Thankyou everyone for their prayers. Well after two vet opinions & $700 worth of surgery we finally & happily brought Valentine home last night. X-rays showed a huge "tumor" inside her abdomen that kept getting bigger as more fluids were pumped in. With almost 0% chance of her surviving we let the vet go in & do exploratory surgery. 20 minutes later later she handed me my baby still half asleep from the anesthesia & a new zipper all the way down her belly. The vet held out her hand & in it she had two of the compressable type foam earplugs I use because I sleep days & work nights. Its still touch & go as the concern is she will develope scar tissue in her duodenum where the ear was lodged. The other plug was just free floating around in her stomach. She ate ferret food this morning for the first time in one month. The vet said it was without a doubt a miracle that she survived this & credited it to the liquid diet I had been feeding her. She said in most cases of obstuction she would have been dead 3 weeks ago. She did a great job & I intend on sending her flowers!!!! BTW these earplugs did not show up on previous X rays & she did have all of the signs of ECE. I in no way blame the vet. I blame myself for being ignorant enough to leave my earplugs on the nightstand. I am also glad to know that this house is ECE FREE!!!! I had felt all along that she could be an obtructed though from all Ive heard about ECE & my other ferret Qpid never has been sick a day. Alot of things just didnt add up. Anyway thanks again for all the prayers & support. Melony, Qpid & yes still Valentine Dorman [Posted in FML issue 1860]