Rehabilitation services are necessary for some children with solid tumors. The tumor itself, or the effects of treatments, may impair use of parts of the body. If these problems occur while your child is hospitalized, she should see a pediatric physiatrist—a medical doctor who evaluates children’s physical function and then writes the orders for physical, occupational, and/or speech therapy.

The initial evaluation occurs soon after surgery, and periodic evaluations focus on revising the long- and short-term goals of therapy. After discharge from the hospital, most children receive rehabilitation services on an outpatient basis. Physical, occupational, recreational, and speech therapy are all components of rehabilitation, and they are discussed in Chapter 16, Common Side Effects of Treatment.

Luke’s (age 2) surgery occurred 4 days after diagnosis, so we were still in shock when it happened. There hadn’t been any indication that he had cancer except for a fever and partial leg paralysis that gave rise to the diagnosis. He looked sick, but relatively normal, which made it hard for us to accept that he had a cancerous tumor inside of him. His surgery was initially for biopsy only, but once his doctor was in, she decided to do a partial resection. A short operation turned into 6 hours. We were given updates throughout, which alternately buoyed our spirits (she thought there was a single, encapsulated tumor that she could remove) and dashed them (she found more).