Update on Tom’s health and the 2011 field season

February 25, 2011

The loud silence you have had from me for the past two months  or
so is due to my spending six weeks in hospitals with pneumonia.  They
are unable to determine what caused the pneumonia and have been
running all sorts of test , all of which come back negative.

When you lie in a hospital bed for six weeks you lose a lot of
coordination in the legs and in balance.  As a result I am going
through physical therapy to learn to walk properly again.  I am not
allowed to drive a car as yet but that will come.

My hope is to get enough coordination and strength back so as to
return to the Whites this summer.  Bear in mind that at this point I
do not have the money or the collecting permit that would allow me to
do so.  Hope springs eternal.

I lost over fifty pounds in the six weeks, I do not recommend
this as a diet plan.  I am slowly gaining it back and I also grew a
beard.  I put it to a vote by my grandchildren as to shaving it off or
keeping it and they said to keep it so I look different than when you
last saw me.

If I am unable to return to the Whites this summer I want to
express my gratitude to all of you who volunteered to walk the ground
collecting samples for me, taking GPS records, taking digital photos.
etc.  This project would not have worked without you.  Hopefully I
will be putting you to work again but we will see..
The other item of interest is that today is the first day my mind
is not in a fog but I am alert again.  Progress!

My love to you all
Tom Harlan

Posted in BCP