First of all thank you to everyone who took the time to e-mail condolences
concerning Dole's demise.  It's so wonderful to have the comfort of others
who think that ferrets and their well-being are as important as we do.
Also, I was touched that so many of you sent my son birthday cards and
reminded him that Dole would have wanted his birthday to be happy.  After
days of sadly moping, he did manage to have a happy birthday, and I'm glad
of that.  Especially, my heart goes out to Troy Lynn who managed to find
time to comfort me, even while she was undergoing the very sad loss of her
Dusty this week, and to Liz, whose Max is going thru a similar
agressive-type of cancer right now.
 
Dr. Michael Akins, our vet, just called with the results of the biopsy
panel from Dole's tumor.  Since several people asked me to post the
results, I will try.  I'm not a very scientifically-minded person, but I
did take a few notes while he was explaining all this, here it is, as best
I understand it:
 
Dole had a form of lymphosarcoma.  It was a rare type, which mostly occurs
in juvenile ferrets (Dole was not yet 3 years old).  It was a lymphoblastic
form and did not involve the lymph nodes, so there was no external
indication.  It was enteric, which I believe means that it began in his
intestinal tract, therefore it was not a pancreatic cancer as I originally
thought, although it had spread to the pancreas.  (Dr. Mike said that while
other vets--in different parts of the country-- have informed him that they
see lymphosarcoma cases fairly often, he says that his practice does not,
but that he sees more adrenal tumors than anything else.) He said something
about immature cancer cells taking over the bowel, causing the tumor to
wrap over, under, around, and through the bowel (actually, the "over,
under, around and through" are my interpretation of what he said).  He
further stated that even when this type of cancer is caught early, there is
very little that can be done, and the outcome will probably be the same.
Apparently the fuzzy gives little indication that there is a problem until
the final stages of the cancer's development.
 
As I told many of the folks who wrote so many kind things to me, Doley must
have sensed that he needed to pack as much living as he could into a short
period, because he made the most of the time he had.  He didn't sleep as
much as the other 3, and boy was it a hellzapoppin' place when he was on
the loose everyday!  The quietness around here now is almost deafening.  I
just hope he doesn't destroy the Bridge before I get there.  I'll miss him
terribly until then.
 
Diane
[Posted in FML issue 2709]