Hello to my FML Family and Dr. Williams, I very badly need your advice and two cents worth: today we have decided that little Fang will need to have another surgery; ( had partial pancreatectomy and right adrenal removed last Feb.)... this time a nodulectomy, for his returning insulinoma. We have decided to go ahead with surgery largely due to his recent signs of adrenal, also. Regina posted about her Cully running back and forth to litter boxes, acting confused and stressed. This was her only hint that he had adrenal. This is what Fang has started to do, and his little feet have lost some hair and look more pink. His little tail looks pretty sparse near the base, but no big bald spots. Under his fur, his skin looks more pink in sections (not as orange as some have posted), and we think his prostate is swollen. It is difficult to be sure, because he already has so much fat in the area due to the pred. (and he has only been on .5cc once a day this time around). His BG was down from 74 to a 54 today after being on this dosage. We could just increase the pred and try to treat the prostate (and adrenal), but feel that it would be better to go in before everything just gets worse. Dr. Williams has always referred to *a healthy* ferret being a good candidate for repeat nodulectomies, etc.,We are too afraid to sit back and let him get worse. Then surgery would NOT be an option. I don't understand (unless it is the money factor) why so many of you do not attempt to have nodulectomies done. It seems as if most just go with the pred and proglycem alternatives. Is it because there are not enough ferret knowledgeable vets out there that you are comfortable with ? It if is the cost, I understand, but for us, we will somehow find a way. (and we are NOT wealthy). I guess what I am trying to find out is, if this was your baby, would YOU risk another surgery? I think if it wasn't for the possible adrenal and prostate swelling, we might just stick with the pred also. As you can tell, I am very afraid that Fang could have trouble pulling through the surgery, (he needed a donor last time due to more invasive surgery which also included a liver piece removed for biopsy) but I am just as afraid NOT to give him this chance. We are looking for a donor to have ready just in case. My vet doesn't think he will need one this time, since we are using laser this time for the nodules, and not taking any more pancreatic tissue. For the adrenal, he would probably cut, even though the cryosurgery was used for the right adrenal last time we were in there. We still need a donor ready just in case . HAS ANYBODY TRIED THE OXYGLOBIN for donor blood that was mentioned at the 2000 Symposium? If we don't find a donor, would this be okey to use if we had to? I need your advice soon, as we will try to schedule his surgery for next week. love, and thank you for any advice you might give! Lizzi and little Fang (who doesn't want to miss Christmas) [Posted in FML issue 3265]