Mike Glassow Updates

  We will be honoring Mike at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum We want to have a bench dedicated to Mike at the musuem! You can join in the contribution.... https://www.pledge.to/crowdfunding/34zXky95NExgmDA2

Travels with Mike.... France 2011 Japan 2016 Ireland 2019 Guyana 2022 Santa Barbara 2025

John and I have set up all the edits for the book and see that the pdf has 288 comments.  We are now awaiting the next version...  a long wait?  

How fortunate Mike and I were to have such an amazing support team! These dependable, resourceful, and sincere individuals cared for Mike, the household, and the dynamics of our lives that were ever changing in light of Mike's needs.  Their concern for timeliness, their assistance, and their reliability are so appreciated that no words can fully express our respect and esteem.  Mike's progress through the 8.5 weeks of daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy in fall 2024 was rough. He maintained a good attitude, but had to give in to slow changes. No driving, no walks alone, and lots of naps.  Initially, life at home was manageable, yet he was not showing improvement.  We would arise and eat together, share walks, and have dinner in a way that was comparable to our long-held patterns. Yet, frequent trips to emergency followed by stays in the hospital accumulated and took a toll.   I was unsure how to cope, and at the outset felt helpless.  It came ...

When Mike and I began to look at our life plans, we determined that we wished to make our end useful and selected the UCLA Donate d program.   We found that most prominent medical schools have a donated body program. We filled out the forms and were accepted into the program. This is distinct from donating body parts, as you might check on your driver's license.  In fact, that is not allowed as the whole body is the donation. When we did this, my mother agreed, and she applied and was accepted.  When she left us, she went to  UCLA. The  process was straightforward.    For both Margie and Mike, a call to the UCLA program was made, and they dispatched the team to recover the donated body.  For Mike, this turned out to take a long time, and it was well after midnight when they arrived.  The program is very sensitive, and annually,   first-year medical students at the David Geffen School of Medicine stage an event of gratitude for the ...

  I wanted to provide some information on the procedure that Mike selected in his final days. It was a process, not simple, and had many suspenseful moments. While laws differ from state to state, patients must be adults, have a terminal prognosis, be mentally capable, and be able to self-administer the medication. The critical component  is to be able to understand and ingest the potion on one's own.  This means being conscious and being able to swallow.   I learned, as I proceeded to meet Mike's wishes, that this undertaking is ordinarily planned over weeks, if not months. We accomplished the operation in 10 days from the moment he expressed his wish on 7th December.  We were guided by the hospice team that took us through the steps.  We had to secure 2 doctors who would interview and confirm Mike's position and condition.  This was not easy.  After some challenges, Dr. Stoehr...

 We had a recent tradition to be in Wrightwood for my birthday on the 22nd.  We would go up on the 18th and stay until the 25th, when we would join our family in Glendale.   Over the past dozen years, we would invite our local friends, who would include the village, the near transition habitat of the upper Antalope Valley, and Dave Earl from the Palmdarte area.  We would have an open house and a festive, warm setting, often with snow! Here is a funny selfie (I'm never good at this) showing the snow on my birthday in 2023, the last time we were in WW for the occasion. Our main room in its welcome splendor  The first week of December, Mike said that he would not be able to be in Wrightwood for my birthday.  I could understand that the Thanksgiving living trip was not so easy, though enjoyable. He was more exhausted than he had been and was not walking much. Had we gone up to our cabin, it would have resulted in great difficulties.  The main Highway ...

 Mike's brother Jonathan and his family visited -- we had a nice lunch and walked to town to visit the Art Museum.  This was without Mike.

 How many times have we sat across from each other, sharing the morning paper, discussing our day's plans.  Now it is empty yet my heart is full of our love.

 This day began with suspense.  We did not knwo when the potion would be ready, as it is a mixture with many strictly controlled components.  The Palliative Care nurse, Rebecca, of the cancer center said she would call to get a more precise time.  Mike and I were having our last breakfast when she called to say it would be ready before 2pm.   I worked hard not to whimper, sollozar in Spanish.  Mike sees me as strong and capable and I should not cry.  It is so hard.   Between Mike's rests and my reading, we talked about our travels and experiences together that Maria could gather in some of our adventures in SE Alaska, Mexico, Ireland, Lebanon, Rome, and at home and on the islands.  He finally asked for silence, the very poem of Pablo Neruda that I feel is part of our lives. At 1:30, I got the pharmacy call.  From that point, the tension rose.  I drove to get the potion and back after 2.  At 2:15 he took his first pills to ...

 Mike was up to have breakfast together.  We were able to share thoughts and discuss things before I went out to campus to take care of hte loose ends there. Maria, who arrived at 8AM, helped prepare breakfast.  He takes the minimum of his meds, and we made his favorite veggie sausage patty.   Mike was animated and attentive as we both see the close of our life together.  He has had his lifelong companion to the end of his life.  I will have to cherish the time we had together. When I got back from campus, Mike was very sleepy and took the afternoon quietly.  He requested that I find out what is happening at the pharmacy that will prepare the potion for him. He is concerned that they have not communicated with us.   The call turned out to be complicated; ultimately, they were able to say that by early afternoon, they will have the preparation ready and will call.  There is a procedure and I now have the plan that includes 2 pre...

