Greetings to all,
I try to read the postings as often as I can, and I know a lot of people
are regulars on here.  I have only posted messages a few times, and feel
that this time I needed to write for supportive prayers.  My sweetheart,
Gizmo, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, and insulinoma, and just started
chemotherapy this past week.  I have to force feed her, and give her
pediapred twice daily.  I want to thank Dr. Hunter and staff at "Noah's Ark
Animal Hospital", Valrico, Florida for taking Gizmo in as an emergency (as
she is only a block away from my house).  She treated Gizmo, and was also
kind enough to refer us to another vet, across the city that is experienced
in ferrets.  As I was sitting in "Livingston Animal and Avian Hospital"
in Lutz, Florida filling out info, I was thinking about one of my other
ferrets, "Beanie Baby", that I had to put to sleep last year in March.
A close friend of mine, Alicia Betita Collins ("ABC"), had given "Beanie
Baby" to me, because she knew how much I loved and cared for my own,( and
her ferret had recently crossed to the Rainbow Bridge at that time).  I had
brought Gizmo to the vet in the little snuggle sack that ABC had given me
with Beanie Baby.  My heart ached, because I remember how hard I tried to
help Beanie Baby when I got her, because she was so ill.  The autopsy
revealed she was full of cancer everywhere.  I couldn't bear to think that
my precious Gizmo, now 5 1/2 years old might be starting to suffer herself
from some dreadful disease.  Imagine my shock - while thinking about that,
and ABC, my cell phone rang.  It was another one of my closest friends.
She told me that ABC was just killed just about an hour earlier.  ABC
was a flight nurse in my Air Force Reserve unit, and also on a civilian
medivac helicopter.  Our paths crossed often, as I am a civilian
paramedic/firefighter, and have to call for helicopter transport from time
to time.  The news tragedy was that Bayflite 3 had crashed, killing all 3
crew members after dropping off a trauma patient at the ER.  Needless to
say, I was very distraught, and I was new to this vet's office.  The entire
staff came out to comfort me, and took me and Gizmo to an empty room.  Dr.
Topor and her staff were such a support to me, because she kept Gizmo for
the entire week, so I could deal with this tragedy.  I also knew the
paramedic on board, because we went through paramedic school together a
long time ago.  A week has now gone by, and I don't know how I would have
survived without these two vets and their staff helping me with Gizmo.
It has been a daily struggle for me to get through all of the memorial
services, and now it's Gizmo's treatments, feedings, medications, and bills
to handle from now on.  I want to thank Troy Lynn Eckart for her countless
emails and e-cards to me and Gizmo.  It has been one exhausting and tragic
week, and even though I don't submit much to the mailing list, I know that
I can count on all of you for prayers to help me and Gizmo get through this
rough time.  My other 2 fuzzers, Sammy and Nipper, and 2 lovebirds, Nasty
and Kaleb, and co-workers and friends are also helping me deal with this
loss.  It is so comforting to know that even though I had never been to
either of these 2 vets, they took me and Gizmo in like family.  The animal
hospital that I had gone to for the last 6 years has changed, and none of
the ferret vets that I trust are in the area, so I had to act fast, and it
paid off.
 
Please pray for the family and friends of these 3 crew members: Mark
Wallace, pilot, Erik Hangartner, paramedic, and my dear friend, Alicia
Betita-Collins (ABC), flight nurse.  They not only saved so many lives,
but they also touched so many lives.  ABC just had to cross paths with you,
and she touched your life forever.  It is her love and strength that I am
calling upon now to help me get through all of this.  It is ironic that her
husband was killed in a military helicopter crash 12 years ago.  She left
behind 2 children, Felicia, and Christopher, who shared ferret stories with
me after the memorial service.  My heart goes out to everyone with ill
ferrets and or family members, and may we all pray together for each other!
Thank you for bearing with me through this long post.
 
Sincerely, Diane L. Hinck
[log in to unmask]
http://mypage.goplay.com/dhinck/
[Posted in FML issue 3044]