I’m already operated for appendicitis as a precautionary measure to avoid an extreme risk in both the South Pole expedition and in other possible adventures to face in the future.

On Monday at 6 pm I was operated in the Hospital General of Vic, and on Tuesday at the same time they sent me home. Everything was perfect. The doctor, the anesthesiologist and nurses at the hospital, were all very friendly, efficient and comprehensive to my situation (completely healthy patient), and the reasons of my decision. Sincere thanks to all them.

Now a few days of active rest with caution, and soon come back to normal life.  I still must wait 10 days to start training again.

The truth is that when they took me on a stretcher to the operating room, and I was there with the entire medical team and the anesthesiologist in the foreground, I thought I was crazy to be in such a situation for entirely voluntary reasons.  But now it is done, I’m very happy.  I thought about it for a long time in order to avoid the risk which has led to very severe problems and even death to some alpinists and extreme activities practitioners, and I have the feeling of having done their homework to face the great challenge I have ahead.

Being physically prepared when a project involves effort and risk, is not only training, but also to prepare the body to meet the extreme conditions to be found, and not to give any kind of problem that in such a remote environment could become serious.

Obviously it would have been much easier not to operate myself. But we rarely can achieve really interesting goals in life based only on criteria of comfort an easy decisions.

So: Good bye appendix … now I can have a lot of problems in the South Pole or some other remote places, but at least it’s sure I will not die from an appendicitis.