Blog
Here you’ll find our blog posts, listed by main category. To receive posts by email as they appear, sign up for updates on the homepage!
COVID-19 Recovery: Jeff Sweat Sings for his Voice
You may remember that back in February of 2021, we did two posts on Jeff Sweat, a writer in Los Angeles who, although his entire family caught COVID, was the only one to be hospitalized. Jeff was healthy with no underlying medical conditions at the time but he spent 28 days in the ICU. Jeff was intubated and had a tracheotomy, where an opening is placed in the neck for an airway. These procedures, along with the harm that COVID did to his body, gave Jeff great difficulty with his voice when he was released from the hospital.
How a Social Worker Reclaimed Herself Through Nature During the Pandemic
Tamar Izcovich is a clinical social worker with a private practice in NYC. She is an avid hiker and is always up for an adventure outdoors. Here she shares her personal story of how being in nature helped her reclaim part of herself during the pandemic. She also discusses some of the science of how nature strengthens our mental health. Also check out Tamar’s previous post, “Traveling Solo: Lessons Learned From Loose Rocks in the Himalayas.”
Jeff Sweat's COVID-19 Journey: An Update
As you may know, all of us at Musa Masala have been following the journey of author, Jeff Sweat, as he's battled severe COVID-19 and its aftereffects. We are so happy that Jeff is now back home and improving every day.
Jeff's first-person story is so well told, as were tellings by his wife, Sunny, who stood in when Jeff wasn't yet conscious. Through a writer's view, he's giving us such a tangible, vivid feel for what he and his family have been going through.
Battling COVID-19 in a Hospital: Author Jeff Sweat's Story
Jeff Sweat is a Los Angeles-based writer and author with a rich background in journalism and marketing. He’s also funny—very funny—and a loving father, partner, and friend to many. Until a few weeks ago, he was also healthy and active, as well as caring enough to take recommended precautions to avoid catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus.
As he wrote in a Facebook post on January 31st, he and his family had been “insanely careful,” venturing only to two stores and consistently wearing a mask around non-family members before his COVID symptoms appeared.
Hiking Tips for Newcomers by Suzanne Cheree Ellis, NREMT-P
Have you ever gotten the itch to just get out there and head into the wilds, and when you arrived had an “oh no” moment? Suzanne Cheree Ellis, the creator of the Ellis Collapsable Isolation Box, is a Paramedic in Texas. Suzanne is here to tell us about her recent family adventure. She is starting off a new series of informative posts with two main themes: beginners’ outdoors tips and safely managing outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize social distancing is often the goal of outdoor adventuring, so let’s do it safely while we explore and have fun. Thanks Suzanne, so glad you made it back to us!!
COVID-19 in Nepal
We had our first Musa Masala group Zoom call last week, and it was so wonderful for everyone to get together, even if just through the screens. We were all supposed to be in Nepal at the hospital on October 4th for the opening of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital, then our Climbing Competition in Kathmandu followed by the first Musa trek in the Mardi Himal. But a few things have changed (COVID-19), so we took time to talk about the current situation in Nepal. We will share part of that with you here and in the next few weeks share our conversations on the opening of a road to Lukla, wow! And we will fill you in on the situation with the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital.
Heat Illness: How to Prevent and Treat It
Musa Masala is happy to introduce Dr. Stephen Simon. Stephen is joining us as we launch our latest aid in our educational library. Here is the Musa Masala Heat Illness Card! As I write this it is 112 degrees F. outside, so what appropriate timing.
Nepal and COVID-19: Food Distribution with Wongchhu Peak Promotion
Unlike the worsening situation in the United States, Nepal has taken a different approach to COVID-19. The central government put a total lockdown of the country in place on March 24th. Although it resulted in the closing of the spring climbing and trekking season and caused terrible economic damage to the population, Nepal was able, with physical distancing and the wearing of masks, to keep the number of infections down in the country. As of July 26, there are 18,483 confirmed cases, and sadly, 44 deaths.
Buffology: Practical Uses for Buffs
Musa Masala would like to thank Douglas Burns for this awesome post on the humble buff. Often used to save voices and throats at Everest Base Camp, buffs have been proving themselves in the mountains for years. (The recycling of moist, humidified air from your lungs helps stave off the dreaded Khumbu cough.) Doug is going to tell you about many other uses and we included a handy chart so you can play with yours to create your own unique look.
A Nurse's View: Life in the ER During COVID-19
Travel nurse Linda Andrus is back on a plane on her way to the East Coast to work in another ER dealing with COVID-19. She graciously took some of her only free time to write down about her experiences at the outset of the virus in California. Linda has a written a stunning piece on what it was like in the first few weeks as her workplace came to grips with COVID-19. This is personal and tough read.
MacGyver EMS in the Time Of COVID-19: The Ellis Collapsible Isolation Box
Our world is rapidly changing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many medical workers are thinking outside-of-the-box in order to help patients. Here is a story about one of our team members who took that box and made it her own.
Suzanne Cheree Ellis is a paramedic and one of our frontline workers responding to the coronavirus crisis. Suzanne created a removable, mobile isolation box that can fit on a standard ambulance gurney. She remarked that after taking a class on Medical MacGyvering from fellow Musa, Dr. Tatiana Havryliuk, at a Wilderness Medical Society Conference, she felt inspired. Suzanne is also an amazing artist. We have sold many of her beautiful works to raise money for the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital. Jam Jam!! Suzanne, great job to you and everyone at Marble Falls Area EMS.
Staying Safe and Sane: COVID-19 Tips from Dr. Paul Auerbach
The COVID -19 pandemic has changed our lives so quickly. We want to be able to provide help as we all navigate this crisis. As we continue to provide updates from our members working in hospitals, we came across an article on The Doctor Weighs In by our friend Dr. Paul Auerbach that does a great service by providing important information, additional resources and useful tips on getting through this together.Paul is on the planning committee for the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital and a founding member of the Wilderness Medical Society. He's also the author of numerous books, including Enviromedics: The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health,Auerbach's Wilderness Medicine and Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine.
COVID-19: Report from the Frontlines
Musa Masala began with the idea of a group of medical professionals getting together with a group of climbing and trekking guides to make educational materials to help people stay safe in the outdoors. Today with COVID-19 infecting people around the world we seem to be in the middle of it. Our guides are all out of work with the closure of the spring climbing and trekking season in Nepal and our medical crew find themselves staring into the unknown with a tsunami of illness coming their way. We will be sharing with you our eyewitness stories from our members who are now doing everything they can to protect the public, while trying not to infect themselves, their families and loved ones. It is exhausting and it is scary. Tatiana Havryliuk is an emergency physician in NYC and one of the founders of Musa Masala.