From: Lynn Mcintosh [mctosh@u.washington.edu] Sent: Sunday, March 01, 1998 10:29 PM To: FAIML Subject: FAIML #59 Hi there. Whew! Lost of posts - insulinoma is a toughy. I'm glad we're sharing our views and thoughts, hopes and remedies about it as well as adrenal disease. PLEASE TRY AND REMEMBER TO WRITE "POST" IN YOUR SUBJECT HEADING. I'm going to get one of those "hotmail" accounts for the time being, so may have an address change soon. To those experienced with "hotmail", please warn me ASAP if there's any reason I shouldn't! Someone suggested an overall medical mailing list, but I'm not quite ready for that. I feel I've learned a lot and am much more prepared to handle adrenal disease, but insulinoma is something that I think needs focus, too. I think if we spread ourselves too thin, we, at least for now, would dilute the efficacy of dealing with these two difficult diseases. Of course, people will ask about other problems, because we have a good support group, but lets try and deal with other problems privately, for now. I hope that's okay. The most popular name from the thirty-five or so answers to the adrenal survey was... drum roll.. Ferret Adrenal Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML). There was one lovely suggestion to twist the acronym to read FAMLI, which in a way is accurate. The support and kindness on the list is a tribute to us all, and we are indeed a sort of family in the face of two diseases that threaten to rob us of those we love. And, Ferret Adrenal Mailing List, and Insulinoma... kind of reflects how we've evolved. But, I also like the sound of FAIML, though... it just feels kind of powerful to say. If you have strong feelings about either one (FAIML versus FAMLI, or FAMiLI) drop a note and I'll run a tally. Otherwise, I'm leaning toward FAIML and using that as a working name. Hope you all had a Thanksgiving. Mine was badly impacted by the brutal murder reported Thanksgiving eve of 82 fuzzies in our state. It's sort of ghostly that nobody posted a reply to my reporting (and Ed's) of it in the Nov. 28 FML (though I probably sounded like the raving lunatic I became after hearing the mini news account of it). In a way, what is there to say? In a way, there's so much left unsaid (by the media, by those in the immediate area) it's chillingly numbing... I wore black on Thanksgiving, including my long, black t-shirt with a beautiful white etching of a fuzzy, from the South Florida Ferret Club and Rescue folks. By writing this though, I just had an idea for the FML... Anyway, fuzzy hugs to you all -- I typoed "buzzy" :) -- and I hope I get a chance to write a few replies one of these days to list! Lynn Mc. Adrenal List #59, dated November 30, 1997 1. URGENT Sheba Update! 2. Reply: Fiona/Insulinoma 3. Timmy's recipe, vs. tonic 4. Insulinoma diet 5. Fiona/Insulinoma 6. Weezily basement and health problems 7. Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy 8. insulinoma fuzzy (please post) 9. Timmy's Recipe 10. Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy 11. Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy 12. Miracle Cure/Insulinoma 13. archive addition [please post] 1.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 18:23:25 -1000 From: scribe@wtp.net Subject: URGENT Sheba Update! The day before Thanksgiving I talked again with our vet and asked her if it wouldn't be worth a try to put Sheba on some type of antibiotic. She agreed and said that it wouldn't hurt. So....we ran out and picked up some Clavamox to be given 2 drops two times a day. We started her immediately. We were still feeding her her duck soup and pedialyte and offering tons of TLC...telling her she was bettr and better every hour and how much she was loved. She was still so weak that she would have to be held up under her stomach to eat and then we would tuck her back into her sleeping bag, get her up again in fours hours and go through the routine once more.. By friday morning we noticed a difference, she was a little stronger, not much but noticeably so. By friday night she was much better and by this morning, Saturday the 29th, she stood by herself, ate her whole little bowl of duck soup and was even playful. Now tonight, still saturday, she was fisty, felt heavier and when I went to get her out for her meal, she was eating out of her feeder in her cage. This is the mystery....she is supposed to have blood tests on monday which my vet says they take in her jugular vein. But....if this were insulinome, which the vet felt so sure it was, why is she responding to the antibiotic. I realize that Clavamox is a sourt of amoxicillam which is pretty broad spectrum, but I what in the heck does she/did she have. My husband was even afraid to get her up for one of her night feedins and was shocked when she was still alive. It doesn't make sense to me that this is insulinome or is it? You have all been so touching and wonderful about helping us through this and now we are faced with God knows what. Do we go ahead with the boood test? She will get her last does of Clavamox tomorrow, apparently due to its long term use toxicity. Any info will help..... Thank you, one and all Sandra and Sheba 2.