The traveling weasles & worried about Nyssa

I am in the middle of a seven week consulting assignment in the Pittsburgh area. I go home to Cincinnati on weekends and stay at a ferret friendly hotel during the week so the little weasels have been able to travel with me, including Nyssa, rather than having a friend care for them in the North Carolina. It's been great to have the ferrets with me and they seem to really enjoy having different places to explore. For the most part we've had high energy evenings filled with lots of play and wrestling.

The travel even seemed to agree with Nyssa for a couple of weeks, as in it stimulated her. One day last week she ran for a full hour without a break for the first time in probably two to three months. She was very much her old self. In the last few days she's shown signs of really going downhill, though, including weakness, falling when trying to walk/run, difficulty climbing into a litter pan or into the cage, etc... Her activity level has dropped to near nil. Nyssa is incredibly thin now despite a voracious appetite and Ferretvite given as a treat. Zephyr, the only ferret Nyssa still doesn't really get along with, curled up and laid down with her last night which told me more than anything that it's really serious at this point. Zephyr was awake much of the time, just laying there with her. I've seen Romana and Chin Soon do that but never Zephy.

From recent visits with Dr. Weston we know that the lymphoma has invaded Nyssa's internal organs. She has enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. I just plain think I am finally running out of time for her and I fear the next vet visit will be her last.

I've posted to the FHL (Ferret Health List) looking for a compassionate, knowledgeable ferret vet here in Pittsburgh in case Nyssa simply can't wait until we go home this weekend.

Nyssa has been part of my life since 4th of July weekend in 1998. She has always been very bonded to me. It will really, really hurt when I lose her.