Instructed to drink a lot to stay hydrated in these last days and to make an effort to eat something, he has been awake between his naps and rests.  He is remarkably present, and he says he does not suffer pain.  His main frustration is the weakness that leaves him slack and in bed.  He is gracious with visitors and truly happy to see friends and colleagues who cherish his kindness, his integrity,  and his tireless mentorship.   Steve Gliessman and Robbe Jaffe came by on their way back to their ranch, Condor's Hope , in the Cuyama Valley, where they grow organic grapes and olives, putting to practice their agroforestry knowledge.   We have been to the ranch to help in harvests and have enjoyed their dedication.  It was great that they could take time to stop in. Claudia Knudson was walking her dog and brought us some of her homemade rompope -- eggnog!  This is a tradition.   She took the time whilst here to visit Mike.  And as for a...

 John Johnson, come over to begin our work with the edits for Mike's book.  John and I went over some of the early parts, and it was clear that we would not be able to complete the work today. Joh inquired about the credits for the photos, and that was one thing I had worried about.  When I left for my appointment, John and Mike were hard at work looking at each figure and determining who to credit. From what I understand, they reviewed each and every one of hte nearly 100 figures, and John was able to determine the credits. Most of hte illustrations and photographs were Mike's, and he is an excellent photographer.   Yet there were historical photos and others that were important to credit. John used the book I had printed last week and showed Mike each in their turn.  It is wonderful to know that the printed copy would not only be something Mike could hold, that others could review, and would serve an important purpose. He is still thinking and contributin...

Mike and I had breakfast together at 8:30 so that he would be alert when the hospice doctor came.  This would be the second interview and would serve as part of the compliance with  the  California End of Life Option Act ( EOLOA ).    The first meeting of the process was with a doctor of hte cancer center.  They, of course, know well of Mike's case and were the first step in the protocol. That went as Mike would want, and this next interview would be the final decision. At 9AM, the doctor of the hospice team came to conduct the final interview and to review his request to hasten his inevitable death. Weak and confined to a hospital bed, for Mike, this interview was a relief.   Dr. Marston outlined the plan and the expectations.  She asked him what he saw as his time horizon; he said as soon as possible.  The potion is a complex mixture of various components and must be prepared under specific conditions. Only one pharmacy is authorized ...

This morning, Mike wanted to rest.  We did not have many plans for visits, and that was good. I have a yearly celebration of December birthdays with Barbara Harthorn ; we used to include Francesca Bray until she moved to Edinburgh.  Last year, we all met in NYC for a short week to remember such events.  This morning, Barbara and I had breakfast at El Encanto .  We have not spent much time together due to our mutual home obligations, and so it was our chance to catch up. It was a touching and peaceful time. Back home, Mike had his small breakfast, and I told him of my visit with Barbara. She and Roy would come to visit later -- and they did! Everyone who visits is excited about Mike's book draft, and we all know it will be published next year.  I went to Condor's Hope reception to fetch my box of their wonderful wines with Roozbeh, Sara, and their daughter Roshan.  It was great to see Steve and Robbie. Roozbeh and Sara are visiting scholars and are working...

 Back in the afternoon, I had lunch with Mike and let him rest a bit.  John Johnson arrived around 3, and we got more of the Mike origin stories.  John joined Mike at Philmont project as a camper and then an assistant.  Enrapt in archaeology, Mike gave him readings and met with him on them.  This started in high school and continued when he went to Occidental.  He took a college shuttle to UCLA weekly and met with Mike for discussions!  The reading list was amazing, and Mike invited him to lectures by Binfors, to meet visiting professors, and to visit the home of Jim Hill.  He was on hte inside track! We also talked about hte book, John and I will be meeting on Monday to go over some of the issues for finalizing hte draft for publications.  There are a number of hurdles, typos, and details, as well as the index, not off to be done. THat said we are getting close and it will have a 2026 -- likley a posthumous date.   Mike got another litt...

 In the morning, I drove to the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum , meeting a group of the Santa Barbara Archaeological Society.   I had wished to be with Mike as this would be a cap on his career, but this was not to be.  I went to report to Mike...   And there was much to tell...   It was quite a presentation with the origins, feature village life, missions, and today.   There is a lot to take in and I was anxious to return home -- yet it was a great place, I joined and anticipate another visit soon. We enter in a beautiful hallway that is decorated with Chumash symbols from rock art.  The view for the windows oposit the wall focuses onteh out doors native garden. Chumash leaders of the museum were there to answer questions and to discuss the exhibition choices. John Johnson told us that the five villages featured Vista in the museum all were connected to individuals of the Santa Ynez Rez. They were touched by the news of Mike and encouraged me to retu...