My Journey

From Undiagnosed to Climbing Mt. Everest

For some time I had been experiencing a variety of unusual and unexplainable physical problems. I went to many medical specialists and had many tests preformed, but the cause of my symptoms remained a mystery. The problem that concerned me most was my rapid loss of vision. Setting aside the other physical issues, I focused on saving my vision. I believe I can handle just about anything, but I was terrified of going blind. Enter Dr. Holland of Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA: An amazing doctor who worked tirelessly to save my deteriorating vision. Dr. Holland diagnosed me with retinal vasculitis and began treating my eyes.

During that time, I watched an amazing Discovery Channel show called Everest: Beyond the Limit, I became drawn to climb that mountain: the beauty, the challenge. Please realize that at the time I had climbed only Mt. Kilimanjaro and was no mountaineer. So, at the age of 48, I was going to start training for a new adventure: mountain climbing. Subsequently, I contacted Scott Woolums, a very experienced high-altitude guide, and we made arrangements to climb Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina (the highest mountain in South America) for our first training climb.

Then it happened! While shopping at a local nursery I was overcome with vertigo and realized I could not see out of my left eye: a retinal vascular occlusion. After reviewing test results, Dr. Holland and Dr. Kreiger (Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA) referred me Dr. Gorn a rheumatologist at UCLA Medical Center. On August 1, 2007 I was diagnosed with Limited Wegener’s Granulomatosis (WG). As shocking as that was: At least now I knew what I had and began a medication treatment program. The medication(s) to treat WG have side-effects and can make you very ill: which, for me, lasted for many months. I am now functionally blind in one eye but I continue training – I have a mountain to climb!

Then again: another flare! Two weeks later I was admitted to the emergency room having Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA – mini-stokes). Okay, more medical tests and doctor appointments: but I keep focused on my goal of climbing Mt. Everest.

Four months later, we went to Argentina and climbed Mt. Aconcagua. Unfortunately at 20,000 feet we had to abort our summit attempt due to very high winds. On the way down, around 19,000 feet, I snagged my boot on the other boot (I am pigeon-toed), fell, and broke my leg: but I hiked for 5 hours down to base camp and was helicopter evacuated off the mountain the next day. Over the next 7 months I had a couple of surgeries (plate in/plate out) and I continued on – I have a mountain to climb.

Most people who attempt to climb Mt. Everest train for many, many years, but I do not have that much time! If I am going to attempt this climb I must do it this coming season. With the love and support of my wonderful husband of 19 years, we put everything else on hold and spend all of our time and resources toward my goal – I must climb as many mountains as I can in a short amount of time.

This past Summer we summited Mt. Rainier (14, 410 ft); summited Mt. Elbrus in Russia (18, 513 ft); climbed Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan to about 22, 500 ft but we had to abort summit due to a team member getting frost bite. These were all training climbing preparing me to climb Mt. Everest in Spring 2010: but now I am out of money for more climbs. So, I will continue to train locally.

Currently, my condition has been stabilized by the medication treatment program. Fortunately and unfortunately, the medication suppresses my immune system thus putting me at a high risk for infection. If I stop taking the medication, however, the disease can continue to damage my body. Most obviously, the disease is attacking my eyes and I am functionally blind in one eye, but (for now) we have saved my other eye.

I am a 51 year old female who teaches Personal Health at California State University, Fullerton.

I leave for Kathmandu on April 1, 2010 for the 68 days it takes to prepare for and climb the South Side of Mt. Everest. The fact that I have Limited Wegener’s Granulomatosis does not change my drive to live life to its fullest and that is exactly what I plan to do!

UPDATE:   May 23rd 2010, I summited Mt. Everest and joined the ranks of an elite group of Americans who have climbed the world’s tallest mountain.

The Climb Details: In my wildest dreams I never imagined writing a book, but there is no other way to tell this complex story. It will be a first-person non-fiction account chronicling the events from the time I decided to climb Mt. Everest, through the disease issues, and into the details of the climb to the top of the world.