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Looking for some information...

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm gutted... I got some bad news about a mate last night.
Basically him and a few others decided to do a trek in Peru for charity, they spent months training for it and doing loads of charity work to raise money for it. They managed to get £20000 in the end!

Anyway, apparently this is very very rare but all I know so far is that he got off the plane and his body reacted really badly to the altitude and he was rushed straight to hospital. I dont know exactly how bad it is, but he has had to have surgery and is being given lots of morphine.

I cant imagine how horrible that must be for him after all the work he put in!

What I'm wondering is... does anyone know what could have happened to him? What happens to your body when it reacts badly to altitude and what surgery would they have to have done?

Cheers

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I know that it's a reaction to the lower levels of oxygen usually, and can effect your brain or lungs (i think thats in severe cases though)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry dude, not too sure what could have happened to him.

    Hope he gets better soon though :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If anyone is interested this is what happened...

    The altitude changed the shape of his red blood cells, so his spleen didn't recognise them and it started to kill them... this caused him to become anaemic, and his spleen doubled in size.

    They had to operate and remove the spleen, which went ok and he is back in the UK now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JamesZero wrote: »
    If anyone is interested this is what happened...

    The altitude changed the shape of his red blood cells, so his spleen didn't recognise them and it started to kill them... this caused him to become anaemic, and his spleen doubled in size.

    They had to operate and remove the spleen, which went ok and he is back in the UK now.

    Bugger. He must be well gutted, espescially after spending so long training for it! Mind you, at least he's ok now and safe.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JamesZero wrote: »
    If anyone is interested this is what happened...

    The altitude changed the shape of his red blood cells, so his spleen didn't recognise them and it started to kill them... this caused him to become anaemic, and his spleen doubled in size.

    They had to operate and remove the spleen, which went ok and he is back in the UK now.

    Bugger - so he now has virtually no functioning immune system.

    Not a good situation. Still he should get a nice little card to put into his wallet informing people of this! :yeees:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JamesZero wrote: »
    If anyone is interested this is what happened...

    The altitude changed the shape of his red blood cells, so his spleen didn't recognise them and it started to kill them... this caused him to become anaemic, and his spleen doubled in size.

    They had to operate and remove the spleen, which went ok and he is back in the UK now.

    That's awful.:(
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