Carol and I on our balcony overlooking Lake Murray in Columbia, SC.
I hope that our smiles belay the great relief, excitement, and love that we share as I arrived home safely a few days ago!

It's the weekend now (Saturday morning here - June 2) and I am just starting to feel like normal again as I have had a few days to rest up, have started to eat again, and am over the fog of about a week of travel from the top of Mt. Everest to Columbia, SC. My departure from Kathmandu was on a whim as a seat on an flight suddenly became available and I took advantage of the opportunity to fly home ASAP! All worked out well as I shared the recent full moon with Carol from here on our balcony where the moon lit up the lake waters late at night and was so beautiful!

My arrival home has been greeted by many requests for interviews and potential speaking engagements of which I relish. I am excited to be able to continue to talk about the 7 Summits and of course my passion, nursing! It has been my privilege to advocate for nursing and I hope that I have been able to share with all of you that passion as I have discussed the looming shortage and what we can do to make a difference!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those that have been so kind to send well wishes, prayers, and letters of support. These messages truly helped me get to the top ... and most importantly, back down safely. I want all of you to know that your input was vital to my survival, and both Carol and I greatly appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts  :>)

*The messages being answered were all posted between 5/20-5/28.

I will return with future postings specific to my thoughts on summit day, lessons learned, etc.

AORN Friends:

Kay ... hope that you are recovering well and are relatively pain free! Many thanks for all the support and your confidence in my ability to make it to the top!

Judy ... thanks so much for your support and your passion for AORN. We need more role models as yourself to help our profession! You tire me with your unlimited energy and have no doubt that had you been there with me, you would have probably beat me to the top of Mt. Everest!

Paula ... thanks so much for the support. I hope that I have represented AORN well and look forward to opportunities in the future to speak to AORN and others about the value of perioperative nurses.

Bonnie ... what can I say other than WOW! You sure made me feel special as you sent so much information to help our bloggers, did so much great research on the climb, and threw in songs, astrological updates, and even current events! While all other climbers were twiddling their fingers I was keeping up with what was going on in the real world ... thanks to you! I definitely felt the connection and really appreciate it very much! Look forward to our lunch next month!

Rose ... thanks so much for all of your cheerleading as it made a humongous diference! See you for lunch soon! It's been nice to get know the fellow bloggers and feel like family!

Nathalie ... thanks for following along and for your continued support. I appreciate the Louisianna connection and look forward to sharing details, photos, and "tall stories". As always, "Safety First"!

Tom ... you were pretty factual with your "guestimates" of when I would summit and call home! I hit the summit at 9:30am Nepal (5/24) which was 11:45pm Columbia (5/23). Thanks for the support!

Canadian Friends:

Danny ... what can I say but THANKS SO MUCH! You did a fantastic job of moderating the site at a moments notice and took the blog to higher levels than expected with your map, and helpful resources! Look forward to your wedding next month!

Grade Six Holy Name students ... thanks for the cheers of support, I believe that I heard them all the way to the top of the world!

Debi ... thanks for mustering the support of the nurses in Texas. Look forward to seeing you in June. Give us a call when in the area!

David ... thanks for the Almonte support and hope that there will be an opportunity for me to speak at Sean's school! See you in July at Danny's wedding!

Desi ... it was great to hear from you so often and loved the hockey updates from Matt & Jenna. Glad also that they were able to follow my trip through their school environment and hopefully has sparked some interest in mountain climbing amongst the kids ... perhaps a climb on Mt. Kiliminjaro?

Kevin ... thanks for the support, and yes Sean was with me as I struggled up the mountain! Have not had any drinks in his honor yet, but plan to do so! Released his ashes on top of the world and said a special prayer for him! Look forward to seeing you guys soon!

Sherri ... thanks for the support and look forward to seeing you guys real soon!

TBarr ... thanks for the support and look forward top a great gathering at Danny's wedding!

Chris ... glad that I got to speak to your class and hope I made a difference in the lives of some of your students! Look forward to sharing with you the pics of the "Bolts" tocque on top of the world and hope it can be auctioned off to support the school! See you soon.

Julia (aka Jules) ... see you soon so we can swap travel stories!

John, Jane, & Family ... many thanks for keeping Mom and Dad informed. Look forward to seeing all of you soon!

Paddy & Family ... thanks for the support and hope to see you guys sometime soon on a future trip home to Almonte!

Mary & Dave ... thanks for the support and look forward to seeing you in July!

Kelvin ... look forward to sharing stories with you when home in July! Hope all is well at work!

Fran & Helen ... thanks for checking in on me and your words of support. See you in July!

Tony ... thanks for checking in on me and the words of encouragement! Look forward to seeing you soon!

Sue ... thanks for the constant support and hope to see you in July when home.

