Please accept a huge thank you for the emotional support, ideas and
offers surrounding Mini-Me.  I was terrified I might be crippled
permanently as bad off as I was for several weeks.  There is no way I
could bend to rescue the ferrets from Mini-Me as I usually do.
 
Those few of you seriously thinking of taking her have more ferrets than
I have, you already have a number of groups that do not get along, and
you have worse problems with your back than I do..  Or you live out of
state-too far away for me to drive.  If Mini-Me did not get along with
your few males-I would want her back.  But I would not be able to drive
to get her.
 
The kindness of people on the FML could make the staunchest man cry, let
alone a woman like me who cries at the end of ER every time.
 
                   *THANK YOU*
 
From all of this, it appears that I would be best for Mini-Me; unless I
become as much of an invalid as I have been on a permanent basis.  I was
really hoping-as I wrote-for someone with just a few young, healthy male
ferrets and no children, or plans for any.
 
My very old Cheyenne is not going to live much longer.  And Maria is an
old girl with maybe a year or two left.  She is adrenal again, but we
cannot operate.  She almost died the last time from the anesthesia.  So
I will not have to keep the Mini away from them all of her life.
 
Waldo is no longer so irresistibly soft and silky.  The pure fat is being
replaced with muscle.  His coat blew out and a shorter coat is there.  He
can climb up the sides of blankets and clothe stepping stools now.  And
today--he play bit me!!!!!!!  This is good!!!
 
He needs to be tough and strong
to survive the Mini.  He is not there yet---that is for sure.  But things
have improved.
 
One critical thing I learned: writing about the problem on the FML, that
I did not want to have exist, made me feel the impending loss of Mini-Me.
It made me face the reality of the situation, and how serious it really
was.  It made me try harder to find a way to keep her-like taking the
ferrets to a hotel.  And because of my writing---you guys gave me the
emotional support I needed while I was in such terrible pain-no matter
what I had to do-
 
Already-there are two critical changes.  Mini-Me attacks Waldo.  But she
no longer tries to kill him.  And now he knows he can fight back.  I will
keep working on this.
 
The power of the people on the Ferret Mailing List:
I do not know what I could compare to this.  I truly don't.  A problem
shared IS a problem cut in half.
 
And...
 
The first step in attempting to solve a problem is knowing what it is-and
admitting it.
 
THANK YOU
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 3871]