Schoolyard Bully
That's kinda how I see adrenal disease

I've lost one baby during surgery, another with side complications from
liver disease, suspect 1 in the future will have it because she always
has rat tail at shedding time, and currently have 2 on Lupron: 1 being
in the later stages.

Adrenal is the bully and has his gang, prostate issues, liver disease,
kidney disease, anemia and lots of other little cronies that get their
licks in with the protection of the crowd and the School Yard bully.
Adrenal's cronies are there to add insult to injury many that hide
behind the Bully's punch, but could be beaten on their own. If you do
nothing, the bully wins every time, taking a precious life way too
soon. If you take a stand and fight back with lupron, pred, meletonin,
sub-qs and such, many times you walk a way with a black eye, in the
form of a thinner wallet, some tears, a few more grey hairs or your
heart still in your stomach, but life is preserved a little longer.
When we fight this bully, we know eventually we will lose. Death is
inevitable... but, if our little fuzzbutt lives to a normal life span
of 7 to 10 years, in a way we have triumphed over adrenal. The more we,
as ferrants, fight the disease, cry out and demand answers, the more
the vet industry will do to find a cure. Maybe one day we can knock
this particular schoolyard bully down to size.

That being said, Sir Woozle announced to me this morning that he is
tired and would like peace. Woozle came to me as someone's throw away,
and when I say throw away, that what they basically had done. He and
the late Nissmo were found in a woman's garden shed, skin and bones,
little hair and full of mites and fleas. The SPCA took them and when
eventually put up for adoption were going to be let go separately. My
son was volunteering at the SPCA at the time and called me..... "mom...
we gotta help these two ferrets, they are bonded and they are gonna
break them up" So in August of 2004 two more ferrets were added to our
family. Woozle at the time was named Mr Woozle.... A week after coming
to us he got sick......REALLY sick.... The flu turned in to an upper
respiratory infection. He was still very thin from his ordeal outside
and I just didn't think he was going to make. We went to the vets got
him on meds and every three to four hours I had to pat his chest, roll
him over and pat his back to break up the congestion. The I had to be
there when he coughed all of it up so he would not aspirate on it. To
my relief he fought and made it. Once he was better he was integrated
with the girls, Pheelia, Lielah and Tauvi. He was always kind and
gentle with them, particularly Lielah, my little tiny girl. He played
with her gently, but let her do almost anything she wanted to him. No
mater how hard Lielah got, he was always soft and gentle. Two years
later Nissmo would pass, his bud and comrade in arms. When I allowed
them to sniff Nissmo's body, he gently rest his head across Nissmo's
shoulders and let out a sigh. It was as if he were reflecting upon
their time together. I saw in Woozle, dignity, courage and strength.
That is when he became Sir Woozle. And so for another year life went
on, then he became ill and we found that he had a kidney failing. He
was wasting away and getting thin....weak..... and lethargic. The vet
put him on sub-qs to sustain him. Instead it revived him. He gained
weight, put on a lush fuzzy coat and was back to being his energetic
self. All I could think of was what a fighter he is......my "Come Back
Kid" Then recently his prostate issues arose....again I watched him
fight all that was going on. Then came the news after his sonogram.....
Adrenal.......... The prostate was just a secondary issue. The right
adrenal gland had invaded the vena cava.......ok another fight we can
handle. He seemed to be doing well until the bruises showed up 2 weeks
ago. It was a fast downhill slide from there.............anemia has
taken its sucker punch and has adrenal to back it up.........

Yesterday Sir Woozle did not scratch at the cage door to be let
out...... this worried me. He was slower and slept more throughout the
day. This morning when I took him out of his condo, he slowly made his
way to the paper box to sleep. He didn't really want to socialize.....
when it was time for morning treats...... well he really didn't care,
something two days before he would still clamor for. I picked him up
and looked at him. The pink half of his nose was white.... his gums
the same. I looked into his eyes and he spoke to me........." mom.....
I love you.......but Im tired...........

I have made the arrangements. Tonight is love and cuddles.... maybe a
last lay in the grass... a look at the stars and I will tell him about
the promise of rainbow bridge. Tomorrow morning he finds peace.

My heart is broken

Pie, would you please be on the lookout for my precious baby and be
sure he finds Teeki, Weeki and Nissmo.

Dooks & War Dances
Steph

MSN - PolecatParlour(@hotmail.com)
Yahoo - Weeki_Weasel_House

[Posted in FML 6126]