Morsky family ... hey guys, thanks for the best wishes! Go Sens tonight and best of luck in all that you do!

Shelagh ... thanks for sending positive thoughts and prayers!

Columbia Friends:

Deb, Kristen, & Danielle ... thanks for your support of Carol during my absence and the delivery of flowers to her on a constant basis! Glad that school is over for the girls, and look forward to those cookies!

Cathy & Kev ... thanks for the support and for your contacts with Carol while I was gone! Look forward to catching up with both of you very soon! Saw some of your artwork recently Cathy and very impressed!

Richard & Karen ... look forward to getting together with you guys for cocktails and to watch the Ottawa Senators kick some butt!

Phyllis, Amy & Ashlyn ... look forward to talking to Oak Pointe Elementary School in Irmo in the fall and to visiting with y'all sometime over the summer.

Greg & Priscilla ... thanks for the home news and keeping Carol company while I was gone. Look forward to your wedding in a few weeks!

Norm ... I hope to do a slideshow soon after my arrival home and hope you can attend. Keep in touch!

Susan ... look forward to our meeting sometime soon! Thanks for the constant support and hope I can somehow help on your travel plans!

Cathy ... nurses do rock and am glad to be a part of that movement! Am working on the book at present time and look forward to sharing with all!

Belinda ... thanks so much for all the support from the SC heart Center. I could not have done any of this trip without the support of Carol, and I truly appreciate the kind words of friends like yourself! Look forward to sharing with you the snow pictures!

Brent & Janet ... thanks for the support and keeping Carol busy while I was gone!

Rahn & Smythe ... thanks for the cheers and support! Look forward to sharing the stories and pictures!

Betty & Roy ... thanks for your support of the Summit Scholarship and for keeping Carol preoccuped while I was gone! Now it's my turn to keep her busy for awhile!

Nancy ... I took your advice and hurried home as fast as I could as I missed Carol just as much as she missed me!

Sheila ... thanks for the best wishes and prayers as they greatly helped on my descent which was the worst part of the climb!

Betsi (aka Elizabeth) ... thanks for the greetings from so far away! Hope you continue to enjoy your experience and look forward to seeing you on your return to Columbia!

Burt ... thanks for coming along for the ride, and for the words of wisdom! Hope you can attend the slideshow when I get it organized!

Susan (Dr. Renick's office) ... thanks for the prayers and glad that you came along for the journey! Thanks for helping Carol while I was gone!

Randy ... it's great to now be a member of the elite 7 Summits club! Look forward to talking at your event!

Regina ... hope you are enjoying Kiliminjaro! Call us on your return!

Lyn ... thanks for being one of those that cared enough to send prayers and well wishes! Look forward to getting together on my return!

Margie ... many thanks for keeping our team in your prayers!

Larry P ... as always, appreciated the sports updates! See you soon in Columbia!

Palmetto Health Richland Friends:

John Singerling ... thanks so much for the overwhelming support that came from PHR. It truly is a family affair  :>)

Dr. Knight ... many, many thanks for your kind words of support! I'm still working on the Stanley Cup Playoff tickets ... in exchange for a rock from the top of the world!

Dr. Reddy ... thanks for the words of support. It was a great team effort and we all made it to the top!

Sandra ... hope we can get together sometime to talk about the trip! I sure do appreciate your constant support, rallying the troops, and even checking in while on vacation! Most impressive!

Eric (Tammy, Lisa, Roger, Bill & Linda) ... many thanks for the most kind words of support. It has been a great opportunity for me to advocate for nursing and look forward to continuing the efforts! It has been wonderful to have the support of my PHR family (and AORN) and hope that I have represented them well!

Lynn, Ancha and gang ... many thanks for the well wishes from the periop pals at Baptist! Look forward to seeing y'all soon!

Minnie ... can't wait to have lunch with you and Mary! Thanks for your kind words and support!

Tim ... many thanks for the support and the abbreviated letters of praise! See you soon!

Kate ... thanks for following along and for keeping all informed! Can't wait to see you and your pregnant belly!

Amy Hill ... glad that you were able to follow the adventure and appreciate the support!

Ruthie, Ira & the Operating Room ... thanks guys so much for your support. Can'y wait to see all of you and hopefully get in a few hours of work in the OR this summer!

Rob ... you have been such a great supporter that I can't say thanks enough! It has been by my privilege to advocate for nurses and look forward to continuing to do so in whatever venue possiblle! And yes, I could not have done any of this without the support of Carol! I am very fortunate to have her as my wife!

Tom & Cindy ... thanks for the the kind words of support. Would love to get together with you guys for a meal one night to share "tall stories"!

Kelly ... thanks for the support and words of confidence! Safety on the way down was our #1 priority!

