From undiagnosed to climbing Mt. Everest!

[Cindy]

I leave April 1st and will be gone 68 days to climb Everest. I can tell you how excited I am but it will be very difficult to be apart from my family for so long: not to mention climbing Mt. Everest.

I am doing well and training strong but my joints do bother me. During the climb I will be taking Napoxen which has worked in the past.

Two more articles are coming out in the next few days. AND I think I have found a great fund-raising method that the Vasculitis Foundation can set-up: It is similar to what the Red Cross is doing for Haiti: text in your donation! However, the set-up cost is $500 to the VF and they cannot afford that nor I (I still have a huge deposit due in a few days and more equipment to buy). If anyone knows of someone who might donation the set-up cost to the VF foundation let me know and I can put them in contact with the person (and it should be a tax deductible donation - I will check on that).

[Sangye]

Cindy, be careful with Naproxen. Only take it with large amount of food. It can permanently destroy the stomach and GI lining. If you have the slightest pain after taking it, please don't take more. I had a friend who took it years ago and developed stomach pain. Her doctors ignored her and said to keep taking it. She did such severe GI damage that many years later she still can't even take an aspirin.

[Cindy]

Thanks for the info. My doctor has already told me about this and I only take it when climbing and with lots of food.

[Cindy]

I keep trying to get the word out.

Here is the link for the Guideposts story

http://guideposts.com/story/climb-everest-rare-diseases

[Doug]

I keep trying to get the word out.

Here is the link for the Guideposts story

http://www.guideposts.com/story/climb-everest-rare-diseases

http://guideposts.com/story/climb-everest-rare-disease Cindy's is link has a small error! This will get you there.

(Sorry Cindy! I guessed right on it, and I was pleased to get the story.)

[Cindy]

Thanks Doug, I corrected it. I have another story coming out on the front page of the Orange County Register on Tuesday. I just hope they wrote it correctly - it is so scary not to have editing rights.

[Cindy]

OK this just came out and I have to say that I am not happy with the way it was presented! Please do not think I did this - my blog represents how I discuss this issue. I am saddened by this - I am trying to get attention but can not control how the story is wrote

She has to climb Mount Everest fast - Life - The Orange County Register

[elephant]

Cindy the article wasn't that bad. You are still getting the word out about WG disease. I think it's fabulous that you are doing this climb!

[JanW]

I agree Cindy. I'm a journalist and I can't believe (ok, yes I can), that the reporter would get it so wrong for the sake of drama. They really make it sound like all of us are living on borrowed time and that WG is going to get us sooner, rather than later.

[Cindy]

Thanks: I am so upset. I just got off the phone with the report and had a few things changed on the on-line version but I have not read it again today - too upsetting. Have to go to work now. Thanks for understanding!