(AP) ATLANTA, GA - The continuing illness of an archaeologist who was flown back
to the U.S. earlier this week continues to puzzle doctors and other medical
specialists. Dr. Haywood Kyle of the University of Arizona, one of the
principle scientists on the Joint Andean Cultural Archaeology Survey
Expedition, became suddenly ill early on the morning of August 7th, and
apparently lapsed into a coma. He and the rest of the expedition were
immediately flown back to the U.S. from southern Peru.
Dr. Kyle's apparent illness is, however, proving seemingly impossible to
diagnose. None of the medical team examining him have been able to identify
any recognizable disease process, either in the form of a pathogenic
organism or a toxin. "Baffling, simply baffling!" was pathologist Dr. Harold
Potter's summation, an opinion seemingly echoed by every medical specialist
who has seen Dr. Kyle.
Dr. Alyna Thorkind, a neurophysiologist and psychiatrist called in to assist
on the case, stated, "We're really in a quandry on this, as we've exhausted
just about every avenue we can think of that would explain Dr. Kyle's
condition. He just doesn't fit any known pattern of physical ailment, so
right now we're having to go on the assumption that this might be something
psychological in nature. The problem with that, of course, is we'll have a
heck of a time doing anything about it if we can't get him back to
consciousness."
Dr. Thorkind then added, "The strangest aspect of Dr. Kyle's case is the
state of his brain activity. If I didn't know better, based on these
brainwaves I'd normally say he was asleep and dreaming: he reads like he's
in normal REM sleep, the stage of sleep where we have dreams! Except of
course for the fact that nothing we've tried has caused him to wake up!"
None of the other expedition members have shown any signs of illness, and it
is expected that they will be released to return to their homes by Sunday at
the latest. Most of them, while expressing concern over Dr. Kyle's
condition, have stated that they hope to resume the expedition at the
earliest opportunity.