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 19:28:28 -0800 (PST) From: Lynn Mcintosh To: Jill Galindo Subject: Re: Fiona/Insulinoma Hi there Jill. > Fiona my little insulinoma girl is sleeping he life away. She is on .4 > (point 4 cc's) of predisone twice a day (she has not had surgery she is > almost 8 y/o) vet did not recommend surgery. But recently she only This made me feel so sad, that she is "sleeping her life away." A vet came over this weekend, and I asked her about pred. doses. I can only relay what she said and that she is an excellent ferret vet - she's on the internet, into research, has been (and will be soon) a fuzzy mom, etc. etc. Her Robbie had insulinoma, so it's an illness close to her heart. I'll put this insulinoma question into the next list - gotta be tomorrow, as things are busy! >anyone wean their ferrets off > of the predisone? Her vet increased her Cathy (the vet) didn't have Robbie on regular prednisone, but she said she was very in tune with his need for a lot of regular feeding and I'm pretty sure she gave it to him from time to time as needed. >dose from .2 (point two) to the > .4 about two months ago. I am wondering if its to much pred or what? Here's what she said, and I wrote it down because insulinoma is something I haven't dealt with. She said that 1/2 milligram per kilogram of weight one time per day is standard, and she would recommend giving it in the evening. A fuzzy can get up to 2 milligrams per kilograms weight, but that is a "shock dose" and shouldn't be done on a regular basis as it will reek havoc with the immune system. trying new things. If I tell him > about something new his response is the same everytime "what is Susan > Brown's opinion on this?" Of course I Fuzzy hugs to you and Fiona... I hope and pray we find a way for her to get a little perkier in her old age. Lynn 3.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 1997 22:33:37 -0700 From: Gary Holowicki Subject: Re: Timmy's recipe, vs. tonic Timmy's Total Tonic is in a bottle ready to go, actually being shipped all over, and is the re-creation of the original tonic less the synthetic potassium. Timmy's recipe is like a food recipe, that is a list of ingredients that are put together when it's time to feed, or make a bigger batch every day or two. I'm finding that mixing everything except the deliver produces a stability that will last a day or 2 in the refrig., then I just portion some out, add Deliver, micro to luke warm & serve. Timmy's web site (in my sig.) has the latest version of his recipe, & I can email to anyone who can't access the web site for whatever reason. The recipe also has details on the ingredients inside the things that are in the recipe. That means I try to use compounds like Greens+ that itself has many ingredients to make the whole thing managable to put together. I'm also starting to carry some of the more hard to find things so people can get "on line" with it easier; those things are: Timmy's Total tonic, the Red clover formula liquid, Pet Tinic, CoQ 10, Greens+, 35cc feeder tip syringes. I've omitted prices as I don't want this to sound like an ad. Anyone confused &/or in critical situation can also phone me to discuss what needs be. 602-957-3112 Happy Thanksgiving all:) Gary & the gang of fur Timmy's web site= AOL instant messenger name= garyferret :)/ ICQ#4461104 4.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 09:15:03 -0500 From: "Michael F. Janke" To: scribe@wtp.net, SBrown9530@aol.com Subject: Insulinoma diet I'm no expert at Insulinoma, but I was at our shelter for my weekly litter box scrubbing duties and I was talking to Angela, our shelter operator, about this topic. She says she can keep insulinoma ferrets maintained for 2 to 3 years with a simple, high protein diet. I don't recall if prednisone was in the equation, but I think it was. I don't know if I can call Angela an expert either, but she's been doing this for years and knows what works. She mixes up 1 jar of Gerbers 2nd stage chicken or turkey baby food with 1 can of A/D (prescription diet available at your vet) with 2/3'rds of a baby food jar of water. Fill a 30cc syringe with this, mixing the prednisone right into one of the feedings it if your vet has prescriped it, and give it to them. If they'll take more than one syringe full, great and if they'll lap it up from a dish, that's even better. Do this 3 to 4 times a day and there ya have it. I know it's hard with a busy lifestyle to be there 4 times a day to do this, but you do what ya gotta do. I was getting up at 5 or 6am, running home for lunch, feeding when I got home from work, and then staying up 'til midnight so I could space out the four feedings. Our prayers are with you and your little ones. For the ferrets, Mike * Michael F. Janke - mjanke@gate.net * Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue * * Shelter Home Page - http://www.gate.net/~mjanke 5.