Hot shot Flamezer is a normal five year old boy. He loves his home in Maine. But then his parents drop the bomb they are moving. They are going to be living in Fort Worth Texas. Now in their new home things seem pretty normal. Hot shot loves living there now. However that December things take a turn for the worst. On December 4th Hot shot is very sick. His parents take him to Cook Children's hospital that morning to find out what is wrong after calling the doctor. There Hot shot goes under a lot of tests. He finds out he has cancer called Ewing Sarcoma. Hot shot is scared but ready to be brave. At the hospital he makes friends with other kids who have cancer too. The kids names are Hoist Towver, Medix Redden, Whirl Windal and Wedge Shoveler. They become best friends. They decide to fight their cancer together. They are going to win too. (Humanized)
chapter 1
Hot shot Flamezer is five years old and he lives in Maine. He lives with his parents Heatwave and Quickshadow. He calls he daddy and mummy. His dad Heatwave is a Firefighter. He is very brave, and strong. He is a good man and is calm in an emergency. He loves his wife and son very much. He teaches Hot shot that a man doesn't just need to be strong and tough, but also needs to be understanding and flexible because that is what women truly want in a man. His mom Quickshadow is a pediatrician who specializes in Emergency Medicine.
They loved their life in Maine. It was a wonderful place to live.
It was mid November Hot shot was playing outside at the moment. "Hot shot come inside please," Quickshadow called.
"Coming," Hot shot called.
He came inside the house. "What is going on?" Hot shot asked.
"We have some news Hot shot," Quickshadow said.
"It is big news son," Heatwave said.
"What is it?" Hot shot asked.
"I got the job transfer," Quickshadow said. "I am going to work at Cook Children's Hospital," she said.
"Cool," Hot shot said.
"Yes it is great son," Heatwave said. "There is more to this big news," he said.
"What?" Hot shot asked.
"We're moving," Quickshadow said.
"Moving?" Hot shot asked.
"Yes we are going to move to a new home, so your mom can work at Cook Children's Hospital," Heatwave said.
"Where are we moving too?" Hot shot asked.
"Fort Worth Texas," Quickshadow told him.
"Texas?" Hot shot asked.
"Look we are up here in Maine," Heatwave said point at a map. "Texas is right down here," he said.
"It is so far away," Hot shot said.
"Yes but the good news is my childhood friends, Blades, Boulder and Chase live there so we will know some of the people there," Heatwave said.
"When are we going?" Hot shot asked.
"We are leaving in a week," Heatwave said. "We already chose a house and now we have to pack and get ready to leave. "We should make it to our new house by Thanksgiving," he said.
"Okay," Hot shot said.
They began to pack their things. They were getting ready to go to their new home. Everything was packed soon. Then the moving van came. The moving men packed all the boxes into the van.
Then they got into the car. Now they were ready to leave. They started to head to Fort Worth Texas. "When are we going to get there?" Hot shot asked.
"Not for a few days Hot shot, it is going to be a long trip." Heatwave told him.
There were a lot of stops along the way. There were stops for gas, stops for snacks, stops for drinks, stops for meals, stops to use the restroom, and overnight stops at motels.
Finally they made it to Fort Worth Texas. "Here we are son, Fort Worth Texas," Heatwave said.
"Wow," Hot shot said.
There was a lot to see in Fort Worth. They made it to the house. "Here is our new house," Quickshadow said.
It was a red brick house with a red door. Hot shot saw it had a back yard like his old house. Hot shot was very curious. He began to look around inside. He saw his room. He was ready to get his room ready.
They set up Hot shot's room and the other rooms. The unpacking took a while. But they managed to get done quickly.
They began to settle into their new home. Heatwave began to work for the local fire department. Quickshadow started her new job at Cook Children's Hospital. There was a lot to do and see.
Hot shot adored playing in his backyard. He loved to play in it.
His father's friends came by to welcome them.
His father's friend Boulder built Hot shot a special playset so he could have fun. It had swings, a slide, climbing bars, and a fireman's pole. Hot shot loved it a lot. "Thank you uncle Boulder," Hot shot said hugging him.
"Your welcome," Boulder said.
Hot shot was starting to like his new home. There was a lot to see and do.
However that Saturday Hot shot noticed he wasn't feeling too good. His lower left leg was hurting, he was limping, he felt tired and hot.
"Mummy I don't feel good," Hot shot said.
"You don't feel good?" Quickshadow said.
