Everest Climb for Awareness

The phone rang one day in mid September. Jes Ashbaucher, MBA,PA-C answered and heard the voice of a fellow adventurer. They had called to offer her a space with a group heading out to climb to Mt. Everest Base Camp in two and a half weeks! Nevermind that experts recommend at LEAST 8 to 12 weeks prep time, Jes jumped at the chance. She knew right away that she would take on the challenge and would represent and fundraise for Team PHenomenal Hope. She would also do this arduous climb with her husband/adventure partner, James, in her heart. James had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma several months prior. This was quite a blow for both Jes and James and has required life changes and introduced difficult unknowns as that type of cancer is not curable and can be debilitating as well as life threatening. James was immediately on board with Jes going and she started making plans.
Fortunately, hiking and climbing are not new to Jes. She knew that the elevation might present a challenge, but she met that challenge head on. Having hiked up Mt Kilimanjaro back in 2010 with two of her colleagues to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and get a small glimpse into what her PH patients experience, she was no stranger to the health issues (altitude sickness, pulmonary hypertension, low oxygen saturation) that extremely high elevations present to climbers. She also was physically prepared as strength training and rucking (walking, hiking, running with 30 lbs in her rucksack) are part of her lifestyle. Jes planned carefully, taking only what was absolutely necessary in order to keep her load as light as possible. Two items she deemed essential were a Team PH flag and a book written by multiple myeloma patient, Gregory O. Proctor, entitled FAITH, STRENGTH, and COURAGE: A Memoir of Overcoming Adversity & Embracing Life’s Journey. The flag represented her commitment to PH patients, especially those she works with, and her LMBYL partner, Anna Lindner. The book symbolized her support of her husband’s fight to overcome multiple myeloma.
It took four plane and two helicopter rides to get from the US to the head of the trail up to Base Camp. Jes arrived in Kathmandu on October 7th where she spent some time acclimating to the elevation. At night she would wake up gasping for air. She went through orientation and met the team she would be climbing with. On October 10th they started their climb.
Each day the team would climb up a total of about 4,000 ft and down 3,000 ft (with many ups and downs) immersed in breathtaking wilderness. Each time they reached a significantly higher elevation and the symptoms of altitude sickness would arise, Jes said she’d feel nauseous and sometimes vomit. Her head would pound and breathing would be labored. Just tying her shoes would cause her to be short of breath. As her body adjusted, the symptoms would begin to improve, and as they climbed again, the symptoms would return.
Getting through the journey took an immense amount of mental fortitude. Jes experienced doubts about whether she’d make it, as did every team member. When struggling to breathe and feeling weak at 12,000 ft she wondered how she’d ever make it to 18,000 ft. Turning back, getting to a place of comfort, a warm shower, relief from the struggle was tempting for every team member. They worked together to spur each other on and they watched out for each other. To combat the doubt, you have to know your why. Jes would think of her LMBYL partner, Anna. She would think of her husband. She would repeat her mantra, “I’m not dying now, I’m not stopping.”
On October 18th Jes and her team made it to Base Camp! The thrill and sense of accomplishment filled Jes’s heart! Photos were a must. She proudly held up the Team PHenomenal Hope flag and was joined by two others who are part of the PH community and Team PH, Aaron Waxman, MD, and Manreet Kanwar, MD. Again, Jes thought of her husband and Anna, and felt them with her.
Along the way Jes saw cairns set up in remembrance of climbers who lost their lives, there were brass plates with names of the fallen. In the towns and villages she visited there were temples and many symbols of gratitude. Throughout the adventure she would pause to appreciate the immense vistas. She would take a moment to think on something she was grateful for and find a sense of peace. The practice of gratitude has become a part of her as she returns to daily life.
Recently, Jes was able to get together with Anna and her family! She was able to share her journey with them and get to know Anna and her family. Jes gave Anna the Mt. Everest cap that she wore on her trek. Jes is so grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime, and she is forever changed by her experience. Just getting another glimpse of what Anna, and other PH patients walk through every day was eye opening and continues to spur her on to fight for a cure.
