I'm very sorry about what you're going through. It probably won't make you feel any better but this time last year I almost died from a mis-diagnosis of colon cancer & after a few major emergency surgeries, I am fortunately doing better, but it was a scary time. I had diverticulitis, which is rare for someone my age (27). It almost killed me and while I spent over a month in the hospital, I lost a baby brazilian rainbow boa (due to dehydration). It was awful not having anyone care for my herps during that time. I felt really bad about it. Even after I got home from the hospital, I wasn't able to lift anything over a few pounds, which meant I couldn't even lift a 10 gallon tank. I had everyone telling me to get rid of my pets but I refused and held out. I say try your best to keep doing what you love and simply make plans for someone to care for your herps when the time comes when you can no longer care for them yourself. I found that caring for my snakes took my mind off of my illness at the time and gave me something to look forward to when I was feeling stronger & better. I think working with these animals can be very therapeutic & relieve stress if you have an honest & sincere love for these animals, which you do. Keep on herping and stay positive! I'm sure, there are plenty of friends on here that would be happy to help you by looking after your animals if it came to that. If I lived closer to you, I'd help you out. Otherwise, let me know if there is any other form of help I could provide & I would try my best.

Sincerely,

Jason
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