Cook Children's Brave Little Hot shot and BFFs, Stuffed animals Vs Brain Tumor

Chapter 5

Hot shot was receiving treatment for cancer. The type of cancer Hot shot had was Medulloblastoma a type of brain cancer. Hot shot was very nervous and worried at times. He started his radiation treatment recently. He had been getting for a few days. Soon Hot shot was going to be able to go home. Hot shot was looking forward to going home too.

Hot shot was packing his things with his parents. "Let's make sure we have everything," Quickshadow said.

"Looks like we do," Heatwave said looking through the stuff.

"I got Roxy right here," Hot shot said holding Roxy the rhino. "See Georgia is here too," he said. "All of them are here," he said counting the toys ranging from cars to stuffed animals. "The hats are here too," he said. 12 in total of the hats. "I got everything," he said.

"That is good," Heatwave said.

"You are all ready to go," Quickshadow said.

"We have to get ready to go," Heatwave said.

"Hot shot today is the day you are going home," Dr. Zhao said. "You will still need to come to the hospital for treatments, tests, scans and check ups." She said.

"For how long?" Hot shot asked.

"For several months or a year or over a year it depends on a lot of things," Dr. Zhao said. "We either want no evidence of disease or stable disease," she said.

"What does that mean?" Hot shot asked.

"It means if there is no evidence of disease means the tumor is gone no sign of the bad cancer cells and it doesn't look like the tumor is growing back," Dr. Zhao said. "Stable disease means the tumor and cancer is not growing or spreading or going away. It is staying the same. You will still get treatment most likely if the disease is stable to keep the disease stable," she said. "So it will be a long time of treatment most likely until either of those things happen," she said.

"Okay," Hot shot said.

Then Hot shot was taken home after that. Hot shot was really happy to be home now.  It had been a few weeks since he had been home and he was glad to be home too. Hot shot saw his old room and all of his favorite things. Hot shot was happy to be back.

His parents ordered pizza for dinner. Hot shot was very happy about that. He was very happy to be having one of his favorite foods for dinner. Hot shot had to take his medicine while waiting for the pizza. There were syringes at home for Hot shot to take the medicine with. Hot shot squirted all the medicine into his mouth. It was a bit yucky but he took it without a fight. Then Quickshadow proceeded to wash the syringes. 

Once the pizza came they all watched a movie while eating. They even had sweet brownie sundaes for dessert. Hot shot soon went to his room to go to bed. Hot shot was happy to be back home. Hot shot got comfortable in his bed and went to sleep. 

The next morning there were things to do. Hot shot had to get his Hickman line cleaned and flushed. His parents learned how to do that. His parents did that to keep it nice and clean so he could stay healthy. It had to be done every day.  Hot shot had to get a dressing change every few days or when the dressing got wet or dirty. Hot shot was okay with it, it didn't really hurt that much when the dressing was changed really. It didn't hurt at all when the line was flushed either. 

On Monday Hot shot was going to go back to the hospital to get more radiation treatment. Hot shot got himself ready for it. Hot shot was busy getting dressed that Monday morning for it. Hot shot was going to bring Roxy the rhino with him to the hospital. Hot shot was soon all ready to go. "I am ready," Hot shot said.

"That is great son," Heatwave said. "Now let's get going," he said. Heatwave had the day off and was taking him to radiation. Quickshadow had to go run a few errands and had to see the dentist so she couldn't take him.