"I feel just blah," Hot shot said.
Quickshadow felt his forehead. It was quite hot. "I think you might have a fever," Quickshadow said. Then she got the thermometer. "Keep it under your tongue," she told him.
Hot shot did so and sat with it there in his mouth. Then it beeped. Quickshadow took it out of his mouth. "101.8 you do have a fever, get in bed young man," she told him.
Hot shot changed into his PJs and got in bed.
Over the next week Hot shot wasn't getting any better. He was getting worse. It was the beginning of December and Hot shot was still sick. "We better take him to Cook Children's Hospital to be looked at," Quickshadow said.
"Good thinking," Heatwave said.
They got Hot shot's shoes on and got him ready to go. "Where are we going?" Hot shot asked holding on to a plush toy.
"We are going to Cook Children's Hospital," Quickshadow said. "We are taking you there so we can find out why you are sick," she told him.
"I never been to a hospital before." Hot shot said.
"I know," Quickshadow said.
"It is okay to be scared son, but remember the doctors are there to help you," Heatwave told him.
"Okay," Hot shot said.
They got into the car and headed for Cook Children's Hospital. Hot shot was kind of nervous and scared. They came up to the hospital. Hot shot saw there was a dragon up front. He looked happy and friendly. Seeing the dragon helped Hot shot forget he was scared. He waved at the dragon too.
Then the car was parked and Hot shot got out of his car seat. He followed his parents inside. They were in the ER. "This is the ER Hot shot it is where you can see a doctor quickly," Quickshadow said.
They got checked in and were waiting. Then after a bit a nurse came out. "Hot shot," the nurse said.
Hot shot went back with his parents. The nurses got his vitals then he was waiting in a little room on a bed.
A doctor came in a bit later. "Okay let's take look," the doctor said.
"Hot shot has a fever, he is tired, he has pain in his lower left leg, the pain wakes him up at night and he is limping." Quickshadow said.
The doctor finished the exam. "Go over to the Dobson specialty clinics. Go to the fifth floor on it to the hematology/oncology unit. They are waiting for you," the doctor told them.
They went over to the Dobson specialty clinic. Hot shot was very tired and his leg was hurting a lot to walk. So Hot shot got to ride in a wagon.
They made it to the elevator and his father pushed the button. Then the elevator opened and they went inside. His father pressed the number five button.
Hot shot was kind of nervous to go to this special clinic. They got off the elevator when it stopped on the fifth floor. They headed to the hematology/oncology clinic. There were a lot of kids there for many reasons.
Hot shot saw there were four kids his age who looked nervous like him.
"Hi I am Hot shot Flamezer," Hot shot said.
"Hi I am Hoist Towver," Hoist said.
"Hi I am Medix Redden," Medix said.
"Hi I am Whirl Windal," Whirl said.
"Hi I am Wedge Shoveler," Wedge said.
"I am here because I am sick," Hot shot said. "I have a fever, my leg hurts, the pain wakes me up at night, I am tired and I am limping." he said.
"I am here for that," Hoist said.
"I am here for that reason," Medix said.
"I am here for that as well," Whirl said.
"That is also why the reason I am here," Wedge said.
"How odd, here for the same reason," Hot shot said.
"It is odd, but probably not unheard of," Medix said.
Hot shot made friends with them. They were playing together and having a good time. "Hot shot," the nurse called.
It was now Hot shot's turn. Hot shot went back with his parents. He was seeing a doctor called a pediatric oncologist. The pediatric oncologist's name was Dr. Horn.
She examined Hot shot to find out what is wrong. She also did it to find out what tests he needs. She finished the exam. "Hot shot needs an x-ray and biopsy." Dr. Horn said.
"Is it going to hurt?" Hot shot asked.
"The X-ray won't hurt, it is just going to take pictures of the inside of your leg," Dr. Horn told him. "The biopsy will hurt, but we will give you medicine so it won't hurt too much," she told him.
"Okay," Hot shot said.
Hot shot was taken to get his X-ray done. The X-ray was over quickly and it didn't hurt at all. It wasn't so bad.
Then Hot shot was taken to another part of the hospital get his biopsy done. He was given medicine to it wouldn't hurt so bad. Then the doctor stuck a needle into the bone and took a piece of bone out.
Then Hot shot got a bandage on his leg afterwards. It was over now.
Now Hot shot had to wait with his parents for the test results.
Hot shot was kind of nervous to say the least. But he knew getting the test results would help him get better.
