First... I want to say thank you to the people that have sent my mom cards... She loves them....she is also starting to see how the ferret community comes together... it is funny... each card she gets she is excited about! I think she has received 4 so far (to include one from the UK). If you would like to send her a card please feel free to: Ruby Ruffner P.O. Box 4316 Huachuca City, AZ 85616 Ok... now on to her update... for those that might not remember..she has gone through death of 2 sons, three time cancer survivor, spleen removed, coma, gallbladder removed, cataracts, ovary removed, kidney failure, heart transplant, diabetes, and now this....she has lost 40 pounds in 6 months and now weighs 91.5. Her weight continues to drop and the doctors have run every test that they can and have come up with nothing. Everything just runs through her. My mom is a Newfoundland girl and if you know anything about them they are very stubborn and friendly. She takes everything in stride and has this power to always stay positive no matter what life throws at her. Newfoundland is the only place that has an extra 30 minutes added on to their time zone... their reasoning... so when world ends, they have 30 extra minutes to party! My mom is now depressed... she has been in bed for a month. Her weight goes down even though she wants to eat. She is moving around a little more, but not much. She loves life and will continue to fight. It is not her nature to give up... I wish I could tell everyone what was going on with her medically but no one knows yet.... We do know that it is not cancer and it is not affecting her new heart. She has a PICC line in and has blood drawn from it twice a week and sees her heart doctor every Friday. My parents were planning on going to Florida for Christmas but, of course, now they are not. My dad, semi-retired, has been playing nurse, house husband, cook, maid and wonderful friend (married 45 years this past August). Next summer we are going back to Newfoundland if all goes well... see... we are always looking forward. My mom thinks ferrets are "interesting". It is funny though... she loves our sick ones even more... I think because she understands what they are going through more than anyone else. Anyways, thanks for letting me blab away. My mom means the world to me... she is what holds our family together. A wonderful woman with a true heart of gold. Always giving always loving and always learning. Joanne Ruffner Ferret Corner Shelter "Ferrets are the Spice of Life" www.geocities.com/ferretcorneraz www.supportourshelters.org www.geocities.com/neverforeverland There's a pot of Ferret Love at the end of the Rainbow [Posted in FML issue 4294]