Pooh rescue update.  About a week ago I rescued a very sweet little guy from
a ferret-loving but not very ferret-knowledgable home.  I mentioned he was
up for grabs and recieved 3 replies, which I haven't acted upon because his
condition was so poor.  We spent quite a bit of time at the vets yesterday
and today, and the bad news is in.  Pooh is terminal, suffering from some
sort of invasive cancer that has infiltrated his liver, and spleen.  His
skeleton is extremely osteoporotic, probably resulting from the cancer.  His
liver is so large that it squeezes his stomach against his diaphram, making
it very difficult for him to eat more than a few cc's at a time (I am
feeding him about 4-5cc's of a heavily fortified duck soup every hour).
Seriously, his liver is about the size of a large hen's egg.  Both his stool
and urine are filled with bile, indicating massive liver damage (the cause
of the green pee).  We estimate he has lost half his body weight in the last
few months.
 
It is obvious he is in great pain.  He grits his teeth in pain just
swallowing duck soup.  He can hardly walk (just drags his hind quarters),
can no longer control his bowels (thick syrupy dark green), and is too
uncomfortable to be held.  I let him lay inside a cushy bag, and he rests
his head on my hand.  Surgery is out of the question; he would not survive.
 
The delemia is that both the ultrasound and xray show a massive liver, and
the spleen is also involved.  There is a tiny chance that removal of the
spleen and the worst portion of the liver might give him some more time.
Cure?  No.  The only other two alternatives are euthanasia or a natural
death.  If we operate on the slim hope, but find it hopeless, he could
drift off under anesthesia.  I have to decide by morning.
 
In other news, I am getting a lot of people asking if I'll be passing
through on my way to Seattle.  I was desperately trying to go to Georgia
first to settle some business, but between a task-master committee, Jet's
illness and death, and now Pooh, the time has evaporated.  So I will have
to rely on Uncle Sam finish my business for me.  But here is my tenative
route and stops for the next 5-6 weeks.
 
I leave this Sunday, March 22, and will go west on I-70 to near or about
Colorado Springs (I-25).  Then south to I-40 at Albuquerque, west past
Flagstaff to California, then LA.  From there, I-5 to Seattle.  This allows
me to see a few family members and miss crappy weather.  I will be in
Seattle from March 25-29 attending the archaeological meetings.  After that,
my time will be spent in museums, but I cannot say when I will finish, so I
don't know the return dates of my trip, but I will be visiting the following
cities/museums on my way home:
 
Greater Canadian/Seattle/Puget Sound area: Simon Frazier, Museum of the
Puget Sound, Royal Museum, Berke Museum.
 
Oregon: Corvallis, Pullman, John Day.
 
Calgary: University of.
 
Nevada: Reno, Lovelock Cave.  (If time permits.  If not, I will stop back
in May to visit a very special friend)
 
Montana: Museum of the Rockies.
 
Colorado: Denver
 
Some stops will be for a day or two, some for several days; depends on the
collection.  I expect the entire trip to take about 4-5 weeks.
 
After I return to Missouri, I will rest a week or so, then off to
Gainsville, up to Cornell, over to Philly and home.  And thank the heavens,
I'll be finally done collecting PhD data.  Then all I'll have to do is
finish looking at 87 boxes of splintered bone.
 
Because this is a trip to collect data and not a vacation, I can't promise I
will be able to stop even if I indicate I will try.  I learned my lesson in
DC, measuring bones for 18 hrs a day, then trying to visit people as well.
More than one person met met very late at night, sometimes until 3 am, then
off I was at 7.  I ended up exhausted and ill and hurting a few feelings
when I simply couldn't fit some people in (Hey, I saw 23 out of 31 people,
ok?  Darn good if you ask me...).  So I will try, but no promises.  If you
want me to stop for a few minutes, and you are near or on the route, email
me by Saturday with a phone number, address, and simple directions from the
freeway.  If I can make it, I will call you.  If I can't make it, I'll still
call you.
 
One more thing; the trip to Seattle leaves me very little time, but after
that, it will be easier to fit people in.  If a club or group wants me to
talk to them, and doesn't mind fitting around my schedule, I'll be happy to
talk or tell jokes.  But it has to be flexible because I can't predict when
or where I will be at any given time (at the moment).
 
Please think of Pooh if you can, and let me know about the other.
 
Bob C and 20 MO Tired Furbutts.
[Posted in FML issue 2251]