Hello readers of the Ferret Mailing List. My name is Patrick Allen. I'm the son of Sharon Allen. You may remember her and the family's ferrets, the Gothic Foursome of Echo, Tally, Toby, and Lucy. I write this now because she no longer has access to a computer since I have moved out of the house, and she needs to inform you of something horrible. One of the Foursome, Lucy, has had to go into the hospital. She first seemed to be a bit sick a few days ago, and then the day before yesterday she refused to play. She walked a few inches and then lay down. When Toby attempted to play, she shrieked. Yesterday my mother and my brother took Lucy to the vet. He said it was possible something was still inside her, as if she had not swallowed it. She was admitted into the Animal Hospital for observation and X-rays. The news we recieved last night was startling. The xrays revealed nothing inside her, and we have no idea what could be making her feel this way. The doctors are making a wild guess at inflammation of the pancreas, but no one is really sure. All we know is that one of our babies is frightened and alone in the hospital, in a great deal of pain, and we are basically helpless to do anything about it. If anyone has any advice or support, we could use it now. Most importantly, we ask that your prayers be with her. Right now, all we can really do is hope for the best. I will attempt to make a habit of checking my mother's email for this list every day, but if you wish to send information to my family that will definitely be relayed, you may send email directly to me at [log in to unmask] . I will also attempt to give updates on her condition on my homepage at http://members.xoom.com/deadpromises. Thank you for your time, Patrick D. Allen [Posted in FML issue 2984]