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 12:11:31 -0600 From: Rochelle Newman Subject: Fiona/Insulinoma >Fiona my little insulinoma girl is sleeping he life away. She is on .4 >(point 4 cc's) of predisone twice a day (she has not had surgery she is >almost 8 y/o) vet did not recommend surgery. But recently she only >sleeps, she will wake up for duck soup and medication and goes right >back to sleep. To my knowledge she doesn't get up unless I wake her up >and I don't know what to do for her. Does anyone wean their ferrets off >of the predisone? Her vet increased her dose from .2 (point two) to the >.4 about two months ago. I am wondering if its to much pred or what? Why not have her blood glucose level checked with her on the meds? That way you'll know where she stands. My guess -- the pred isn't helping enough, and its time to switch to proglycem (besides, proglycem doesn't have as many nasty side effects). And maybe add some insulinoma soup. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Rochelle Newman rochelle-newman@uiowa.edu Department of Psychology (319) 335-2417 University of Iowa (319) 626-7029 FAX 11 Seashore Hall E Iowa City, IA 52242 http://www/.psychology.uiowa.edu/Faculty/Newman.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 15:14:08 -0600 From: Sterling Killian Subject: Weezily basement and health problems Greetings all, Sterling here and the notorious band of seven now. We had four and I recently adopted three and now my basement is way weezily but I have some new problems on the horizon. These ferrets were given to me by a woman living in my area and are originally from Pam Grants shelter....(some of you probably know Pam)..... Anyway...... One is an adrenal baby who has had her surgery but is still exhibiting signs of swelling and moderate hair loss. I was thinking of taking her for another surgery but she is five and so we are discussing that still. Also I have several other ailments right now. I have sammy who I think has a gastrointestinal blockage.....his poop is a little weird and he is getting a little skinny. Other than that there is no evidence of anything strange. He plays .....no symptoms of insulinoma, and is very weezily as always...... Tate has a hypoactive thyroid and is really chunky and has a bald tail. We took him to the vet and started him on Soloxine tablets but that hasnt affected him very much and I was hoping maybe someone else had suggestions. Tate is my geriatric man and walks with a limp as he was hit by a car early in life. I adopted him when he was three and he is now about six or seven.... He sleeps alot and I am really worried about him. His spleen is enlarged but our vet is not very concerned about it. I know ferrets but I am stymied this time. I also have a strange happening with my little fuzz buddy Duncan. Duncan is very healthy looking but he doesnt play alot and his breathing is very rapid for a ferret. I just adopted him a few months ago so I am not sure if he has always been like this or if he has a medical ailment. The only thing that I can think of that would make him breath like that is cardiomyapathy. We are going to the vet week after next (all four of them) but if you guys have suggestions or comments in advance I would love to hear them. Thanks and Thanksgiving prayers to all Sterling (Marmel...Tate Samson..Duncan Oscar Gumby Janey) and Daisy coming soon to a basement near us. Lydia at the rainbow bridge. 7.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 18:00:57 -0500 From: dayna frazier Subject: Re: Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy Hi Lynn, I was talking to the Ways who have an adrenal ferret and mentioned the recent posts about the fact that pred is being published about for adrenal ferrets.. It's so odd. I have been treating adrenal ferrets with a course of Pred [pediapred] for over a year and with active cases [not good surgical candidates, or removal of one adrenal but not the other as yet] I have kept the ferrets on three doses of 1/2 cc of Pediapred a week given with the woozle goo as an ongoing maintenance dose. The ferrets in this protocol that includes use of the lights, feeding of woozle goo, and the exercise program along with the pred have all regained their health and stayed healthy. In cases where all of one adrenal was removed and only a large part of the other could be removed the ferrets in this program have remained stable and well.. Of course it's only been a few months over a year for the ferrets in the program. So I have all of them in my prayers every evening. I have read all the list postings to date and was very surprised to see the Pred was just recently being used for adrenal ferrets.. Have I missed some earlier postings somewhere else on this.. Of course in Calif there was no vets to do any of what the vets elsewhere were doing and my use of the Pred was just my consideration only.. I knew little about the other drugs being used and I started using it due to the enlarged spleens of many ill ferrets out there [which turns out to be common with sick fuzzys]. A shot in the dark that worked so I kept using it. I am very happy and not a little relieved to find it is being used by the vets in areas where ferrets ae legal. I have sent copies of the postings about this to a couple vets in Calif. that have been treating [South American Hamsters] Ferrets very quietly for years. Since they can easily be caught if they list them in the computers as ferrets they use the SAH as the species label in their computer and billing programs for types of pets. Sneaky but effective. Thank you for adding me to the adrenal list recipeints. I have shelter