First thing I want to do is send big hugs and thanks to all the ferret
lovers and supporters who sent me well wishes and prayers during the ordeal
I just went thru.  I'm still here for some reason and feel blessed just to
be back and able to see and play with my sweet little ferrets.  I'm told
that while I was in the hospital for three weeks, several of the kids took
my place in bed and Gloria seems to think they were missing me.
 
To all who don't know what happened, I was sitting in the car in a parking
lot making a call on the cell phone.  I just remember ending the call.  The
Drs.  say, according to my blood chemistry, that I had an arrythmia, which
stopped my heart, and when I blacked, my foot hit the accelarator and I
shot out into traffic, where I T-boned a taxi-cab.  The impact they say
restarted my heart, but a blow to the head from something caused me to have
a nuerological seizure.  About ten minutes later, I went into cardiac
arrest again.  The EMT's couldn't get my heart restarted so they intubated
me and put me on the breathing machine.  and off I went to the hospital.
The Drs.  got my heart started again, but my lungs wouldn't work on there
own so they stabilized me and put me on life support.  I remember hearing
the chaplain and the Dr. talking to Gloria about pulling the plug as my
living will says no life support.  She said that even though I couldn't
even blink or move my fingers, or anything for that matter, I managed to
shake my head a couple of times to let themm know I was still here.  The
next day, they were able to take me off of life support and I was on my
own.  A week later, they performed a quadruple bypass on my heart.
 
Each day, Gloria brought me cards and printed out all the e-mails from
people I didn't even know.  I want everyone to know that they gave me
the strenght to sutvive this ordeal and with Gods help... here I am I am
thankful for those well wishes beyond what words can describe.  I am
forever grateful!
 
Next subject, did you ever smell a ferrets tail before?  I've known this
for a long time and am just getting around to sharing it, but I noticed
that several of the very healthy ferrets in the shelter have tails that
smell of grape jelly.  Try.it!  I've been smelling them for years and since
I've been home from the hospital only two days, it's one of those things
that we take for granted in life.  I am so happy to be able to smell that
smell.
 
Well, the volunteers and my wife are starting to give me looks that say"
get back to your room and elevate that leg", so I better go before I get
into trouble .
 
Thanks again ya'll!! ferretguy
[Posted in FML issue 3077]