Dr. Williams and my ferret family,
 
When the vet gave him the euthanization shot in Fang's little heart, she
said she could feel a mass of tumor wrapped around the heart.  Remember
a month ago, the surgeon in the city found the tumor wrapped around only
his liver?.  Perhaps this was a lymphoma, or similar fast growing monster
inside of him?  Does this make any sense, that in one month it would have
spread to his heart area?  That would explain his increased labored
breathing the last two days.  The last two weeks he seemed to run around
well for a short time, then collapse from exhaustion.  (We had allowed him
to come DOWN the stairs, but not to go up on his own since we found out
about the tumor, even thought he tried to.)
 
The last day of his life, his body actually moved up and down with his
breathing efforts, but with little or no sound.  What I also wanted to
share was that he didn't seem to want any blankets over him; something he
always insisted on having.  Even when I felt he was cool to the touch, he
didn't want to be covered, even with a thin blanket.(polar fleece).  It was
like he felt pressure in his heart and lungs, and didn't want the slightest
thing on him.  He also changed his sleeping positions the last two days; as
if he was being smothered inside from the pressure.
 
I don't know anything.  I don't know if this vet that administered his shot
knew enough about ferrets to know what a tumor would feel like around his
heart.  I do know that when he was opened up in preparation for his
nodulectomy, the surgeon had found the tumor to be only around his liver.
Dr. Williams, you had said just days ago that if it was lympho, he wouldn't
be with us this long.  He died two days later.  Maybe it was?
 
All I do know, is that it has helped me to talk with all of you.  I haven't
been able to talk about him for two days with anyone else.  One girl I
ran into just the day before he got worse, said to me, "Well, it's only a
ferret!" Needless to say, she is off my list of anyone I ever want to
converse with again.  Only you guys understand.
 
All for now, I've rambled long enough.  It just felt so good not to be
crying for awhile, and to have you guys stay with me through all of this.
Fang's little ashes are upstairs where they belong, beside our bed.
 
hugs, lizzi
[Posted in FML issue 3300]