Dear Jeff:

Please accept our condolences for the loss of your buddy Pop. Pop will
go down in history within your crew as a teacher of Des implants. You
were kind to bring him into your home and love him and care for him
while learning about the implants and adrenal disease. I think the
hardest part for us is to not beat ourselves up for the could haves,
should haves and would haves. Sometimes the best we can do is know we
gave it our all and go on with the efforts of evaluating where changes
are needed.

Some thoughts. If the tumor on the right was cancerous the second
implant would not have helped. Also, being a right it may have added
problems because of the pressure on the vena cava. Even though many
ferrets develop collateral arteries to help make up for loss of blood
flow with a tumor pressing on the vena cava. A tough call without a
necropsy. I had a young ferret with adenocarcinoma tumors and his
regrew to the size of a dime within 11 months of his first surgery -
well before we knew of the implants, which would not have helped
anyway.

The first Des implants we did we did for two of the three (having lost
Little Feet to old age and insulinoma) was at 17 months 8 days. Scooter
just got her second at 14 months - no other symptoms seen, but a little
voice said, "Why push this?" White Bear gets his second implant a t 11
months, this time I am seeing some thinning around the shoulders and
butt area, he also has IBD. For White Bear, 11 months was too long to
wait. Luke is getting his when the next batch comes in. This will be
his third and he has had his second for 10 months. He was one of the
original getting the first at 17 months 8 days. He is not showing any
signs, but I want to move a little earlier because he has insulinoma at
6.10 years and we have seen evidence that the Des implants help control
insulinoma! I have been able to lower his pred and diazoxide with the
help of the alpha trak.

We keep trying to learn more and do our best Jeff. You are always
trying to learn and share your knowledge with us. Kudos for that. I
think Pop is looking down on you saying, "Isn't my Dad the best? He
tries so hard to help all of us weasels!!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

We all have to stick together,
Cathy

Help rescued animals in two clicks
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

[Posted in FML 6911]