My dog has never been fond of the ferrets.  She's very territorial over
toys and she steals their goody boxes and guards them growling and
charging them off if they come near.  She has never bitten one or tried
to cause harm....until Wednesday night.  I heard growling and a commotion
and ran across the room to find my little silver mitt Stacie laying on
the floor.  I was absolutely dying,...I panicked,... I wanted to take it
out on the dog...anger and panic are a hideous combination but I grabbed
Stacie, evaluated and headed out for the ER.  I panicked so bad on the
way out and it was raining I couldn't figure out which way on Falls Rd.
to go to get to the vet.  I finally found a fire station that pointed me
in the right direction.  Stacie just laid there but she was breathing.  I
was not dressed to go anywhere.  I raced out the door in my bare feet
with a bra shoved in a sleep sack....that came damn close to getting
taken back into the ER with her... I bet that would have been a first!
 
They put Stacie on Oxygen and prednisone and kept her the night.  I only
got to visit with her about 15 minutes before I was told I had been with
her "long enough".  Can you imagine that?  I'd been with her long enough.
But I had been.  I had been with her long enough to have an excellent
communication with her.  I sensed very strongly that my wild girl, my
wardancing crazy lady was telling me that she was in there and trying to
get out.  She was in shock, a coma with trauma to her head.  I dared not
get my hopes up even as the Dr. explained that comas are healing.  She
just laid helpless curled up in my arm, her breathing labored.  A
partially collapsed lung was also suspected.  I continued to talk to her
asking her if she wanted goodies hoping to spark something in her.  She
finally let out a whimper.  She could hear me and there was hope.  She
answered me with a whimper every time I made "the goody call".
 
Kat and Judith talked to me until felt I could sleep.  Judith sent Stacie
Reiki.  I thank God for having these women in my life.  She was moving
around and eating A/D..but it looked like she could wind up mentally
disabled and I would have to make the toughest decision in the world
about her quality of life.  The next few days would tell us much more.
I took her to my vet.  She squirmed in my arms and when I put her down,
she went to the potty.  The girls at Doc Brown's doted over her and I
left to go to work finding I had locked my keys in my car.  Some kind
lady in the vet's took me to Honda where they cut me a key ....for free.
I went to work only to have my boss tell me to go be with her....even
after he discovered that I was talking about a ferret and not a child....
and this was only my 3rd day on a new job.  Angels were everywhere today.
 
Her temp was a little low and they had me put her on a heating pad.  I
promptly removed it however when she had a little seizure.  I watched in
amazement as she slept most of the time but always pulled herself off her
blanket to potty.  Not one time during this whole ordeal did she poop
her bedding.  That is absolutely unimaginable.  At her during the night
feeding on thursday night, I shed tears as I watched her lick her face
after eating.  Baby steps.  She was coming back in baby steps.  I just
died having to leave her at the vet's all day thursday & friday but she
needed constant care.  I arrived to pick her up friday to find that she
was trying to climb out of her basket!  After getting her home meds/fed
she squirmed and I held her over the paper so she could go.  I then let
her walk on the rug and she crawled away from me, tilting a little to the
right side as she went sometimes falling onto her side.....but she was
really cruising!  Every day has seen new progress with Stacie.  Maybe it
was ONLY the lifting of her tail when she pottied....even if I did have
to help her keep her balance.  What matters is that every single day,
more of Stacie is returning.
 
Yesterday, my friend Amy Young gave her hands on Reiki and spent the day
with us.  This morning during visiting hours (with other fuzzys) she
stood long enough to show interest in sniffing the butt of a fuzzy
friend.  We had massage therapy on the front lawn and she got to wobble
through the soft grass.  At 10:41 I got a kiss on the lips.  When I put
her back in her house she lept to be back in my arms.  We are taking it
one day at a time.  I have to tell myself every day that this day may be
as good as it gets and ask myself if that's good enough for Stacie.  So
far the answer is yes.  Thanks to Lois and Richard Caselman, Stacie has
a set of wheels coming this week to give her a little more mobility.  So
far the damage seems to be nerve/shock trauma maybe even neurological.
I know we aren't out of the woods yet but it looks so promising and I
know in my heart she wouldn't have made it without Reiki and the
communications we shared.  I was with her all night while she was in
shock trauma even though I couldn't physically be there.  She knew
 that.
 
I am keeping a record of her progress to share with anyone that ever
finds themselves in this situation.  No matter how bad it looks
initially, don't give up.  Miracles happen.  I only pray that she will
continue on to make a full recovery.  Please keep her in your prayers
and thoughts.
 
On a lighter note, I've added several new photos to the magnet
collection.  If you're interested in seeing them, please email me.
Magnet sales are needed especially right now to cover Stacie's bill
which is hovering at about $350.
 
Thanks all!
 
Friends bring you a meal when you are sick.  Best friends bring you a
meal when your ferret is sick.
 
Kim at SUMS
 
"I have no doubt that all living beings have souls but when I see how
humans treat our animal companions, it is evident that the complete
absence of soul and heart frequents only the human of beings.".
 
Kim Fox
Animal Communicator
Director of Somethin Up My Sleeve Rescue
[Posted in FML issue 4264]