Sickness

"Yesterday Mark got sick. The famous bug hit him hard. I have never seen him sick before. He could hardly keep anything down, some water, fruit soup, broth and maybe four tablespoons of yak yogurt with honey. That was it. I was really worried about him. I hate feeling helpless. I always think there should be something I should do to make things easier."
- Carina Ostberg, October 11

"The next day I vomited all day, not due to the accident but rather due to some virulent bug or food poisoning. The first bout of retching came as I left the Lair after a breakfast in which I didn't participate. As I walked out, I was asked about the arrangements for the day's activities and immediately started vomiting. I crawled into the tent and didn't leave all day. Every time I vomited I felt like I was retching up almost a years worth of stress - stress of fulfilling expectations, selecting a peak, permits, costs, who would make the team, bringing Carina, stress about gear, from Carlos, flights, visas, medical kits. With every painful heave I imagined a little bit of the built up stress scooped up and thrown out."
- Mark Newcomb, October 11

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