Breathless - Tibet Part 4

So u think -- "it can't be that bad". Afterall you're not prescribed any 'proper' western meds or asked to go for a physical. And considering your accurately predicted older members tour group... if they can do it, it can't be that taxing.

So you ignore the suggestion of taking "Long Jing Tian" 2 weeks prior, only popping the one pill the day before your flight and realising -- "uh oh" perhaps there's some preparation to be made afterall.

I'll huff and puff, huff and puff... "i think i can i think i can i...choo-choo"

Upon arriving at the airport, there is no mistaking that the air IS THINNER and you ARE rather BREATHLESS. No self denial is gonna pull the mind over matter. Doesn't help tat we had to run around looking for luggages of fellow grp mates who have been delayed.

Hint for those taking China domestic -- get there a day in advance -- u might just get onto your alloted flight ON TIME. And i'm not joking here.

Sensations of breathlessness are quickly followed by compensatory tacchycardia and hypertension. If you're lucky these are the only symptoms you'll experience, accompanied perhaps only by mild headaches which fade as long as you relax and move slowly. However, symptoms range from the above to severe migraine (as thou your brains has expanded beyond your skull) partnered with nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and possibly diarrhoea. How all these come about JUST from the slight lack of oxygen is mind boggling, before realisation hits you that mountaineers must be truly amazing people with steel-like physique!! And anaemic patients do derserve our greatest sympathy.
Do not be fooled by the fact that you're still ok even upon arriving at the luxurious hotel after lunch -- Altitude sickness usually only peak after 4-5hours, and by then you'd be regretting ever coming on the trip!!

Fortunately for us, the medical service is inhouse, effective, efficiient, skilled and highly comforting. Depite the antiquity of the glass bottled dextrose drip (which intrigued me no end), piggy bagging a normal saline bag... the IV butterfly was skilfully inserted, and ingeniously held on with a 'S' curve. It was excellent service. The 2nd treatment 2 days later was no less admirable. In that time i had also managed to extract some info regarding the drip's content. Aside from anti-nausea, glucose and saline, the secret ingredient is ... -- a chinese medication that assists your body in adjusting. "How" is still a mystery which i'm hoping to unravel. There must be a western equivalent that i'm surprised wasn't implemented prior to the trip.

Suggestions for 1st-time high-risers : Get a quick physical screen from your GP, focusing on cardiac function and most importantly your bp. Hypertension (and tacchycardia) is how one's body compensate for a lower oxygen saturation. So if you're oredi hypertensive, please consult your GP prior to attempting this trip lest you be haunted by horror nightmares of strokes, heart attacks and aneurisms.
AND if u do pass and make it to the infamous plataeu -- request for the IV fluids IMMEDIATELY!! Saves you ALOT of needless sufferings. Double your request if you must, denial will only suffer you the most.

I love the fact that the doctors are part of the hotel service and on stand-by 24hours. And they are marvellously skilled. Oxygen therapy is also available for those most severly affected, and you can purchase your own personal aerosol can for use at your leisure. What an interesting concept! HA! We're too pampered here on ground zero!!

TO BE CONTINUED...
LOOK OUT FOR "Brollys by the Road - Tibet Part 5"