Then a bit later they came back to Dr. Horn's office. "Okay I have Hot shot's test results," Dr. Horn said. "Hot shot has Ewing Sarcoma a type of cancer of the bones," she said.
Hot shot didn't really know what cancer was, but is sounded scary. He saw his parents looked sad and scared too.
"What is cancer?" Hot shot asked.
"We are all made of cells Hot shot, these cells grow and divide to help us grow and stay healthy." Dr. Horn said. "The cells know when to divide and when not to divide and when to destroy themselves," she said. "Sometimes however cells break or get made broken. These broken cells don't work right and do nothing but divide. They divide quickly and that makes you sick." she said. "That is what cancer is," she said. "When it is in or on a bone it is called a sarcoma." she said.
Hot shot was kind of worried.
"I am going to help you fight your cancer, I am good at helping fight cancer," Dr. Horn said. "Are you ready to fight your cancer?" she asked.
Hot shot was kind of scared. But he was ready to fight cancer and he was going to be brave. "Bring it on," Hot shot said.
Dr. Horn began to go over Hot shot's treatment plan. It was Chemotherapy and surgery. Dr. Horn explained what chemotherapy was. She told him it was a powerful medicine that fights cancer. It is good at it's job. But it does have some bad side effects. It would make Hot shot sick to his stomach, make him tired, give him a sore mouth, make him feel weak, cause his to bruise easily, make it easier for him to get sick, and it will make his hair fall out. She told him all those side effects go away once chemotherapy ends. He would be getting his chemotherapy intravenously. She also explained about surgery it was going to be done to remove the sarcoma. They can spar his leg but that meant multiple surgeries as he grows up and a lot of problems. He wouldn't be able to do sports if he gets that type of surgery. The other option is amputation. Where they remove part of Hot shot's leg to get rid of the sarcoma. He will be fitted with a prosthetic and he could still do sports. It was also one surgery and be easier on him. He came also have the prosthetic look anyway he wants.
Hot shot and his parents talked about the surgery options a bit. They told Dr. Horn the decided on amputation.
Dr. Horn said that was what she was going to recommend too due to the size of the tumor and the looks of it on the x-ray.
Dr. Horn told him there were ways get chemo intravenously. There were Central line catheters and regular IVs. She told him that, her, his parents and him were going to decide on the best one for him.
Dr. Horn showed his the different types of central line and where in the body they go. Ports and Hickmans go in the chest. While PICC lines go in the arm.
Hot shot didn't know which one he would want to have. He was a bit confused. "Can I see how they are placed in and how they are used for me?" he asked.
"Of course you can," Dr. Horn said.
A Child life specialist named Tina was going to show Hot shot about the different types of central line. "Okay each of these toys has a kind of central line catheter," Tina told him. "This one has a port," she said showing the stuffed animal with the port. "This one has a Hickman line," she said showing him the stuffed animal with the Hickman. "This one has a PICC line," she said showing him the third stuffed animal.
"They look so different," Hot shot said.
"Yes they do," Tina said. "For the one with the port, the way a port is put in is you are given medicine to make you take a nap." she said. "Then the doctors put in the port under your skin. Once it is in they close up the skin. They also take a picture with an X-ray to make sure it is in the right place. You might be sore a for a few days and not do anything to hard on yourself for a few weeks." she told him. "But you can bath without much worry," she explained. "When you need treatment or blood drawn, a nurse will slide in a special needle to access it, the needle will have a tube on it, this tube allows for medicine, and blood draws." she explained. "A port can have one or two access areas," she told him. She showed him on the stuffed animal how the port is accessed. "If you get a port you need to be careful around your chest so it doesn't get damaged," she added.
Hot shot nodded his head.
"For the one with the Hickman, the way the Hickman line is put in is, you are given medicine to make you take a nap." she said. "The doctors put in the tube and leave part of tube out. The part that is out has openings at the end. They close the skin around the tube. They also take a picture with an x-ray to make sure it is in the right place." she said. "You might be sore for a few days, and you can do anything hard on yourself for a few weeks," she said. "You will need to be careful when you bathe. Because the line needs to stay clean and dry," she told him. "When yo need treatment or a blood draw, a nurse will grab the line and attach an IV or syringe to the end and take blood or put in medicine, without the use of a needle," she explained. "The Hickman line can have one, two or three access lines," she told him. She showed him with the stuffed animal with the Hickman line, how the line is accessed. "You need to be careful because the line can get caught on things," she told him.