ferrets that are adrenal and will be following every issue of the list closely.. as well as printing them out for my adrenal book.. one of my many notebooks with information on one ferret related subject or another. I have one question.. has anyone been charting a weight gradient on these adrenal ferrets? The weight loss and skin changes are sometimes evident when the fur and vulva have not shown change. Having such a subtle change not being easily tracked some of the ferrets I have seen have gotten quite advanced prior to losing fur and evidencing vulvar swelling. By keeping a weekly charted schedule of physicals there have been instances where the itchy skin and gradual weight loss have let me know something was wrong woth a ferret long before the other symptoms became visible. By running the estradial testing at the point the weight loss and itchy skin became noticeable the elevated results were a large red flag that told us the ferret was highly probable to be adrenal. Itchy skin alone or gradual weight loss alone were usually ruled out as caused by other factors. But in tandem and backed by elevated readings in the estrodial test the vet got to the adrenal tumour when it was in the very early stages and generally got all of it in the surgerical proceedure. Is this what you and your list people have found as well? Some ferrets thought to be too young for adrenal disease had reoccuring bouts of weight loss [sometimes small and brief] and itchy skin [came and went after a brief duration in some] that were either brief or not long enough to really alarm the owners. Had these ferrets been taken to a vet for this condition no matter how brief, and the test run, the adrenal condition could have been caught and corrected much earlier in the course of the disease. I only began routinely asking about these two conditions during the intake interview [where possible] about two years ago. I think this is something both private ferret owners and shelters might wish to include in the normal course of ferret caregiving. This is only my own personal observation and opinion of course.. And I am a small newly liberated ferret fanatic from California. At any rate.. I would appreciate your comments on these areas.. During my conversation with Diana Way about her adrenal ferret who has been on the protocol for some time now and is doing very well, I mentioned the information about the pred postings in your list.. and she was very surprised as was I. We were both very happy we had inadvertently done the right thing all along. The main reason I have not gotten the medical page in the protocol done was because my Pred use was not what I was seeing was the routine meds being used by the vets treating adrenal ferrets and I had no concrete reasoning behind my use of it with the ferrets I have cared for. I simpy had no way to explain why I started using it nor why it was working well. I am NOT a vet or a tech or any of that. And I designed each program for each ferret to sit what I observed and 'my gut feeling' of what was needed. Not very scientific as you can see. Still isn't for that matter. thank you for the list.. I know it must be a lot of work. It is much needed.. The ferret family with the Insulinoma ferret might contact Gary Holowicki.. he has had great success with treating this disease and he is very knowledgeable. Also he has recently succeeded in having his original reciepe reproduced exactly and it is now available to those who need it. He is a very loving ferret Dad who is extraordinarily knowledgeable about herb and vit. therapies for many conditions that occur in ferrets. happy fuzzys.. that's what it's all about.. dayna and the woozles 8.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 00:01:36 +0000 From: "Karen Purcell, DVM" Cc: scribe@wtp.net, mhough@wcu.campus.mci.net Subject: Re: insulinoma fuzzy (please post) Sandra, and Jill, and Melanie (lots of insulinoma kids out there), > Thank God we heard from you. Our little Sheba is so very sick. Our > vet feels sure she has insulinoma and we are heart sick. She is > skinand bone, so weak she staggers. Her three buddies have not caught > this and it has been going on for three weeks now so I am sure that it is > something systemic. Please send us any information as how to proceed. > She is so fisty and such a fighter that it just kills us to see her this > way. Thank you a million times over. We are feeding her duck soup > which she likes and pedialyte. What is Sheba's blood glucose reading? If it is below 60mg/dl, she should have an interosseous catheter or intravenous catheter placed for dextrose and saline fluid therapy. This will help stabilize her, as will frequent small meals. If she is this week, she should also be on prednisone, though I prefer to do surgery before starting steroid therapy if possible. Surgery is only an option if she is strong enough to withstand the trauma, but it will help prolong her life if successful (and it gives your vet a chance to see if any other organs have problems) I have an insulinoma girl, now over 1 year post op and doing fine on pred and diazoxide. Let me know if you need any other info. Note to Jill - More frequent feedings may perk her up, and the addition of diazoxide to her treatment protocol. What is the dosage of Prednisone (amounts don't help if we don't know mg/cc). Freya is currently on 1.75mg plus 0.5mg diazoxide twice daily. Melanie, Hang in there - ferrets are incredibly able to bounce back after surgery. Freya was eating her normal diet within 12 hours (and had removed her own catheter) of recovery from surgery. I do supplement with duck soup to keep her weight stable, but only twice a day, with adlib Totally Ferret/8 in 1/Iams kitten/whatever looks good available at all times. -Dr. Karen 9.