Hello, Everyone.
 
This is Dexter, the first ferret of the house and the one who inspired
mommy to bring Cocoa, MoJo, Dodger and RockStar to live with us.  'Guess
I was just so much fun that she had to have more!!
 
As the eldest and first of our home, I guess that the task falls upon me
to tell you that Dodge went to the Bridge yesterday afternoon.
 
Mommy is crying all, all, all the time and she says her eyes are burning
so it hurts to look at the 'puter.  I have always liked the computer, but
Dodge was better at writing the way that ferrets really talk than I was.
I will not be taking Dodger's place because I don't think that I can 'fill
his shoes'.
 
After the vet diagnosed Dodge with new-monya, Mommy brought him home.  Soon
after they got here, Dodge's eyes got big, his body got stiff and he could
not get enough air.  Mommy hurried him back to the emergency vet where they
gave him oxygen all nite and some Lasix.
 
Mommy called them over and over all night on the fone, bugging them with
suggestions and questions and ideas.  Mommy talked to alot of really nice
people with the computer and those people gave mommy lots of support and
good, good ideas.  Some people wrote to Mommy and Dodger, sending them
happy thoughts, prayers and even cards.  I don't understand why those made
mommy cry, though.  Mommy says that those were happy tears.
 
This afternoon, not long after Mommy had stopped by the vet to check on da
Dodge (he was sleeping so Mommy did not wake him up), the vet paged Mommy
and said that Dodge's fever had gone way up and that he was doing the
stiff/gasping stuff again.
 
Mommy took the little hooman with her and they took turns holding Dodge and
telling him goodbye for his trip to the Bridge.  I heard Mommy say that
one time when the little hooman wasn't looking, Dodge threw his head back,
closed his eyes and started gasping again.  Mommy knew that Dodger was
probably suffering and that he was scared.  Dodge had been fighting very
hard and he wanted to come back home to us to dook & play some more.
 
Mommy told Dodge that her, the hooman kid, Pixie, Lucy, Greta, Jasmine,
Honey, Sugar Bear, Taz, The Cleaning Crew, Oscar, Baily, Elle, Lilly and
lots of other fuzzies - 'specially me & Mo & Co & RockStar - all loved
him very, very much and would miss him.
 
Mommy told the vet that together they should help Dodge get to the Bridge
so that he would not suffer any more.
 
Mommy petted Dodge the whole time and told him that she loved him.  Mommy
called him "BeeBoy" a few last times and Mommy put her head down next to
Dodge's and she cried quietly.  Mommy says that one of the vet's helpers
cried, too, and that the vet was very nice to Dodge the whole time.
 
Now that Mommy is home she says that she smells our ferrety smell and it
makes her think sometimes that Dodge is still here.  It makes her cry more,
too, when she realizes that he is not.
 
Mommy wanted me to ask a question, too: She said that after Dodge was gone
to the Bridge and she picked him up to hold him one last time, that his
tail was poofed out, like when you get scared.  Mommy said that she could
not bear it if she thought that Dodge was scared to go to the Bridge and
she wanted to know if this is something that happens.
 
I wish that I did not have to write this letter.  I wish that Da Dodge
was home getting better.  I will miss his dooks and the way that he does
twisty-turnies when he plays.  Dodge even taught baby RockStar how to do
that and how to turn his heiney toward someone when he is playing with
them.  Now RockStar will have to take over as man of the house, I guess.
 
Most of all, Mommy sends out big, big thank yous and hugs to everyone who
wrote to her and Dodge.  She has answered some, but she has to go to work
tonight from midnite to early morning so she won't get to the others until
tomorrow sometime - she says that she is sorry for that.
 
Mommy always gave us extra kissies and huggies whenever she heard of a
fuzzy that went to the Bridge.  She asks that everybody do the same tonite
with their babies.
 
Lots of Love,
 
Dex
 
==================================================================
Happy New Year to All with LOVE from Melissa, Mykah & the ferrets:
   Dexter, Cocoa, MoJo, Dodger & RockStar  >^v^<-,--------,''''''
 
                ICQ us!  Our # is 6407420.
==================================================================
[Posted in FML issue 2545]