End of the 2009 field season and Tom’s health
August 8, 2009
All,
Just to bring you up to date. while working in the bristlecones in the Whites this summer I was able to get into the field and work at least four times but in three of those times I required assistance in bringing my pack out of the field. Some of the crew (Annita and Fran) observed that my breathing was shallow and rapid so they persuaded me to go to the emergency room in Bishop. The usual many hours later I was diagnosed as having pneumonia, an enlarged liver and spleen, and (the probable cause of all this) an elevated white blood cell count. This would be due to the lymphoma that I have known about for years and for which I have been resisting chemotherapy. Orders were given that I was not to go back to camp or any other high altitude area unless we were passing rapidly through as in a car through a pass. Also no airplane rides and to get myself back to Tucson and see my regular doctors.
Thanks to Greg and Fran who closed down camp and beyond the call of duty drove to Reno to pick up my son, Thomas, who flew down from Portland, and drove him back to Bishop so he could drive Annita and I home. A long days drive for Greg and Fran.
We got back to Tucson last night, spent the night in a hotel nearby so as to let the fumigation fumes dissipate and back into the house today. Fumigation was necessary as assassin bugs had been eating on Annita before we left and also on Jon Earl who house sat for us.
On a cheerier notes, the second piece I picked up this summer was an 8,300+ year old sample and on the next to the last day another probable 8,500+ year old specimen was found by Greg and Fran. Lots of additional samples were collected so I will have plenty of work to do this winter. (Jeane, your little vial of sawdust is from the over-8,300 year old sample).
Once more my thanks to all of the crew who came this summer, especially Greg and Fran who not only collected the majority of samples but carried my pack out of the field several times as well as Fran trying to keep me healthy. For those of you who do not know Fran, she is a veterinarian. Iain Robertson who carried my pack and helped in so many other ways and who’s brain is always working as well as being an all around good guy.
By this Wednesday I will have seen both my regular doctor and my oncologist. Maybe more information will be available then.
All in all, an interesting end to the first ten years of the project.
My love to all of you
Tom Harlan
Posted in BCP
