Hi.  It's 8/8/91 and I'm rather depressed.
 
Before I get into why I must say that the MA bill as described by Beau Bannerman
after we sent out the last posting certainly left me wondering, I mean, it read
like an IDEAL ferret bill, certainly one meeting the requirements that Bruce
White of UFO said he felt important.  I just can't understand why that didn't
seem to register before he spoke.
 
Depression ... yes.  The quandary is this:  Fritter's quality of life with the
cancer is starting to go down the tubes, but we just do not know how much is
caused by medication problems so may be correctable and how much is caused by
her cancers (both lympho and insulinoma seem even more likely now (BTW, New
World ferrets, which are all from a narrow range of genetic stock and which get
a diet quite different from European ones -- with the addition of 1/20 teaspoon
of Brewer's yeast daily given with non-sugary foods suggested as a possible
change by Liz Hillier -- pretty much all get insulinomas by the time they reach
6 or 6 1/2 years old, but European ferrets almost never get insulinomas.
Possible corrections (cause still unknown) included above described diet change
and the importation of new breeding stock or frozen sperm from Europe.))
 
Frit now daily requests PT (enthusiastic bumps with her nose or kisses when
asked, "Frit want PT?") in a warm tub of water.  It helps with the leg cramps
from the Prednisone and now helps more since she has also begun getting what
look like spasms of the rectum and possibly of other muscles in the area.  She
had bad pain before the Pred but then she had 3 1/2 really good months with
great pleasure on her part.  c`nj  mmmmmmm (That's a comment from Frit who is
helping me type.)  She still has great pleasure from cuddling, massages, treats,
toy mousies, being carried on walks, etc., but she is now having pain more and
more.  Her new medication is controlling the cancer inflammation better than the
Pred (which she still is being slowly weaned from), but with less and less Pred
insulin convulsions have once again become a problem.  Both yesterday morning
and this morning she had one.  Probably will try adding Proglycem to her
medication list.  It is so hard to not know what is a medication problem and
what is from one or both cancers.  If it is medication causing difficulties then
maybe the problems can be solved and Frit can have many more good months, but if
it is cancer then we have to face up to the reality that at some point her
medical care may no longer be a favor for her and she may want to be released.
Cancer is such a damned yo yo.
 
We've got a new basin which is narrow, long, and light weight so much loved by
the healthy guys for playing daleks.  They also like visiting Frit's private
ward so they can sample her treats and re-hide her mousies (neither action
appreciated by Frit, but helps to get her energy levels up).
 
Frit did a sweet thing last night.  I'd brought her to bed since she had pain.
Steve was asleep at the time and had a nightmare, and before I could whisper
"You're asleep, Woofer.  It's just a nightmare.  We love you.  Everybody's
safe." sick, ol' Frit got up and comforted him without waking him.  Then she
laid down with her head on my arm and kept watch on his face for a good 15
minutes till she finally dropped off.
 
Nancy, How is Peggy?  You are never far from our thoughts.  Remember to take at
least 30 minutes to treat yourself right today.
 
Note written 4 hours later (i.e. still before 10 a.m.):  vet said that another 6
1/2 year old ferret (convenience male) whom they are treating for insulinoma had
degenerated so badly that he needed progylcem and that the price is incredibly
high (low demand drug since almost everything else is more likely to have the
opposite problem).  Started checking and prices varied dramatically, with most
places also needing a week to get it.  Found a local pharmacy which can get it
tomorrow for $75 (VERY good price) for 30 ml (enough for 5 months of 24 hour use
or 10 months if only used for night maintenence).  Will pick it up tomorrow.
We'd planned to only use it at night with original price found, but at $75 can
afford both doses, and honestly what are the chances of a 6 1/2 year old
sweetheart who has survived 15 1/2 weeks of 2 cancers lasting an additional 10
months?  Her comfort in the time left is much more valuable.
 
(The other ferret's pharmacy wanted $350 for less medicine and that ferret was
going to be put down because she couldn't afford it and did not want the little
guy to die of repeated grand mal seizures; the new price has now stopped his
premature death.)
 
Frit's next appointment is the 13th (in every 1 to 2 weeks now).
 
8/9:  No convulsions this a.m so far.  Whew.
 
Frit was looking happy but making supplication noises this a.m (yes, whining) so
I asked her a number of "Fritty want?" questions with no response till I got to
"Fritty want PT?"  Wildly positive nose bumping.  Floating in a warm bath
(pleasure tub?) is one of her great favorites now.
 
At 5 a.m she wanted something but Steve couldn't figure out what so he stuck his
hand under her belly and (crawling on the floor) let her work her front legs and
take him into the other ferrets' room.  Once there she repeatedly pointed to the
cage with Meltdown in it so he took out Melty, put in Frit who proceeded to pull
herself up the side of the cage with her front legs till she reached Meltdown's
favorite stash box.  From it she stole EVERY toy mousie.  Hiest successful she
returned home triumphant.  (Please, all, think in terms of light weight
materials and designs for ferret wheelchairs in case we can't get her legs back
after the Pred is gone.  We thought about design with Helix's cancer years ago
but materials were too heavy.)
 
Melty just earned herself some watermelon.  I couldn't get Frit to say where she
was hidden in the room (asleep) so resorted to the old standby of Ferret
Bloodhound Extraordinare and Melty told me immediately (perhaps glad to snitch
on the thief?).
 
- Frit (the important comment), Sukie, Steve in absen
tia, and Hjalmar,
Meltdown, and Ruffle
 
[Posted in FML 0163]