make this any easier!
One of the highlights of my trip was climbing another mountain after base camp.. this is called KALA PATTAR..AND ITS NEALRY 20,000FT, and apparently at its summit, it gives the best views of everest at sunrise. Except this mountain is very steep, i mean seriously no flat or even slightly downhill parts to this climb I think I was 95% vertical at one point!!! We had to climb this mountain on virtually an empty stomach as we left 4am in the morning.
Another highlight was meeting a SHERPA-- (expereinced mountain guide) :SHERPA AMU: who'd summited Everest 21 times! LEGENDDDDDD <<-------
Obviously, base camp was a tremendous highlight, and I'd told the group how I would run in one of the summiters tents and stay there, playing "lost"... but i was actually preety illl on the day--sevvvvvvvvvere tummy troubles.. and it was frrrrreeezing up there! still i took pics completed the trek and made my way back safely to our lodge for the night!
WHY THE PITUATRY FOUNDATION>?
People with pituatry disorders are AMAZING and BRAVE individuals who usually suffer for quite some times before diagnosis and consequent treatment. Most causes of pituatry disorders are brain tumours, physical trauma to the brain, etc. Some people undego complex surgery, e.g. brain tumour removal, before there treatment for their pituatry disease begins.
Many patients with a pituitary disorder will require life-long drug treatment and monitoring and their condition will, potentially, impact on many aspects of their life. The Pituatry Foundation provides AMAZING support for people living with pituatry disease and aims to minimise the day-to-day problems of living with pituitary disease. The pituatry foundation provides information via leaflets, handbooks, and a nurse helpline. Please note that people with pituatry problems have dificulties managing their meds, as it is exceedingly hard to replicate the bodys natural circadian rhythm of hormone release. They rely on these nurses to provide guidance for them on how to best take their meds.
Pituatry foundation also provides conferences and a newsletter for sufferers and carers. They are the only charity in the UK providing support for pituatry sufferers.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
I have experience of pituitary issues in the family. I have seen family members try to manage their meds and how this can be an everyday struggle. GP's do their best but due to pituatry probs being quite rare, GP's have less expereince on how to handle pituatry probs. It is the endocrine nurses/endoc doctors who are better advised on these issue. On the NHS, you may not be allocated an endocrine nurse esp if ur an adult, and thus a service which the pituatry foundation provides a nurse helpline proves very helpful indeed!!!