Hot shot nodded his head.
"For the one with the PICC line, the way the PICC line is put in, you will be given medicine to numb up your arm, use a special machine to look at your arms veins, chose a vein, and then stick a needle into your arm, once the needle is in, they put in the tube and push it through the vein, then once it is in place, they remove the needle, apply a dressing to the tube, then take a picture with an x-ray to make sure it is in the right place." Tina said. "You might be sore for the first few days, but you can go back to your normal activities," she said. "You need to be careful in the bath, because it needs to stay clean and dry," she told him. "When you need treatment or a blood draw a nurse will grab the line and attach an IV or syringe to the end and take blood or put in medicine, without the use of a needle," she explained. "The PICC line can have one, or two access lines," she told him. She showed him on the stuffed animal with the PICC how the line is accessed. "You will need to be careful because the line can get caught on things," she told him. "But there is a way to avoid it, there are special sleeves that are made by medical companies and by people who wish to help to protect the PICC line, they come in many colors and patterns," she told him. "Depend on were the sleeve comes from depends how it is put on, I have some of the different types of sleeve," she told him. She show him how each one is put on with a toy. "The sleeve protects the line when it is not in use." she told him.
Hot shot nodded his head again.
"This is how an IV is inserted," Tina said showing on a toy. "To help it not hurt so much the nurse will put medicine on it to help." she said. "You can have in your arm or your hand. There will be a board on you arm to keep it from moving. There will also be a bandage placed on it to protect it when not in use." she told him. "You can also choose which arm or hand the IV goes into," she told him.
Hot shot nodded his head once again.
Now they needed to decide what type of central line catheter would be best suited for Hot shot. There were three choices and each one had it's pros, cons and risks. Hot shot was looking at all of the different ones. He even tried on the sleeves for the PICC lines.
They decided to go through all the pros and cons for each type. Hot shot was a bit unsure of which kind still.
Heatwave and Quickshadow decided to ask other parents about which one they prefer. Along with asking patients which ones they had.
"I have a PICC," one boy said. "It's okay, I can play but the sleeve can get rather hot after a while," he added.
"I have a port," one girl said. "See it is this little bump," she said showing them. "It makes it easier to play, but it is no fun having needles to access it though." she admitted.
"I have a Hickman line," another boy said. "It's great, I can play as long it is not rough housing, or a contact sport, and the best thing is no needles," he said.
"I don't have a central line, I get IVs," another girl said. "This way I can still run and play and bath without much worry." she said.
There was much to consider. Hot shot was looking at the central line catheters still, then he looked at his parents. Heatwave and Quickshadow were thinking after talking to some of the parents and patients. There were a lot of different pros and cons to the central lines. There were also pros and cons to IVs.
Which one would be good for Hot shot though that was the question. Hot shot was looking at them still and thought. He pointed at the Hickman.
"You want to try that?" Heatwave asked.
"Yes," Hot shot said.
"Okay then, we will tell Dr. Horn then," Quickshadow said.
They went back to talk to Dr. Horn. "So have you decided?" Dr. Horn asked.
"Yes we will try the Hickman line," Quickshadow said.
"Alright we will get things ready for it," Dr. Horn said. "Heatwave and Quickshadow there are somethings you will need to fill out," she told them.
Heatwave and Quickshadow nodded their heads. They filled out the papers.
Then Hot shot was taken to an operating room. He was going to get his Hickman line put in. He got to choose how his medicine air would smell. Hot shot chose cotton candy. The mask was put on his face. Hot shot began to take big breaths of the air. It smelled just like cotton candy. Then he felt sleepy and fell asleep. The doctors and nurses went right to work putting in Hot shot's Hickman line. Now it was in and secure. They took an x-ray to make sure it was in the right place. Which it was and it was a good thing too. Then a nurse took some blood from it and flushed it.
When Hot shot woke up he saw his Hickman line. His had two openings. He also felt pretty sore. But a nurse told him that was normal and the soreness would go away in a few days. She also told him to be careful for a few weeks while he recovered from getting it put in.
Now Hot shot could get all the medicine he needs without some many needles.
Hot shot was going to have to stay in the hospital for a while. He was a little nervous but ready to be brave.
Hot shot was then checked into the hospital. It was late and time for bed. He got to his room in the hospital in the oncology ward. He soon went to sleep ready to fight his cancer.