Hi everyone.  Hope all goes well for all of you.  I have a long history of
asthma since I was a three years old and it's been 27 years now.  Recently,
my asthma doctor, Dr. Jim, gave me a huge lecture about having so many
ferrets.  He asked me if it was ok for him to take a blood test to see if
I'm allergic to the ferrets.  I smiled and said that was fine with me, but
it will hardly change my mind.  He was exasperated in a humorous sense and
took the test.  Within the next 48 hours, the results turned out to be very
positive that I'm totally allergic to ferrets.  Dr. Jim started to give me
a HUGE lecture and I stopped him, "Honey, it's not going to make me change
my mind no matter what you say so let's just give it up." He stopped and
sighed.  I said, "No." I have 65 beautiful ferrets - many of them are sick,
unadoptable, and most of all, violent biters so there's no way in heavens
or hell that is going to come out and pull me away from them unless I'm
dead.  I've been on three powerful medications that helped me in
controlling asthma and allergies all year around for years and that still
are very effective.  This is for someone with severe asthma - not mild.
You have to be taking medications very faithfully in order to keep it in
check.  Too many people gave up ferrets for those reasons when there IS a
way to control the allergies and asthma.  You just have to find the right
medications.  It takes time and patience.  I know a great friend in PA that
has the same asthma and allergies and she deals with ferrets on the same
level.  Maybe out of 5 years, I would end up in ER to get a little help to
get it in control only once.  It's worth it.
 
Due to many requests, the video consists of deaf sign languages - the signs
will be consisted in categories - vet doctors' terminology/medical words of
diseases, ferret's body and parts, surgeries, front desk accounting words
such as billing, admission, forms, medications, tests, sick and healthy,
burial words, medical equipments, and words to talk to the owners about
ferrets' results/needs.  Colors of ferrets' fur such as chocolate, blaze,
etc.  Handicapped words (deaf, blind, paralyzed, wheelchair) Ferrets' fun
words such as "wardance", "moonwalk", "handwrestle", "bite", "nip", and
personalities/traits.  Rescue and shelter words such as adoption papers,
cages' and groom care words, bath words, etc.  There will be at least about
500+ words in a few hours video where everyone can keep going back to
certain caterogies if one forgets.  It's very helpful especially for vet
clinics.  It will be out early next year.
 
Fuzzie hugs.
April and Deb
MN Wardancer Ranch and Rescue
[Posted in FML issue 3177]