#172 / 2011 Winter: Placitas, NM

THE BOOK COMES TOGETHER #172 Jan. 13, 2011 Well I have been lax on my reports on Beatlick Joe because I have spent the last week working 15-18 hours a day getting his book ready for a publisher. Backpack Trekker: A 60's Flashback will be uploaded to an online publisher today. It will take some time to get the first proof back, go through it and resubmit, but I am hopeful Joe will live to see his book. We saw another oncologist here in Albuquerque and with each doctor we receive less hope, less time. The Albuquerque doctor said," Without treatment, from diagnosis to death is three months." I can hardly do the math. But let it suffice to say that Joe's decline is extremely rapid. He is in hospice care and very kind and loving people have given us a real place to stay in Albuquerque until he needs to go to a hospice facility or dies in his bed. I don't knowl. That's harsh, but I have been stripped of any hope for quality time here at the end. We have had our last hike unless I push him in a wheelchair. I can't even hug him anymore because it is too painful for him, never make love again, never... never. For those of you in Las Cruces I believe there will be a story on us next Monday in the Sun-News daily newspaper. We will be a feature along with the story of Wayne Crawford and his alternative struggle against pancreatic cancer. We are meeting Joe's permanent nurse today at four. It is a man. Joe did get to have one beautiful nurse give him a bath this week and she tried to shave him but he was full of scratches when she got through. He can't tolerate many cuts because he takes a blood thinner, that mercifully is down to one shot a day instead of two. People ask me what will I do, where will I go. I guess I'll go see my friend Josie Kuhn in Zjuatenejo Mexico, I can't spell it, when it's all over. Friends and family members of Joe's whom I don't know have been coming out of the woodwork to help us. There will be a hat passed for Joe on the 27th at The Source monthly poetry reading. Many people want to send us something to defray costs. Anyone who is moved to do that can send a check to Joe at: Beatlick Joe Speer c/o Malpais Review PO Box 339 Placitas, NM 87043 That would be a good place to send a card as well until I can send out our new address in Albuqerque. We have made a permanent move here for the duration. Anything mailed to Las Cruces we will have to have forwarded by our mail service. This isn't cheerful or optomistic. I didn't know what to expect and I haven't expected things to go downhill so rapidly. Joe's new nurse is bringing out morphine medication, saying that will help his breathing and perhaps he can gain some semblance of energy. He can not sit up for over an hour without exhausting himself. There will alos be an interview with Joe in Gary Brower's next book, the Malpais review. So many people are coming together to honor Joe, I know how loved he is. I am the lucky woman who got to live with him for 22 years. Love you all for your concern Beatlick Pamela