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 19:51:52 -0500 From: dayna frazier Subject: Timmy's Recipe Hi Lynn, Gary has had the original Timmys Receipe exactly reproduced [how it's done is critical as much as what is in it] and has it available already made up! He has worked on this for a long time nd went to endless trouble to do it.. btw.. Timmy is still his nutty self and doin fine as far as I know.. dayna could you cc to the adrenal list as I don't know how... thank you.. MODERATORS NOTE: Hi Dayna. Just send the message to me and I'll post it. If it's urgent go ahead and reply to the list. Thanks! Lynn 10.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 20:27:33 -0500 From: Scott Lehman Subject: Re: Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy Hello all, Happy Thanksgiving. I don't normally post, usually just read as at the moment (thank heavens) my babies are not suffering with adrenal problems or insulinoma. However, on list 58, there are a few posts that I would like to respond to. First of all, just because my babies are not suffering from insulinoma nor adrenal problems, does not mean that I have not been where you are now, I have, and I fully understand what you are going through and have felt the same feelings and frustrations. Sandra, Jill, Melanie: Please have your vet run a blood sugar test. When Gis first became ill with insulinoma, I thought that he had an ear infection. He staggered and appeared "dizzy". When he was taken to the vet, the vet was stumped, didn't know what was the problem. He even called in the in-house neurologist to check Gis out and who was also stumped. My vet began contacting vets all across the country for advice and he received a response back from a California vet who suggested that he check blood sugar level. Tests were run and the results were Gismo's blood sugar level was very low. He was prescribed Prednisone and was on that for a couple of weeks before another bad episode occurred. Gismo was scheduled for surgery, had it, and came through with flying colors. His staggering/dizziness stopped and he began to act like the Gis of old. Then a couple of months down the road, it began again. At this time, Proglycem was prescribed as well as prednisone. Gismo had his surgery in January 1996, later that summer, he began losing his fur on his tail and rear quarters. It was diagnosed that he had developed adrenal problems. Surgery was again set, November 1. Gismo had the surgery, made it through the surgery and went into hypothermic shock later that night and was almost lost. Due to some quick action on our part (warming him up rapidly) and a quick emergency midnight vet visit, he pulled through. Several months followed before Gis began demonstrating aggressive behavior toward Princess (the only one of our ferrets that he was friendly with), his fur grew back sporadically, then began to thin once again. Gis was determined not to be a good candidate for another surgery. Gismo crossed the bridge July 11, 1997. Once again, Sandra, please have your vet check the blood sugar. Keep feeding her well, especially really high protein food, keep her warm and if she should have a really bad episode-rub corn syrup on her gums or give her some whipping creme and schedule a visit with the vet-pronto. Prednisone and proglycem are the usual prescribed medications for insulinoma. Timmys recipe comes highly recommended and there is a new holistic tonic called Noni juice that seems to work well. (Noni juice can be gotten from Carin Riley, I believe that she is also on this list, Lynn-correct me if I am wrong.) Jill, my vet kept trying to reduce the dosage of pred once the proglycem was added. Gis was on 3.75 mg daily. Didn't help, the symptoms began to reappear rapidly, so the pred was given during the entire interim. I really don't know what the maximum dosage is. Check with your vet, s/he should be able to tell you. You might also ask him/her about proglycem. Gismo slept a lot also. He would wake for his food, do a little ferreting and then return to bed. Melanie, please re-read the beginning of my post, I believe that it may help to answer some of your questions, especially ref the sugar level vs surgery and also the time involved afterwards. My vet stated that without the surgery, Gis would probably live 3-5 months, with the surgery 1-3 years. We opted for surgery and Gis was given another year and one-half of quality time. Every ferret is different and the time frame for Gis may not necessarily be the same for yours. Am pleased to hear that the glucose level is higher. Keep up the good work. For the ferrets, always Margaret Ann and Scott Lehman and the 15 fur-babies (in loving memory of Gismo) 11.