We did it - 19,340 feet!!!!!

Wow....each time I sit down to write I feel I'm at a loss for words.  This time it's even more difficult than the earlier posts!  I am happy to report that Scott, Flo, and I all made it to the summit - 19,340 feet and are still great friends!  Whoohooooo!!!!!   We did the trek in 6 days.  It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.  When all was said and done I felt physically and emotionally drained.  We keep looking back at our pictures and thinking "wow - we really did this!!!"  We had an incredible group that took us up the mountain.  They made it an amazing experience for us.  The chief guide, Genesis, was an amazing leader and an even more amazing person.  I don't know how to express how grateful I am for his support and friendship.  He took exceptional care of us - especially me.  It's unlikely I'll try to reach that height again. 

I was thoroughly exhausted and had difficulty with my left eye.  He stayed by my side and literally held my hand the last hour to the summit and then the entire descent down to our camp.  Helpful tip:  check with your eye doctor if you've had Lasik or similar surgery before trying to climb to those heights.  We met a group of 6 doctors doing the climb and I was able to talk to them when we came down from the summit.  They immediately diagnosed my problem as oxygen build up under the flap under my left eye (common for those that have had this eye surgery.)  They assured me it would clear up probably by the time we got down.  They were right.  Basically what happened is my vision became increasingly cloudy/foggy (white) in my left eye after we reached about 16/17,000 feet.  It was a bit unsettling { euphemism!} Their advice was to not climb that high again.  I'm glad I was determined (okay, maybe stubborn) enough to complete our goal.  Flo and Scott were truly team players!  I couldn't have asked for a better team members.  We spent last night reflecting and celebrating with our chief guide.  It was very sad to say "until we see you again...."

We completed our trek yesterday and flew to Zanzibar this morning.  Today we will relax before exploring the island. 

Until next time.......

Love,

Diana