Sad News

Seems that I have been getting a lot of sad news lately.  In August I got the dreaded call that my 17 year old cousin had passed.  I still do not have all the details, my understanding is a possible overdose.  Then on September 6th, when I went to email a friend that we were on our way back to Colorado, we had been in Texas for about 4 weeks, I found out she was dead.  It was apparent suicide, and that's another blog post that has proven very difficult to write, but needs to be.  Today, I got a call from my friend that I gave my ferrets to that Polar Bear has passed away.  I gave my ferrets to her because we're moving to Germany, and at the time we were supposed to move to Germany in early September.  She was moving to Tennessee and had the space and the love to care for my babies.  Polar Bear was at least 6 years old, according to his vet, and I just did not feel right putting him the belly of a plane for 14+ hours, even with his buddy Juliet.  With his passing, I know that I did the right thing.  He lived out his last days with kids, playing and having a good old time.  Even today, before he passed, he had been running around being his silly self.  My friend put the babies in their cage so they could eat, and while they ate Juliet started making a ruckus.  They did the usual "Juliet, we're trying to eat" but she just would not stop.  So her adoptive daddy went to the cage and he was gone.

Polar Bear lived a long life for a ferret.  He even out lived his cage mate, Sable, by two years.  In ferret time, that's like us outliving our spouse by 20+ years.  He had many friends and fans.  His friends were all small children and he would let them lift him by his tail, pet his head just a bit too hard, and handle him probably a bit too roughly, and he LOVED every second of it.  He enjoyed all of his time with anyone that would pay him attention.  He touched many lives, especially mine.  He's now over the Rainbow Bridge, dookin it up with his mate, Sable, again.  He really did mourn her when she left us so suddenly December 17, 2010.  She was only 2, but he had bonded with her as if they had been together for decades.  He moped and would not eat at times, pining away for her.  But Polar Bear and I got passed her death together and he helped me deal with my brain being wired funny.  I know Juliet will miss him, but she was a lone ferret before him and she will be ok without him.  Polar Bear thrived on having a companion.  Juliet is apparently already dancing and playing again, though I'm sure her heart is hurting.

They say death comes in threes, I think this is my 3 for now.  I'm still grieving pretty heavily for my friend.  She was my very first friend in Colorado, but like I said, that's a post for another day.  But I think right now, I'm ok for my big move.  Yep, think I'll be ok.  Soon, you, my faithful reader, will hear my thoughts on suicide and the military since my friend was a soldier.  I am going to make a concentrated effort to write much more because I've found it very therapeutic.  Plus, I write better than most of those selling books on Amazon for Kindle at 99 cents each.

Sable

I would have posted this sooner, but Sable's passing came so close to my trip to Texas for the Christmas holiday that I just couldn't get to it.  I thought I would share Sable's last days with you.  Sable went in for surgery and they found the mass was her spleen and she had a fatty liver.  Biopsy came back while I was in Texas that she had lymphoma and with her passing, I think it was for the best.

The first night was easy enough, she curled up in my summer clothes, staining a white shirt, but was comfortable and slept peacefully the entire night.  The next day she seemed a bit groggy, but who wouldn't after having major surgery.  I made her eat and drink and she took her medicine.  She curled up with me on the floor.  However by day 3 she was very slow and extremely groggy.  I took her in to the vet and they gave her fluids and told me to skip her pain meds.  It really seemed that was it.  She was only a pound and that means it's really hard to determine exactly how quickly her body would metabolize pain medication.  That night though, I knew it was the end.  She would only lay and hardly moved.  When she did her "business" right where she was sleeping, I knew that she would not make it through the night.  I held her and told her that she had to make it.  Daddy wanted to see her and he would be home in a couple weeks.  She just had to make it.  I was crying and she kissed my cheek.  She gave me this look, such a sweet look, that said to me "mommy, I tried, but this battle is just too much.  Tell daddy I love him and I'm sorry that I couldn't be there when he came home.  I wanted to smell his feet and steal his socks."  She laid back down, after taking water and food by syringe, and went to sleep.  She slept peacefully and passed in her sleep.  That morning was one of the toughest mornings I've had in a long time.  She's now got a nice grave and in our hearts as the sweet, loving ferret she was.  She really was my sweet girl.  Polar Bear is now a lonely boy but we're making the best of it. He's slowly getting used to me loving on him like I would Sable, but he still won't sit on my shoulders.  Sable loved hanging out up there.  RIP lil one, we all will miss you.

I would like to thank all of those who helped with the extra expense of her vet bills.  You're help was amazing and I was able to cover her expenses thanks to you!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Sable and the boot 

Sable's grave site

Quick Update

As we approach Christmas, of course the Deployment Fairy would strike.  Sable, my female roan, has a mass on her intestine.  She's now not eating or drinking water.  She's still running around like a mad woman when she's up, but usually it's to find the potty pad to make a lil mess.  I'm really worried about her.  I'll be going out of town soon too.  All of this couldn't have happened at a worse time obviously.  Well, that's the update.  Sable goes in for surgery first thing in the morning so I'm going to bed soon.