Will Cross Off to Nepal to Climb Another of the World's Tallest Peaks

Sure, we've all heard about Team Type 1, and the media loves to depict them as the poster children for what people with diabetes should be. But to some extent, there is also a backlash, too. There are legitimate critics who claim that they are being exploited by the media and by drug and medical device companies looking to position their insulin or insulin pumps as somehow "enabling" their adventures, when the real enabler is their youth and motivation, not diabetes or their endorsed products.

No doubt, the members of Team Type 1 disagree, but to some extent, when you use the media to call attention to your accomplishments, you also have to take the criticisms, too.

But another adventurer is not quite the picture of youth, at 40 years old, and to a large extent, has shunned the spotlight (except in his hometown of Pittsburgh). This morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette features a story on the middle-aged (and perhaps, more modest) version of Phil Southerland: Will Cross.

Will Cross has largely avoided the spotlight, yet climbed Mt. Everest, becoming the first person with type 1 diabetes ever to do so. His next adventure, climbing the peak of Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain, is slightly more modest, but is nevertheless inspiring. Although 1,095 feet shorter than Everest, Lhotse is steeper and requires more technical climbing ability.

Cross does not officially endorse a particular brand of insulin (although he receives sponsorship from Novo Nordisk and Johnson & Johnson/Animas -- Novo has a website called Peaks and Poles with more information) or insulin pump, and his website offers some suggestions for others who might consider similar adventures which were quite interesting:

Field Diabetes Care

Insulin storage - wrap the bottles or delivery devices in aluminum foil and mark using sports tape. This will insulate and protect the insulin from a hard knock. Use a small coffee thermos to protect from the heat or the cold.

Foot care - inspect feet daily and use a foot powder recommended by your MD. Clean socks are imperative. Clean your nails and between the toes with the alcohol swab used for injections.

Eye care - wear good shades; spend the money to protect those retinas.

Skin care - take some good body lotion if prone to dry skin so as to avoid cracked skin and infections. Use an spf 30 with UV A and B protection when on water, snow or in the mountains.

Hypoglycemia - energy gels such as PowerGel, Gu, or Cliff Shots offer a predictable amount of carbs in a fast absorbing form and easy to carry packet.

Hyperglycemia - drink fluids to flush out the sugar and ketones. This will require extra cooking fuel so plan ahead. You may have to delay your start time so as not to stress the body while high.

Partner - have a good one who is informed about your diabetes and how to treat and recognize highs and lows. Do not go solo. Have them carry the gels too.

Travel - when international, have an MD note in the local language that explains why you have needles, strips, a blood meter and so on. Most language teachers and some computer programs can translate for you. Do not place your meds in the cargo hold of a plane as they will freeze. Instead, split your load in half and have your partner take some and you the rest. If a bag is then lost or stolen you still have meds. Take extra scripts in the event that everything is lost, delayed or stolen. Consider wearing a Med Alert bracelet or necklace with internationally recognized Med Alert sign and contact info. If you pass out, this will be the only clue for an unsuspecting helper.

Blood testing - test early and often when in a new environment, time zone or activity. Write down the results, record the new diet and notice trends so that you can function at your best. In the cold, protect the strips and device deep in your sleeping bag and warm it up under your arms when ready to test. Bring a back up device.

The story from this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette can be read below:



Adventurer with diabetes prepares for another mountain climb
Monday, March 31, 2008
By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tomorrow, a Pittsburgh adventurer with type 1 diabetes will embark on his next challenge: scaling Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain.

Will Cross, 40, already has trekked to the North and South poles and climbed the highest peaks on the seven continents, including Mount Everest. He's the first person with type 1 diabetes to accomplish such feats.

A professional adventurer, he receives financial sponsorships from companies involved with diabetes care, including insulin producer Novo Nordisk Inc., and Animas Corp., which produces insulin pumps, along with Kobold Watches of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Diabetes Institute also have studied Mr. Cross, who has shown no adverse health reactions to his expeditions. He's proven that being fit and prepared, along with maintaining good blood sugar levels, eating the right diet, and protecting his medications and diabetes gear, are necessary in high-risk adventures.

