Last night Scooter found a new way to help me as I was kneeling down
scraping litter pots.  He sat on my lower legs, raised a paw, and
repeatedly patted me on the bum.  Steve and I were in hysterics about
it.  Guess he'd noticed Steve doing it...
 
 ----
M, you are responding publicly to something i did not send to the
FML, but to you privately in case it might help you.  Thought about
sending it to the FML because there has been a rash again of folks
who use the word "cancer" for any growth, so figured that it would
not hurt for people to have that reassurance.  You'll note that what
DID appear on the FML instead was a general post, with no names,
about where folks can find the reassurance of that info. You'll also
should note that even in the private mail which i thought about
having included in the FML (but didn't in the long-run) -- with the
golden-oldie again about what is and what is not cancer --  I did not
mention your name, just your new e-mail nickname, so folks would not
have known who it was, anyway, even if I had sent it in. You also
should note that when you wrote me those many letters privately I
said that I'd rushed through the FML and I apologized to you for
missing the mention of the surgery.  In my apology (which preceded
your taking this public) I noted that -- even if knowing where the
info is would not help you -- it may help someone else.  That
information still might someone else and other ferrets.  Please,
don't take things personally that aren't personal, and don't take
things as criticism which did not criticize, and please, accept that
anyone can misread, be too rushed, jump too fast (whether to help or
otherwise), apologize, and be forgiven.
 
Let's let this rest, okay?  You made it public so I explained, and I did
apologize to you as soon as i heard from you the first time, plus I didn't
post the post to which you objected privately once I thought twice about
it so it wasn't in the FML, anyway.  It remained private.  Yes, i did
think about it as an FML post, but since it did NOT appear in the FML...
 
Okay, first I misread you (missing the surgery mention), and then secondly
you thought a letter appeared in the FML that did NOT appear until you
sent it.  I accidentally stepped on your toes, then you accidentally
stepped on my toes.
 
Fine. Let's let it rest.
 
  *****Okay with you, Bill?****
 
M, I am glad that you included part of the letter i sent you which didn't
appear on-list so that the information in it can reassure others when they
might be too inclined to give up too easily.  It was time for assorted
folks to think about that info again.
 
Important reminder to folks in GENERAL: do get pathology done when there
is surgery; many things can not be known from gross examination of a
growth and pathology gives the best chance to respond in the right ways
for whatever is actually there.  Surgery without pathology is like jelly
without peanut butter -- good, but it could be so much better... (Have
also seen too many cases of only gross examination mentioned recently
instead of pathology done, too.  In fact, one of the vets had to address
this problem on the FHL.)
[Posted in FML issue 3587]