Evey is gone.

I picked up Evey this morning from the vet's office, around 9:00, I think, and she had came through surgery last night just fine. My vet called me right after her surgery. When I got her home, I could see that she had barely touched her food that we'd packed the night before. I mean, it was as if her food had never been touched; so, I called the office, and they told me that they had put the food out, but she did not eat it. Dr. Tharp said she appeared fine this morning when he checked on her, and he said that she had crabbed a little at first, but then he had offered her some corn, and she ate it. He commented on how gentle she was and that was that. I paid the bill, and we headed for home. When we got home, I checked on her, saw that she'd barely touched her food, and I offered her a mealie. She looked really tired, and her ears were droopy, but I watched her while she tried to eat her mealie, and she just barely took 1/2 of it.

I thought, ok, I will get her some BML, which I heated in the microwave because I could see I was going to have to try the syringe. She just seemed so weak. It was a little too warm, so I added a little yogurt to cool it down. At first, she rejected it, and didn't seem that she could even lick it. I called my vet, ASAP, and he said bring her back in, which I did. While mom got the car started (my van is in TN with John), I offered her the mixture again, and she took two squirts, and we headed right back to the vet's office.

Long story cut short: he gave her a lactated ringer, and a shot of Baytril. She seemed cold, so I kept her close to me, to keep her warm. He said she needed a heating pad; now, while all this is going on Sugeebaby, who is at the Sugar Glider Retreat, along with Cyndiekb and the rest of that grand Texas gang, ran interference for me. I needed a glider expert on the phone YESTERDAY!

While I was at the vet's office, I was lucky enough to talk to Mary H, personally, who patiently and calmly talked us through everything we needed to do. I was thrilled to hear the voice of Charlie H, whom I have admired for years, in the background, along with Mimijo, each offering the most unbelievable support imaginable... I nearly choked up while talking to them on the phone. These people are just unbelievable... I mean, they LIVE to server gliders in need ANYWHERE... I LOVE THESE GUYS...

After Mary and I concluded our business with the my vet, I took off, straightaway, to Walgreen's where I could pick up the things that I needed. While I was standing there, with my fat little Evey in my shirt, keeping her right on my skin, with my hand cupped over her, I felt her wiggle and then move around. I was overjoyed. I thought my fat little girl wanted to come out and play, and that was, though a very welcome feeling, not a good idea in a store... but then, she dropped down to my belly, and (this was very unlike her) I thought she might try to get out of my shirt that way. Feeling VERY conspicuous in that main aisle, I reached my hand up under my shirt, and I cupped my hand around her, and she felt limp. I raced back to the corner of the store, and I told my pharmacist that I had an emergency, and could they please allow me to open the PediaLyte so that I could tend to a little pet that had just left the vet's office. They were shocked, but allowed me to proceed... as we started to open the PediaLyte (I'm sorry, it was the best and only thing that I could think to do at the time), I looked into her little face, and she was ashen... she was gone... I touched her little eye to see if she would respond, and she didn't. The gal behind the counter, though at first shocked, asked me if she could try to revive her (how incredible was that? At that moment, my faith in mankind had really taken a magnificent leap forward)... but it was too late... my fat little Evey, my little sweetheart, whom we had nicknamed "The Most Beautiful Glider in the World" had left me...

I am crying my eyes out as I write this piece. There are so many people who stood by me while John was out of town, including my mother who took me to down, since I had no car), and I am too drained to call each and every one of them... Mary, I tried, but I got a busy signal... please, just know, that I love you, each and every one: Tmarie, Sugeebaby, CyndieKB, and the truly incredible Mary and Charlie H. I do not know what I would have done without you today.

Evey, my little love, mommy tried... be at peace, my little one. I did the best that I could have.