Recently I came home from a holiday to find my ferret, Xavier Montague Tudor Paco Ferret I, near death: his body temperature was so low that he almost died. Xavier is an older ferret--they only live to be between five and eight years old. He also suffers from Insulinoma, a ferret-like diabetes, and lymphoma-- a cancer of the ferret lymph nodes. He also has developed arthritis, which has made it harder for him to get around and play, as of late. So it is no surprise to me that my little X is nearing the end of his life at age 6 and with all of these health problems. But he is also a fighter, like his father, and neither of us were ready to let go.
I knew that Xavier needed immediate medical attention, which I got him, but realized that his little life was hanging on by a thread. I admitted him into the ICU overnight for two nights, and I cannot tell you how devastated I was to come home to an empty house for the first time in 5 years. I didn't know what to do. I was distraught, upset, depressed, begged God not to take him too soon from me.
I cried so hard at the possibility of losing him. Sure, he is just a small little mammal, and as one person said cruelly: "He is not a person, he is just a ferret." But Xavier is more than just a pet. He is family. Those 100 people that have met him can attest to the fact that Xavier is like a little person with a big personality. He is clever, funny, wise, and mischievous. He knows his name and comes when I call him. He knows not to do something when told "no" by me--that is until I have turned my back. He kisses your face, licks the tears away when you are sad, and loves drinking water straight from my sink. A picky eater, X only eats Cheerios, almonds, and Cheez-its when it comes to eating anything other than his kibbles--which he prefers to be stale for several days. Like a cat, he hates baths, but like a puppy/kitten he loves to play, even in his old age. When he isn't going through your stuff, he is stealing your socks and making a nest for himself to sleep in under my couch out of this loot.
The day I got him back from the ICU was awful. He hated his 6 medicines a day and was literally vomiting the medicines I was trying to force feed him all over me. He was puking so much that the stomach acid was causing the roof of his mouth to burn. Being a ferret, he didn't understand the pain, so he began scratching at his mouth and gums with his claws until he began to bleed. Soon, the front of my shirt was covered in ferret vomit and blood. But all I could do was hold him tight, cry, and pray to God that he made it through the night.
So I did the only thing I could think to do, which was reach out to people. I asked for prayers and good energy to help ensure a recovery for Xavier. So I reached out to you, in TV/Interwebsland, and asked for prayers for Xavier. It may sound silly, but I think about all of my friends and the people that have met Xavier, and they probably number at least 100 people whose lives Xavier has touched in the nearly 5 1/2 years he has called me his.
And, remarkably, it worked. It turns out that X had an ulcer that he nearly died from, but one that wasn't so bad that he couldn't survive it. But the positive energy and well wishes I received not only help put me in better spirits, I really truly believe that it helped guarantee that Xavier lived.
I know that I will not have Xavier forever. But to really see how much he is loved and the people who reached out concerned for him was so beautiful that words cannot express my gratitude. I have seen first hand the power and abilities that prayer and good energy can have. The well wishes and love are what helped keep my baby around a little longer.
Now, over two weeks later, X is no longer on 6 medicines a day. He is able to walk around my place again on his own, eat on his own, and is back to being his normal mischievous self again.
We both cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of love and prayers. They seriously made such a difference in his recovery.
All my luv to you all.