John ... thanks for the words of confidence regarding my summit! My biggest concern was the descent and glad to have that over with! Have enjoyed talking climbing with you over the years! Hope to see you soon!

Gordon ... can't wait to drop in on the OR and thank all for their support. Had a great support system from the anesthesia department and greatly appreciate it!

Dave (aka Oli) ... many thanks for the kind words! Appreciate the support system and can't wait to share the stories and pics!

Bob ... thanks for mustering the USC support and keeping the Backpacker folks informed! Look forward to coffee at PHR with you soon!

Jason ... thanks for the kind words of support which really made a great impact on my climb, and descent!

Dave & Melle ... thanks for the support. Hope we can get together sometime to have a drink and talk tall tales!

Bill B ... look forward to sharing tales over a coffee or two!

Fran ... thanks for the home support and has been my privilege to represent nursing!

Allison ... many, many thanks for your support! It was great being able to share this with you!

Rick & Carmen at the Prov ... still consider you guys as members of PHR! Thanks for your support and look forward to seeing you and sharing stories over a drink or two!

Monya ... thanks for the prayers as were greatly needed! Thanks also for sharing your NASCAR news ... hope that your little fella is decked out in Jeff Gordon attire! (my summit was on the 24th ... Jeff's number!)

USC Friends:

Dean Hewlett ... could not have done any of this without your unfailing support! I am indebted to you. Many thanks!

Judy ... thanks for the NASCAR news, and updates from USC. Look forward to a race ... or two!

Jessica ... thanks for the prayers and sharing the story of how others were aware of my climb (small world eh!). See you soon!

Mary Foster ... thanks for the kind words and the support. Can't wait to see you guys soon and do whatever I can to help the CON!

Ruth ... thanks for sharing news from home and of course your kind words of support as I try to raise more awareness of the needs for nursing education!

Liesl ... many, many thanks for all of your work on the Summit Scholarship! I appreciate the updates and the ease of contributing.

Mary ... thanks for keeping me up-to-date with happenings at USC! Look forward to getting the class information from you, and our lunch together with Minnie!

Gary ... look forward to sharing the Cocky photos and those with other university regalia! Thanks for all your help prior to the trip!

Gene ... thanks for the support and look forward to seeing all of my USC family very soon!

Ashley ... the view from the top was breathtaking!!! See you soon!

Eric ... thanks for the news updates and look forward to getting back to work soon as I miss my family at USC!

Lisa ... thanks so much for your constant support and news from home as I really enjoyed hearing what was happening at USC while I was gone! See you soon!

Ashley Wells Family ... thanks for your support of the Summit Scholarship and hope that Ashley is doing well! It has been my pleasure to advocate for nursing, and students, and am hopeful that our goal for the scholarship will soon be reached!

Ginny ... I appreciate your kind words and look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Richard ... can't wait to share the details from the trip! See you soon at Yacht Cove!

Bev ... thanks for checking in on my progress, and of course for your words of support! Look forward to the celebration at USC!

Cathy Berger ... no doubt you will do great in our program! Remember, one step at a time ... slow and easy! See you soon!

Amanda ... glad that I could be inspirational, and hope the marathoning again is not too much of a challenge! One challenge at a time, don't juggle too many balls! See you soon!

Kathy Moser ... many thanks for the prayers and support. See you soon at USC!

Ken Sallenger ... thanks for sharing the logistics (great IT support!).

Lauren ... look forward to sharing many tall stories on my return! See you soon!

Anna ... great to hear from you in the School of Public Health. Thanks for letting me know that y'all were checking in on me and appreciate the support!

Margaret ... many thanks for the tutoring support during school, and your support during my climb!

Bo McDowell ... great to hear from the Mountaineering and Whitewater Club at USC! Appreciate the good weather wishes which worked out fairly well!

Lariza ... muchas gracias por todos!

All the Others:

Gina ... best of luck in school and thanks for connecting me to other resources specific to the Summit Scholarship.

Bill & Michele ... thanks for the daily messages from Virginia. Sure look forward to visiting with you guys again soon. Many, many thanks for your participation  :>)

David (aka Demento) ... could not have done it without the knowledge that you were there for me should anything go wrong! As a fellow adventurer you know all too well the potential hazards of expeditions. Look forward to seeing you next month in Colorado.

MC ... what would I have done if I had not received a daily quote or the words of a song? Thanks so much for your wealth of information, your artistic flair, and your calming demeanor.

Ann & Graham ... thanks as always for the support from Kentucky. It was always very refreshing to hear from you each and every day!

Jill ... I regret that I did not raise a toast to all of my helpers here in cyberspace at the Rum Doodle in Kathmandu, but did acknowledge your support by toasting to all of you last night as I watched the full moon's rays light up the lake in front of my home! Thanks so much for following along ... greatly appreciated! I am sure if you ever need a great nurse ... there will be lines of those ready to take care of you!

