Bill, Steve and I really, really appreciate how much you do for all of us
here, but there have been three times in as many weeks when your lack of
sleep arose.  Maybe we should all decree a posting-moratorium for one or
two days each week for a while to try it out?  Would that help you, if
everyone agreed that those days are to be "Will not send any posts" days
so you had some nights without FMLs, but with pillows and comfy sheets?
Then you'd know that you have at least two nights of full sleep each week.
Any ideas on something else that could help?  PLEASE, let us all know.
Moderating the FML is a HUGE job and you do it so very well every single
day, of every single week, of every single month for how many years
now???????!!!!!!!!  You help us, and it's only right that we should help
you.  If you like this idea then just name your own days, Bill, and ignore
anyone who sends something that day from habit or lack of knowledge.  If
not, then how else can people help you?
 
[Moderator's note: Thanks... just need to schedule things a bit better.
I'm getting there!  I don't have a problem getting to sleep or staying
that way, BTW.  Especially when I'm at work ;-)  BIG]
 
Tracy, Question: since you are trying to get together sort of a regional
over-view club which of the existing ones (some of which, I gather, have
large memberships) have you contacted to discuss ways that the groups can
act cooperatively to best help area ferrets?  That would seem to me to be a
natural inclusion in your effort but there hasn't been an up-date on such
aspects.  Steve and I are NOT club joining types so my impressions of the
memberships of organizations like the Garden State Ferret Club and any
others (Sorry, don't know the names, only recall that one because it's so
hard to forget.) may be off; there may be more or fewer people than my
impressions indicate.  Don't know.
 
Before people blow up on Aleutian it might pay to read the comments some
vets made about that disease earlier this year and which reached the FML:
 
first of all, it's NOT known how many false positives there are;
 
second, the less specific test (which is also the more commonly given test)
has a high rate of false results;
 
third, it is not known how many ferrets might have Aleutian and not spread
the disease;
 
fourth, Aleutian has much more of vertical transmission pattern (mother to
off-spring) than a horizontal one and it is possible for healthy housemates
to never get it according to one vet;
 
fifth, it is suspected that many ferrets which contract the disease never
actually break with it and remain symptom-free throughout life;
 
sixth, a lot of this is guess work because the no tests are being used
much, even the better one has its faults, and with the lack of testing
there is necessarily a lack of record keeping;
 
seventh, the infection precautions used are not known but the shelter is
sure to have infection precautions due to ECE, coccidea, and other much
more communicable diseases.
 
PLEASE, go back to those informative pieces of information before getting
upset.  Sometimes having knowledge makes us more sad or more angry than
without that information, but sometimes it is reassuring, or both together
in relation to separate aspects.  This time I think a bit more information
might settle some fears.
 
Apologies.  It was Bev who mentioned the whole ferret (male at an estimated
eight years) which developed an adrenal growth.  May have heard of others,
causing the confusion, but may not have heard of others -- it's been a
while.  Alt least I confused two good people who each do more for ferrets
in a week than many do in a year.
 
Sukie (Dad's carotid surgery has been set for the 30th, and Steve's dad
and mom ARE attending information classes now about Evan's circulatory
problems -- progress is in right direction even it all does still eat up
much of our time.)
[Posted in FML issue 2866]