Tag Archives: sick

Solu Khombu Trek – Day 7 (Berkley)

I felt pretty crappy last night, but woke up feeling pretty good.  I managed to keep down a bowl of porridge and we set off towards Phalpu.  At first, I was feeling pretty good, but was super down on myself for not being with Seth.  I kept wondering if we had just stayed at Sengephuk for another night, would I have been able to continue on?  Because my issue was definitely not altitude.  I felt just as horrible when at a much lower altitude as I did at the high altitude.  But, I guess there’s no real way of knowing.

Nepal 3080

Nepal 3085

Later on our trek I began to feel progressively worse and worse.  I became so weak, my stomach was doing backflips, and I could barely lift my feet over the small rocks.  I needed a full day of rest and I wasn’t giving it to myself.  So, then I revisited my thought about how I might be trekking with Seth to Dund Kund right now if we had just stayed another night at Sengephuk, also, if we had stayed another day in Jumbese maybe the trek to Phalpu would have been easier.  I decided the pony idea was a bad one.  The trails are too perilous.  So many slippery rocks on trails that drop off the mountain.  Anyhow, after about four and a half to five hours we finally made it to Phalpu.  I feel like crap, but I’m drinking a lot of water.  I’m staying at the Hotel Everest and I get my own bathroom, not shower, but at least I don’t have to walk down the hall in the middle of the night.  And if all goes according to plan, I’ll see Seth tomorrow.  I hope all goes according to plan!

Solu Khombu Trek – Day 6 (Berkley)

I felt unwell all night.  I ended up waking up at midnight and was not able to fall back to sleep.  In the morning I felt horrible.  I was weak, my body was shaky and sensitive, and my stomach was feeling all kinda of nauseated.  Though I tried to continue, it was decided that it was a better, safer, choice for me to head back.  Whether I was feeling that way because I was sick or because of elevation didn’t matter, I couldn’t go on.  But, not before I got to see some yaks!  Though the people there would probably say I wasn’t excited to see yaks, I totally was.  It was on my list of Nepal things to see.  And since I won’t be seeing Everest anymore, at least I got to see some yaks.

Nepal 2808

Peanut butter, honey, and raw garlic. Poor choice…

Nepal 2837

Yakety yak, don’t talk back.

Through a little convincing Seth went on without me.  I took our Cook down to lower elevation.  Purba, our sherpa guide, was pretty convinced that what I was feeling was altitude sickness, but I was not completely convinced.  As we quickly descended in altitude not much changed.  It became a little easier to walk, but just a little.  Otherwise I still felt pretty crappy.  I was still weak, shaky and nauseated (especially since Purba told me to eat a giant clove of raw garlic for breakfast to combat the altitude sickness.  I accompanied it wit a spoonful of peanut butter, and I was burping up that combination all day.)  It took about four hours to reach our destination of Junbesi, and I felt like crap every grueling step of the way.  I was so careful not to trip and fall, or slip off the mountain in my weakness and sheer exhaustion.  At this point I’m back at the Apple Valley Lodge where I am resting, but still feeling horrible.  I meet with Seth in a few days back in Phaplu.  He’s going to be completing the trip at a more accelerated pace.  HIs job is to take tons of photos and to remember everything, so he can tell me all about it.  I’m glad one of us gets to complete the trek.