Ron ... thanks so much for rallying the support of my friends in Corpus Christi, Texas. I truly miss my position in the Emergency Room at MMC and have only fond memories of the people and events during my ten years in Texas. I do look forward to my visit to Corpus Christi and will start to coordinate with David and all other parties. Thanks also for the NASCAR support. I have great pictures of their flag on top of the world and hope it helps create opportunities for the Summit Scholarship!

Mira ... thanks for notifying me that Nepal has changed my citizenship from Canadian/American to British? I'll start work on changing my citizenship back to what it was!

Ken (NZ) ... as always, thanks for the weather updates and all of your support! I regret that I did not get to meet Wendy and hope that you enjoy the party!

Rhonda ... I will be posting all photos on my website (www.Amercan.us) within a few weeks.

WP ... thanks as always for all the kind words of support and the constant reminders of safety!

Jean ... thanks for the great nursing support from New Hampshire! I truly appreciate you sharing with us your passion for nursing and am happy to see that we share the same concern about the looming shortage! Hopefully I can do a better job of mustering support for the cause now that I have completed the 7 Summits!

Bob & Jess, Wendy, Herwin, Lorraine, Mel, Clarky, Jodie, All At No 7 First Ave, Steve, Penny, Mat, Brian & Lorraine, Pinky, Diane, Al & Michelle, ... glad that I was able to keep you connected to Mike along the way! I regret not meeting Wendy as I left Kathmandu in such a rush, but do look forward to a trip back to New Zealand in the near future so we can meet all of Mike's family and friends! Regret that I will miss the celebratory party, but hope that someone can have a drink for me!

Donna ... thanks for the kind words from Australia. It has been a great homecoming and look forward to a long life with Carol!        

Joan & Daryl ... glad that Carol was able to visit with you last week and appreciate your email updates on your activities. It was always nice to get news of what was happening in the "real world"! Look forward to seeing you sometime soon.     

Ken Barnhart ... thanks so much for the support from my Fellows X colleague. This adventure was indeed the thrill of a lifetime (and mid-life crisis) and am hopeful that I can continue to muster support for my cause by speaking to groups about the looming nursing shortage!   

Alan ... thanks for the congrats from Colorado! It was a great climb and well organized!   

Kim & Dale ... look forward to visiting you guys in California and really appreciate your hospitality for Carol while she was there!

Andrea ... thanks for sharing the trip to the top with me ... it was GREAT!

Jen ... you have been a true cheerleader and great inspiration! I hope that you have had time to connect with Bo. Thanks so much for all your enthusiasm ... it was very contagious!

Suzanne ... I am only hopeful that I can use this experience to help others to learn how to establish goals, develop self-esteem, and of course educate many other folks on the looming nursing shortage and how to make a difference!

Paul ... hope to chat/see you while in Colorado (July 18-August 1). I ended up giving most of my older gear to sherpas and only have a few remaining items to sell on Ebay! Glad you were able to follow the climb ... look forward to sharing the stories!

Geri ... wow, what can I say but thanks so much! You made my first experience and last with American Airlines very memorable! Talk about going the extra mile ... you covered thousands! Will respond to your private email and am drafting a letter to the CEO of AA!

Kurt & the girls ... many, many thanks for your almost daily support! I truly enjoyed hearing from you and the dispatches from home. Hope that all is well there in Minnesota as the girls are no doubt out of school, and the summer heat is warming the tundra!

Cathy (CT) ... thanks for the prayers and continued support!

Kelly (Florida) ... thanks for checking in and please say hi to Alice! Many thanks for the support!

Australians - Craig & Anna, Deb (Jordan family), Roger, Gavin ... thanks so much for the support from "down-under". I have really enjoyed the myeverest site and the ability to dialogue with so many people!

Mark ... thanks for the Pennsylvania support! Will be sending the NASCAR photos on to them today and hope that it opens some opportunities for the Summit Scholarship!

Lior (Israel) ... many thanks for your contact and glad you had a great trek! Thanks for adding Israel to our map!

Liz ... many thanks for all that you have done for us! Thanks for the great NASCAR connections! I will send the NASCAR flag photos today to NASCAR and hope it will create an opportunity for more exposure to the Summit Scholarship!

Ward & Bo ... hey, thanks guys so much for your support before, during and after our summit! I hate that we were not able to all do it together, but I know that you guys were with us when we did summit ... as we were with both of you!

AONE ... how wonderful to hear from such a highly respected nursing organization (I have been a member in the past but let my membership lapse) and appreciate the support!

Conni ... many thanks for the support from Chicago!