For years I have been reading, learning, and sobbing over people's
posts. I have even remarked how strong people seem to be towards
"the end" with their ferts.

As many of you know Blizzard, our young man (Mr. January in the SOS
2008 Calendar), I must report to all of you that our cuteness took ill
last Monday. We thought his spleen got very large.

Monday late afternoon we called his doctor who asked us to monitor him
overnight and call him in the morning if there was no improvement (he
was not able to walk as his back legs just went out from under him).

Tuesday first thing in the morning we called, but the doctor was not
available and we were told would not be able to see Blizzard that day.
We had to take matters into our own hands and we found another doctor
(doctors Jean Wardell and Tom Kawasaki). Blizzard was seen by Dr. W
that early afternoon giving up her lunch hour to see him. She took
X-rays and a blood test. The blood test revealed he was not a strong
candidate for surgery as his ALT and BUN levels were too high. She gave
him an antibiotic and some hydration fluid as well as sending us home
with antibiotics while making a surgery date for 8/6 if the spleen did
not get better.

Well, not only did it not get better but, what was a healthy ferret on
Sunday (hiked for a few miles and ran around in the front yard), now
was a little guy that was unable to walk, could not move, did not wish
to eat or drink, was losing weight, we had to continually wash him as
him went to the bathroom wherever he laid, and was losing his grip on
life as we were getting devastated.

Even today, Saturday, he was remarkable...in an act of bravery and
courage, he still tried to crawl his way to his potty so he could go to
the bathroom.

By Friday we was getting even weaker. We called the Dr. Dr. W was able
to move the surgery up to this Monday (7/28). On Saturday, things were
looking even worse (yes...I am talking about my little Blizzard
here!!!). Dr. K was kind enough to stay overtime after his office
closed to see our little cuteness.

He ran another blood test, took a urine sample and his temperature. He
was not encouraging, as Blizzard was running a temperature, and his
urine and blood strongly indicated kidney problems as well. Was it a
massive infection or massive cancer? It was unclear. Dr. W said she
never had seen a spleen this large before in her life. Dr. K said it
was wrapped around everything and contained now 1/2 his blood and 1/2
his weight just in his spleen!

He also indicated it would be a very "risky" surgery. So much so that
he would put himself on this surgery with Dr. W! Not only that since he
felt Blizzard would not make it off the table as he would be losing so
much blood, he would bring in one of his own ferrets to give a blood
transfusion to our little Blizzard!

He gave him more antibiotics and food supplement and another antibiotic
to give him on Sunday morning and before the surgery on Monday.

We have a Shaman coming over tonight and spending the night and a Raike
Master coming over tomorrow to give him a session in the hopes that
their powers may be able to assist our little man.

I am telling you guys all this because we have all "lived together" for
the past few years, and it is my hope that you can all pray for our
little Blizzard if you do that sort of thing. If not, maybe you can
just think some positive thoughts for him and tell your own ferts about
Blizzard in the hopes they too can get out some positive thoughts for
the remainder of this weekend and for Monday. His surgery time is 8am
on Monday. If you/we can all breath a collective thought at that time
Blizzard and I would really appreciate it.

It is my deepest, DEEPEST hope that I can write on Tuesday that he has
made it through his surgery.

Thank you all.

Mark Sonder, CSEP
Father of Blizzard the ferret
Chief Entertainment Officer
Mark Sonder Productions, Inc.
540-636-1640
<http://www.marksonderproductions.com>
author, "Event Entertainment and Production" (Wiley 2004)

[Posted in FML 6044]