Today Ben is 7 years and 8 months old.  She has been a cancer patient for
nearly 6 months now.  After doing very well in May and June, Ben had a
relapse in early July and had to be given two doses of stronger medications
to get the lymphosarcoma under control again.  Fortunately, her lymph nodes
and spleen have shrunk again; we're relieved that the cancer is not yet
completely drug- resistant.  Once again it seems possible that Ben may live
to be 8.
 
Ben is a very special ferret.  Ben and Jerry were our first ferrets.  (Jerry
died of kidney failure in February.) Ben is a silver-mitt ferret with a
black nose.  I can still remember her at the pet store, grabbing my shoe
with her teeth and tugging with all her might.  The day we brought them home
stands out in my memory too.  They were digging and digging in the
litterbox.  They got themselves so messy that I decided to give them a
bath--they ran to the shallow end of the tub and pooped in the water.  I
wondered what we had gotten ourselves into!  Then Ben and Jerry curled up
together in their little hammock and fell asleep.  They were so adorable!
 
Ben has always been the dominant ferret of our little "pack." I hope her
strong will and determined attitude will carry her to her 8th birthday and
beyond.  I know she's living on borrowed time, so every day that she looks
up with her bright eyes and begs for raisins is precious.
 
Clare Sebok
[Posted in FML issue 2021]