Ben is now in her third week of chemotherapy and is doing very well.  (Ben
had a huge tumor removed by Dr. Weiss on February 7; it turned out to be
lymphosarcoma.) During the first three weeks after surgery, Ben had some
problems, and we were afraid she would never get better.  Once she started
chemotherapy, though, she made good progress.  We are taking Ben to a
veterinary oncologist recommended by Dr. Weiss.  Ben goes once a week for an
injection of a chemotherapy drug, and we give her 1/8 of a Prednisone tablet
every other day.  She is tolerating the treatments quite well.  According to
the oncologist (Dr. Lisa Fulton of Gaithersburg, Maryland) the doses given
to animals are lower than those given to humans.  This means that a cure is
less likely, but the animal has a good quality of life during treatment.
Ben certainly is bright, alert, and energetic now.  On an especially good
day last week, she was bouncing up and down and chasing the younger ferrets
through the clear dryer hose maze.  She begs for treats every day and has
even started to eat regular food on her own.  We know it's unlikely that Ben
will be cured of lymphosarcoma, but we hope she will have a long remission.
If her remission is just a little longer than the average, she could make it
to her 8th birthday.
 
Clare and Bill Sebok
 
Ben, Buttercup, Bridgett, and Jasmine
 
Missing Jerry (12/1/89 - 2/15/97)
[Posted in FML issue 1876]