A Polish woman performs work that is almost impossible for everyone. She reveals the behind-the-scenes details.

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It begins with a headache that intensifies with each step. Breathing becomes increasingly difficult and shallow. Nausea sets in, and my mind feels foggy. The situation is spiraling out of control…

Altitude sickness, which results in cerebral or pulmonary edema, is just one of many situations in which medical intervention may be necessary in high mountains. Here, a doctor must be prepared for absolutely anything.

"On the one hand, these are events that may be caused by our altitude, and on the other, they are events that could occur under standard circumstances at home or at work. When a life-threatening situation arises, I must be able to maintain life, manage the patient as if they were in intensive care, meaning I'm talking about supporting their breathing, heart rate, and circulatory system. That's basically all of medicine, and then there are the complications related to where we are," we hear from Patrycja Jonetzko.

Jonetzko specializes in cardiac anesthesia, intensive care, and the transport of critically ill patients, so working in extreme conditions, where a person's fate is decided in fractions of a second, is no stranger to her. It happens, quite often, that she swaps the white of hospital walls for the light emanating from the world's highest mountains.

"Privately, I'm a huge skiing enthusiast. I have an apartment in the French Alps, where I spend the entire winter season. I enjoy ski touring and ski mountaineering. I've always had a passion for the mountains, and I started combining this passion with medicine in 2006, when I ran a rescue station at an altitude of 4,600 meters. High-altitude medicine is a very limited field, because it's knowledge that can't be acquired in courses; you have to experience it yourself. There are very few centers in the world that offer this," she says.

Through years of training, but especially practice, she has become one of the world's most distinguished high-altitude physicians. She served at the Mount Everest base camp during Martyna Wojciechowska's expedition and participated in numerous ascents, including Broad Peak and K2. In recent years, she has spent more time at lower altitudes due to her children, but now she's returning to participate in Andrzej Bargiel's next major expedition.

The Pole is once again taking on the challenge of conquering the world's highest mountain and then descending it on skis. Without the use of supplemental oxygen, of course. "Jędrek and I also know each other personally. I was close to Fredrik Ericsson, who died in 2010 on K2 while attempting to ski down. He was a great inspiration to Jędrek, the person who made him realize that such descents were even possible. I've been involved with this whole group ever since," she says.

“What was the most extreme situation you faced in the mountains?” we ask, and the answer comes even before the question is finished.

- Death.

"In my experience so far, these kinds of situations have been the worst. In such serious accidents, despite being 100% prepared, I'm unable to do anything. I don't even have the ability to intervene, and that's very difficult for me. That's what happened in 2010, when despite very good preparation, we had no chance to react at all," we hear.

Ericsson died instantly. He slipped while securing the rope and lost his balance. He fell approximately 1,000 meters.

Most stories, however, have a positive ending. Thanks to emergency aid and subsequent evacuation, many climbers managed to save their health or even their lives. — I have plenty of evacuation stories. In baskets, on mules, in a wheelbarrow, by helicopter, or simply on someone's back. These are often situations in which someone has or potentially could have suffered a serious neurological injury or was at risk of death from other causes, but ultimately it was prevented, says the doctor.

"A major challenge associated with working not only at heights, but also during expeditions to remote regions of the world, is isolation and lack of medical support. Working in a hospital, you don't make many decisions on your own. Here, you have to be mentally prepared for this eventuality," he explains.

Jonetzko repeatedly emphasizes that altitude medicine training is paramount for her on these types of expeditions. As the only doctor covering such a large area and a diverse group of participants, she can't be everywhere she might be needed.

"That's why it's so important that the participants who travel with me are competent and able to perform certain actions, administer appropriate medications, or simply know what equipment to use in a given situation, through radio consultation or even by themselves. Training like this is the most important thing for me, right next to medical support in the form of equipment and medications," he says.

Andrzej Bargiel has benefited from the experience he gained from such training more than once. "These medical training courses are advanced. We have a well-stocked first aid kit, practically a mini-hospital. The medications are labeled, and the ailments they treat are listed in two languages, so if something happens to you, someone else can help you, or vice versa. Most often, we are the healers of the surroundings, as there's no access to healthcare there. Now we take a doctor with us, which certainly increases the comfort of the entire team," we hear from an accomplished skier.

What if there's no doctor? "If you have the expertise, it falls to you. The person with the most qualifications and experience in such areas always takes command. These include situations like altitude sickness, dexamethasone injections, treating frostbitten patients, and administering oxygen. Sometimes you also have to organize a rescue operation," Bargiel continues.

Jonetzko emphasizes that this was the first time she had an unlimited budget when assembling a first aid kit. "I'm very grateful to our sponsors, because the order was like Christmas! We really have excellent equipment. We have one main first aid kit at base camp, another at camp two, and everyone has their own. Medical equipment is constantly improving, and I'm glad we're taking advantage of it. Currently, you can access certain features via iPhone, for example. I didn't have to compromise, and it was very convenient for me," she emphasizes.

When we ask about a less obvious piece of equipment, he points to Duct Tape, a strong, gray self-adhesive tape. "It's useful for everything, it serves a wide variety of purposes; everyone always carries it with them in the mountains," he says.

He also mentions sleep and sleep apnea monitors as a curiosity. "This is very interesting because the quality of sleep at altitude is usually worse than at home, and this will allow us to better objectify how expedition participants adapt to the altitude," we are told.

Jonetzko admits that her attitude toward risk changed after having children. She hasn't avoided dangerous situations in her career, including on K2, where she was nearly swallowed by an avalanche. Although she has a passion for the mountains, the priorities are clear on these types of expeditions.

"When I go on an expedition as a doctor, I never aim to reach the summit. I fully concentrate on helping the team. That's what's most important to me. I try to stay as safe as possible, because my health is very important to the entire team. On the other hand, sometimes it's like being in a hospital—your needs take a backseat, so I'm glad we have people with us on this expedition who will also ensure safety. I will follow their recommendations," we hear.

"You have to come to terms with the fact that something can happen, but my daily work also takes place in this reality, and I have to act without emotion, because only then can I do my job well. Of course, these emotions can return later, but at the moment you have to focus on resolving the situation you find yourself in. That's why I think we anesthesiologists, emergency medicine specialists, and intensive care specialists find ourselves in this because we feel very comfortable in a crisis," explains the doctor.