He also does motivational speeches on living with diabetes and refusing to let the disease undermine one's goals. His website is www.willcrossmotivates.com.

Once he arrives in Katmandu, Nepal, he'll spend weeks preparing for the trek, hiking and acclimating his body at high altitudes, before he attempts the weeklong Lhotse climb in May, when weather and wind conditions provide a brief window of opportunity for climbing.

An unexpected challenge may arise from climbing restrictions enacted through May 10 as part of China's effort to avoid "Free Tibet" protests when it sends climbers bearing the Olympic torch to the summit of Everest from the Tibetan side as a prelude to hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Because Lhotse, which is on the border of Nepal and Tibet, shares some climbing camps with Mount Everest, its climbers could be affected.

If that happens, Mr. Cross said he'll turn his attention to climbing another Himalayan peak.

It took him three attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest, finally accomplishing that feat on May 23, 2006.

His current goal is the Giant Mountain Challenge, which involves scaling six Himalayan peaks higher than 26,000 feet, the first of which is Lhotse.

His first attempt at Lhotse last year ended about 1,000 feet short of the 27,940-foot summit -- or 5.4 miles high. He turned back because of unfavorable weather and snow conditions.

"My job is to manage risk and assess it accurately," Mr. Cross said. "Last year, I assessed the snow, and it was not the right consistency. It didn't feel right.

"It's tempting, when you put two months and the money into a climb, to go for it, but then you're not managing the risk but ignoring it," he said. "That's when you get into trouble. It's like a drunk driver getting into a car and turning on the ignition."

Although 1,095 feet shorter than Everest, Lhotse is steeper and requires more technical climbing ability.

"As with Everest, you don't get to make mistakes," Mr. Cross said. "You have to know when to go home."

That's particularly important for Mr. Cross, who has a wife, Amy, and six children ranging in age from 3 to 17 -- or as he puts it, "from Huggies to hormones."

Once in Katmandu, he'll trek for 10 days, going from elevations of 9,000 to 17,000 feet. He'll make partial climbs to acclimate his body to thin air and the weaker gravity, then return to base camp.

Once he's acclimated and conditions are right, he'll begin the main climb. His diabetes adds to the considerable challenges.

Type 1 occurs when an autoimmune response damages or destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Without enough insulin, which allows blood glucose to enter cells, blood sugar levels rise to dangerous and eventually deadly levels.

Controlling one's blood sugar is a daily challenge for anyone with type 1, let alone one who climbs mountains. A too-high insulin dose causes blood sugar levels to dip to dangerous levels, causing one to lose coordination and ability to think coherently. Known as hypoglycemia, low blood sugar can lead to unconsciousness and death.

Mr. Cross also must wrap insulin supplies in aluminum foil and athletic tape for storage in a thermos to prevent freezing. With temperatures dipping as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, he must sleep with his insulin to keep it warm.

While climbing, he's unable to test his sugar, so he takes glucose gel throughout the day to maintain a healthy level and generally "grazes" all day long on cheeses, dry meats, chocolates and high-calorie fatty foods to maximize calories and counter the cold weather.

The diet goes counter to general recommendations for people with diabetes who typically are advised to eat foods low in sugar, carbohydrates and fats.

Even though he eats fewer calories during a climb, he still takes extra insulin because stress and environmental conditions cause blood sugar levels to rise. He said his appetite drops during a climb, adding another uncertainty.

"I always have to have food on my person," he said, noting the importance of drinking lots of water. "The big thing is anticipating my [blood sugar] lows. I cannot afford not to be functional."

Mr. Cross said the Lhotse climb is important to his continuing effort to demonstrate that diabetes, when properly managed, doesn't have to block one's goals.

David Templeton can be reached at dtempleton@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1578.

URL for this article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08091/869274-114.stm?cmpid=healthscience.xml