This is probably a good time to share my own experience with (recent)
adrenal surgery, briefly, even though I am insignificant, statistically.
The interesting part is marked with **.
 
Seldon, 3.5 year old sable male neutered descented ferret, began losing
hair on the tail 9 months ago.  We waited for 6 months, during which it got
worse, and then had the U Tenn adrenal panel done.  Results, multiplied
out, were: Cortisol 51.6 (52.9 mean, stddev 42.3)), Androstenedione 7.3
(6.6 mean, stddev 4.1), estradiol 247.7 (106.5 mean, stddev 37.7),
progesterone 1.1 (2.2 mean, stddev 3.4), DHEAS .0073 (.01 mean, stddev
.009), 17-a OH Progesterone .32 (.2 mean, stddev .3).  The high levels of
estradiol, among other things perhaps, were suggestive of adrenal cancer to
the people in Tennesee and my vet (in consultation together).  I decided to
have the surgery done while he's still in good health.  My vet (Dr.
Jakubowsky) went in and indeed found the left adrenal was cancerous and
removed it.  All other organs looked great then, as did the right adrenal.
 
** The weird thing is: One week after the surgery, Seldon blew a huge
amount of hair on his back (most of his back), becoming bald there!  But
now: one month after surgery, he has a fine, thick new crop of hair on
his back, as well as on the thighs and chest!
 
This new hair is close to 1 cm long already.  The remaining hair loss is on
the tail (no more or less hair there, yet, than before he had the surgery).
 
Seldon still has the same serious personality he has had since being a kit,
but when he plays, he plays more actively (much to Dors' chagrin when he
bites her), he jumps higher, and he plays for longer than before.
 
It surprises me that he blew all that hair all of a sudden, right
after surgery, and then grew it all back.  Seems weird.  Any ideas why?
 
Todd Cromwell
Dors and Seldon
[Posted in FML issue 1320]