Sumi was calm and sweet when she
was an infant. She had suffered from ear infections, debilitating
diarrhea, profuse perspiration, and lethargy. Sumi's speech was
delayed. Her mother sought out homeopathic treatment for her now
because of her restlessness. Sumi kissed, poked, prodded, and
pulled. She was very affectionate. She blurted things out loudly.
School was a struggle because of her difficulty concentrating,
following directions, and staying at her desk. She wandered around
and was always busy. Her verbal skills lagged far behind the other
children at her grade level. It was particularly hard for her
to remember words.
This sweet child seemed to lack any
awareness of how her behavior affected others. She often came
on too strongly, but did not realize it. She bit her nails down
to the quick and even nibbled her toenails. Sumi loved cucumbers
and liked to chew on ice.
Sumi may sound very similar to Sherrie
and Jill, because of her relentless motion. They all needed the
same medicine, Veratrum album. We first treated Sumi two
and a half years ago. She is literally a different child now.
Just weeks after starting homeopathy, Sumi began
making excellent progress with her
speech. She spent less time searching for words and her focus
was greatly improved. She did not stumble or rush so much. Before
she could only color one page at a time in a coloring book; within
three weeks of taking the Veratrum, she was completing
eight pages.
Over time, Sumi's progress continued.
Her nailbiting diminished. She no longer kissed all the time.
Her actions became more purposeful and centered and she became
more aware of her impact on others. Sumi's teachers no longer
complained about her disruptive behavior. Rather than the word-salad
she used to communicate previously, now she could connect phrases
and her vocabulary was growing. She remembered the names of her
classmates whereas before she had been oblivious to such details.
Sumi's parents were pleasantly surprised that she could handle
kindergarten so well. During the next year, she grew five inches.
Growth spurts often occur soon after a child takes a homeopathic
medicine.
One curious aspect of homeopathic
treatment is what is called a return of old symptoms. This means
that a particular symptom that an individual had in the past may
briefly reappear in the process of healing. This occurred with
Sumi. She briefly developed a small swelling in her breast just
as she did at two months of age when she developed a breast bud.
Her mother reported that it was at this time that her health problems
originally began. During the course of homeopathic treatment,
Sumi also broke out once in large blisters on her right ribs and
back. They looked a lot like shingles. Sumi's mother had had herpes
during her pregnancy. Both of these skin eruptions might seem
like coincidence to the average person, but to the homeopath they
are recognizable as a return of old symptoms, which is often necessary
for deep and lasting healing.