From:
Larry McFarlane
Date: 2001-06-02 18:07:00 UTC
Subject: A question for the FML and FHL-cross posting
I'm cross posting this onto both the FML and the FHL.
As you all know, I lost my boy Socks April 22. The
preliminary autopsy report stated huge adrenal mass. In
January Socks had adrenal surgery, and it was the right
adrenal, the largest that the vet had ever seen. There was no
way to take it with laser surgery and so they did cryosurgery.
Socks responded well, grew coat back, gained weight.
On 4/22 he was gone. He didn't look good the 20th, the 21st I
got him to his vet at Purdue and onto antibiotics, the 22nd I
lost him.
I've faxed the report to both the surgeon and to Dr. Williams.
The surgeon called me and told me (Dr. Williams I hope I get
this correct) that the adrenal, although it looked fine on the
outside, was totally invasive to the vena cava and surrounding
area, and spread cancer into Socks. From the sound of it,
this was also what was causing his lung problems. His last
few hours, besides the cancer, were compounded by liver
failure, a back up of enzymes into his system. The vet told
me there was absolutely nothing I could have done for him-that
I'd done my best by having him go through surgery.
Now I notice that Alix' tail is thin. My question to any one
who cares to respond, and I really hope you do is this. If
you have your ferret taken into surgery, and it's like Socks'
tumor-huge, absolutely positively huge (it had even caused the
blood flow to move), and the tumor looks normal, would you
allow your ferret to wake up from this surgery knowing that
something this size and degree is possibly cancer? Having
gone through this with Socks I now have all sorts of doubts in
my mind. WHat if I take Alix into surgery and she has the
same type of tumor as Socks? Do I give her a couple of more
months to possibly die in the way Socks did, or do I just let
her pass to the Rainbow Bridge, knowing that this may not
possibly be cancer, but afraid to let her suffer anymore? I
am so torn by this. I even asked the vet if I did the right
thing, did I do the wrong thing by putting him through
surgery? I knew from the ultrasound how huge this thing was.
You could see where the blood flow had re-routed itself. But
I didn't know it was cancer, although with something this huge
and this invasive I perhaps should have. But this was my
first time dealing with adrenal. Fang had her surgery, and
thank God it was the left-no problems, not all that huge,
laser took it all. But now there's Alix, my little girl with
the partly broken spirit. I don't know that this is adrenal,
but just in case it is, tell me your views.
For the folks of the FML-I'm asking this in an open forum-I
don't want flames, blames, whatever. Think rationally, answer
rationally. Yes, what I've asked is emotional, it's gut
wrenching. I know-I've just gone through it, and even though
it's been over a month, I still cry for Socks and wonder if I
really did do the right thing for him. So please, don't get
hyper or bent out of shape, start flinging barbs, accusations.
That's not what this post is about. It's asking for your
views. I know deep in my heart that I will probably have Alix
go through surgery if necessary, and no doubt will let her
wake up, even if it is a terrible tumor, but please, tell me
your views.
Rebecca & the Crew of Merry Mayhem
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art
crunchy, and taste good with ketchup"