Aircraft and snow crawlers must use pre-heating equipment to keep their engines from freezing in the brutal weather. Cornelissen said Dr. Shemenski treated him for a mild case of frostbite and an infected wound on his leg when he arrived at the pole. During their time at the polar research station, the crew becomes close-knit, almost a family, he said. I think the people at the station will miss a very warm person. The plane will drop off a replacement physician, Dr. Betty Carlisle, who has previous experience at the South Pole.
Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed.
The pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach, secretes digestive enzymes that are used in the small intestine to help digest food. It also releases the hormones insulin and glucagon, which are involved in breaking down sugar. Many cases of acute pancreatitis are caused by gallstones. Shemenski was stricken when a gallstone blocked a duct between the pancreas and gall bladder. An AOL Time Warner Company.