Heart Valve Surgery Patient To Climb Mount Everest
May 11th, 2007
Hey Everybody! Happy Friday!
To get your weekend off to an amazing start, consider this amazing story about Phil Michael, a former heart valve replacement patient, that has his heart set on climbing Mount Everest.
Amazing! Adam
Phil Michael – Heart Valve Replacement Four Years Ago, Now Onto Everest
Phill Michael has scaled Chimborazo, Ecuador’s top peak, and stood atop the famed Moses Tower in Utah — both with an eye to conquering the world’s highest mountain.
Now, the 36-year-old Canadian, who underwent heart surgery four years ago, is planning to attempt Mount Everest, a formidable feat for even the healthiest mountaineer.
“For anybody who knows me, this doesn’t surprise them,” Mr. Michael said in a telephone interview this week from California before he travels to Kathmandu, Nepal.
Mr. Michael is among a handful of Canadian mountaineers who plan to stand on this planet’s apex within the next year. He intends to document his journey in live podcasts on http://www.secretspot.tv.
This from a man who underwent major cardiac surgery only four years ago. Mr. Michael dismisses any notion that he may be foolish for attempting to scale the 8,848-metre peak. The perilous journey has killed others, including 63-year-old University of Ottawa Professor Sean Egan, who had a heart attack on the mountain two years ago.
“I hope people focus on the fact that I have moved past the surgery and look forward to inspiring other people to achieve their dreams and shatter preconceived notions of what is possible,” Mr. Michael said.
An avid scuba diver and mountaineer, Mr. Michael was determined not to let a congenital heart defect hold him back. But in 2002, the otherwise vigorous athlete had a nagging cough and fluid buildup in his lung. He began to pass out after heavy exertion.
He underwent open-heart surgery at an Edmonton hospital during which he had a heart valve replaced. Mr. Michael said the surgery did wonders, giving him more stamina and physical strength than ever.
“I’ve been running pretty hard ever since,” he said.
His doctor, Dennis Modry, a surgeon with the cardiac unit at the University of Alberta, has given him the go-ahead to climb Mount Everest so long as the two keep in regular contact to monitor the patient’s progress.
“A lot of people when they hear about it, they say, ‘Oh my goodness, having a heart valve you have to be careful.’ But I really don’t let it slow me down very much,” Mr. Michael said.
The team, including a videographer and a couple of guides, plans to do a reconnaissance mission over the next few weeks at their base camp on the north side of the mountain, which is 6,400 metres up.
Around the same time next year, Mr. Michael and company will start their trek to the summit. He describes the climb as “another great thing to do along the way.”
“I don’t see it as some sort of climax in my life,” he said.
Still, the majestic beauty of the mountain and the challenge of scaling the world’s highest peak has lured climbing enthusiasts from around the world. There have been about 3,000 ascents to the summit; more than 200 people have died trying.
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| About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates clinical research with the personal experiences of 135 former patients to help future patients and their caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here. |
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