After a 6:00am wake-up on 4/29 the team headed out along the trail
to Mt. Everest and a grueling day-long march to the mountain village
of Namche Bazzar. The time on the trail exceeded 6 hours and the
resulting elevation gain was over 3,000 vertical feet. While in
transit the E-3 team is unable to provide updates because the
satellite phone equipment, generators and other equipment are
also being transported and are therefore unavailable for use.
A major complicating factor for the E-3 team has been the high
winds in the Himalayas, which prevented the charter flight carrying
the remaining equipment from arriving in Lukla village. Early
yesterday morning a cargo flight with our gear finally made it
to Lukla, and the equipment is now enroute to Namche Bazzar, elevation
11,500'. Because the trail is steep and narrow it takes two full
days to reach us via porter and yak. Given this situation, the
expedition team has elected to remain in Namche Bazzar one additional
day. This is being done in order to ensure that all equipment
necessary for Mt. Everest has truly arrived, as well as to allow
sufficient time for the medical research activities being conducted
by the E-3 medical team. The expedition team is also pleased to
announce the arrival of Robert Hyman, who is joining the team.
Robert is a member of The Explorers Club (www.explorers.org) and
is a mountaineer, explorer, and photographer. We are pleased to
have him as a member of the E-3 team.
Late in the afternoon of 4/28 the E-3 medical clinic encountered
a couple particularly interesting medical cases. Dr.Ken Kamler
a microsurgeon from Long Island treated a fairly spectacular hand
laceration caused by a Ghurka style "kukhuri" knife. The inch
and a half long gash has occurred four days earlier, and was unsuccessfully
treated with a poultice of local herbs and wrapped with a dirty
rag. Upon arrival at the clinic the rag was removed and the herbal
plug, which was causing an infection were removed, profuse bleeding
ensued. The operation was actually continued outside the clinic
tent because too much blood was contaminating the clinic floor.
The wound and hand functions were carefully evaluated, and fortunately
no nerves or tendons were cut. Assisted by Dr. Nick Craig the
wound was treated with a gel foam plug to stem the bleeding, and
bandaged with compression dressing. The patient also received
antibiotics. The other interesting case involved yet another pediatric
pneumonia case. The child was only 21 months old and we did not
have pediatric pharmacological dosages available. After carefully
estimating the weight of the child, Yale medical student Jennifer
Kreshak carefully divided an adult antibiotic tablet into 10 doses,
then pulverized them by wrapping the pieces in clean toilet paper
and crushing them with a rock...the only materials available,
then added boiled water to create a liquid suspension appropriate
for the young child.
Scott Hamilton
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