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 28 Nov 1997 14:42:23 EST From: Lisaferets Subject: Re: Adrenal List #58 - very sick fuzzy Sorry Lynn, I didn't read the list until today -- I have had experience with insulinoma, and if anyone needs specific help they are welcome to email me or call me (757) 481-3954. I need the collective help of the list myself. My bilateral adrenal boy, Kyle, seems to be losing the use of his back legs, resulting in among other things, him getting pee and poo all over his back end. Now before anyone suggests surgery, this poor little rescue has already had 4 surgeries, for his ears, a fibrous mass, and the adrenalectomy, all in his short 4+ years. He is unadoptable, but that doesn't mean that we can't try our very best to see he is comfortable. I am wondering if anyone out there (Dayna, maybe?) who has experienced this and has any ideas, or people to contact for a cart or wheels for his butt. He has upper body strength, but his back legs seem to be losing either control or strength. I can't feel anything unusual in his spine, his abdomen or have an explanation for this. If anyone has any suggestions, I am open to them. This little boy deserves to be as comfy as possible.. Happy Ferreting! Lisa 12.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 04:02:30 -0500 (EST) From: Cujimnster@aol.com Subject: Miracle Cure/Insulinoma I got what turned out to be a miracle cure from a friend w/a shelter in FFZ south of you, I can't tell you why it works, but for me it has and you may wanna post it, maybe somebody can figure it out. I had a specially bad case last fall, a 5 yr old 1 previous owner, that was sooooo depressed, he just lay down to die. I was forcefeeding him for 3 weeks and tried everything I knew but nothing would perk him up but when my husband was home, he would lay by the door over his slippers and wait for him. Anyway, I was chatting w/my FFZ friend and she told me she had the same prob w/one of hers and she tried a vit B12/C shot, she used 1/4 cc combined cuz hers was about a pound, and since mine was 2 plus, I went to 1/2 cc combined, we both did twice a day, and I added 1 mg pred crushed and mixed w/ferratone or Deliver, twice a day. By the third day he was up and running and eating on his own!! Of course we had to keep him:D Anyway I've used this twice since, not waiting so long of course, 1 week depression and then the Cure, and it worked in less than 48 hours both times. I know the pred is an appetitie stimulant and the B12 has something to do w/the immune system, what the C does I don't know. I can't guarantee this to work, but it sure has for me. I had my insulinoma girl on a modified Timmys Recipe for 2 months, she did so well, I took her off and for the last 3 months, she's been just eating normal food w/the rest and has gained weight and is doing fine, full of energy and no apparent symptoms. Keep in touch, let me know how your colorcoded placemats work out LOL Peace, Cuji 13.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 29 Nov 1997 15:41:50 -0500 From: dayna frazier Subject: archive addition [please post] Hi Lynn.. I would like to offer a suggestion for the list archives if I may. I have no doubt this has been proposed long since but it wasn't in the 'intro' post so have no clue where to lo ok.. There are a great many lay people who wouldn't know 'debulk' from'bulk mailing'.. 'Lysodren' from 'Lysol'.. soooo.. I thought a terminology listing perhaps called 'terms and words' or just 'Adrenal/lymphosarcoma Dictionary' might be a very helpful addition to the list into.. or perhaps a referral to the address to get a copy of such a dictionary.. Not a huge tome of medical terms.. just a short one with terms like 'debulking' and 'vena cava' and 'adrenal gland' and 'lymphosarcoma' and 'Lysodren' and 'Lupron' and 'Prednisone' and so on definined for the english layman and for the foreign language subscribers using a translater program that my hoplessly scramble translating these unusual words not commonly used in genreal conversation.. I will never forget the first day beginning my medical education.. I understood about one word out of 20 and felt totally idiotic and very very worried. I was too shy and embarrassed by my obvious ignorance to ask people to please translate or use shorter words I had a remote possibility of understanding.. and this with a 10,000 + vocabulary [personal]! just not the right ones! I realized, while my neighbor who is fairly average with word usage, was reading over my shoulder this afternoon, and asking me every third word 'what's that mean?', that many of the posts that I read like a kindergarten reading primer, were hopelessly full of unusual words for her to understand what on earth we were taking about. In order to give the comfort and aid and information this list offers in such abundance, it might be a good idea to supply a short dictionary of what some of the more unusual works mean. Lymphosarcoma is not found in your garden variety Websters Abridged Dictionary... honest. :-) anyhow.. it's just a suggestion. I don't mean to intrude.. happy fuzzys.. it's what it's all about... dayna and the woozles of the MMOMM rescue/shelter -------------------------End of FAIML----------------------