>You have said that you can manage the odd $100, and I'm pretty sure this
>has been mentioned before, but couldn't you come to some arrangement
>with your vet about making regular payments to cover costs?
 
George, that is a excellent idea.  Bravo!  There are those here (more
than a few people) who have traded belongings or labor to help cover vet
costs.  Vets need everything from website construction, to cage cleaning,
to book keeping, to mopping, to running car errands, to... So such an
approach is also a possible option for this individual.
 
One change that we are personally making this year for financial and
emotional reasons is that when we do add some ferrets they are not
going to be ones who come complete with serious medical problems.  We
will be able to jump if we need to, of course, because we have savings.
Otherwise, we would not be adding any and would instead be donating
time to a shelter by fostering (an arrangement where the people cover
day-to-day costs but the shelter covers medical costs) to get in our
animal time.  Usually, we have taken in ones with problems, the hardest
by a long-shot of these individuals medically being the ones with
deformities.  It hurts (bit of guilty feeling) to think of ones we have
the experience to help but will have to pass up for a while, but everyone
has limits, and I know there sure are others out there with the ability
to help when we can't just as we have when they couldn't.  We've all got
limitations, limits, strengths, and ways of making do.  Goes along with
all of us just being human.
 
Sevie's health is worsening.  We are now trying the maximum Diazoxide
dose but it is providing only a bit of a lift.  That means that either
her insulinoma is getting past control or her recent worsening is due to
her heart function getting yet worse, or both.  Even extra sugar with the
meds as sometimes really helps with advanced insulinoma is not making a
difference.  Her two terminal conditions are intertwined.  The insulinoma
triggered her Complete A/V Heart Node Block (a condition in which the
chambers are no longer at all in synchronization and part of her heart is
almost too slow to support life).  HOW blood sugar drops cause this is
unknown but it is known cause.  In Sevie's case part of her insulinoma
was in an inoperable area so it was bound to reoccur.  When her
insulinoma can't be tightly controlled her heart worsens and this sort
of heart condition worsens on it's own over time, plus the cardiac
insufficiency damages other organs, in her case especially her kidneys.
She was expected to die almost immediately when this first occurred but
has managed to live 7 months and for the most part has enjoyed that time.
Just don't expect her to have a lot of time left, okay?  She is having
10 or 11 medication doses each day, depending on when she needs her
supplemental one based on symptoms and such, and her last week has been
mostly cuddles, meds, sleep, and food.  We hope to get her back to
playing.  She might not be able to get back to that.
[Posted in FML issue 4035]