Bob, I am so terribly sorry to learn about Beverly's condition. I wish you both the best of results with the stem cell therapy.
My wife has never had cancer, but she does have a heart condition and a pacemaker. We lost our oldest son to a 16-month battle against cancer when he was 13. And I lost my younger brother to melanoma when he was 39. So I have a small idea of what you're going through right now.
My only advice is to stay positive and don't give up. I know that's trite and that it sounds cliched - and it is - but it's also one of the best ways to face this beast. You two will want to be strong for the other, but give yourselves time to cry, too. And if you cry together, it will bring you closer. That may sound counter-intuitive, but it's true. A burden shared is lessened, and if you both carry it together, the experience will help you love each other even more than you already do.
As for your absent muse, you'll just have to keep a mental candle burning in the window of your mind for him/her/it. Retreating into and isolating yourself in fanfic would, of course, be a horrible idea, but sampling the waters is a good way to refresh your mind. Maybe Bev could beta for you, assuming she's feeling up to it.
I really wish I could say more, that I had some magic words to give you to make the sun shine brightly again. If there are such words, I've never read or heard them or stumbled upon them. Sometimes life just sucks.
