Placebo Effect

I love my children. I really do. But sometimes, they astound me. Sometimes they do things that I can't explain. Like they bump their head and come whining to me. I kiss the bump, and magically, it disappears, and they are all better... I am not complaining mind, because kisses are cheap, available, and easily applied. However, how does a bit of lip contact (and possibly a little bit of saliva) heal anything?

Or the bandaid. Man, the bandaid is even more magical. Someone gets a finger smooshed? Bandaid. Someone skinned a knee (3 days ago)? Bandaid. Someone sees mommy is wearing a Bandaid to protect her feet from blisters in a particular pair of shoes? Blisters. Then Bandaid. Now, obviously there are instances when a Bandaid is actually quite helpful. But, again, how does a sticky piece of tape with a little bit of cotton actually heal anything. Especially when it comes off a few minutes later because it made the finger hard to bend, er, I mean, the owie was all better?

But, my favorite stems from me recently taking Kari to the doctor. We had gone out bowling as a family. When we started, she was fine. By the time we finished the game (and a half the kids played) she was whiny, pulling on her ear, and tearing up. My pediatrician, whom I love and adore, is 45 minutes away. So, hubby took one car of healthy children home to feed and beds, and I took (by this time) the whining/screaming child, picked up dinner on the way, and went to the doctors. She wailedcried/screamed/sobbed the whole 45 minutes there (between bites of course). She asked things like "Why does my ear have to hurt?" It was heartbreakingly sad, annoying, and funny at the same time. When we finally arrived, she left daddy's t-shirt in the car (which she had been cuddling with in lieu of her blanket) and sobbed up to the counter to check in. She sobbed in the seats. She wanted me to hold her, but as she writhed in pain she wouldn't sit still. I couldn't calm her down, and she was getting louder and louder as bedtime approached, and then passed. She has only had 2 other ear infections (which is great considering her daddy went through something like 6 sets of tubes) (Seriously. It was a genetic concern of mine), and the first one was when she was about 18 months old. It was actually a kind of strange deja vu for me. She writhed and cried then too, in almost the same exact movements. But, she was much smaller. Anyway, I resorted to what mom's do best: picked up my 5 yr old, 35 lb child, and walked and bounced her until her name was called... That at least seemed to quiet her a bit. Then, when the doctor came in, she was miraculously quiet. Sullen, still teary eyed, and I am sure still in pain. But, for the most part, she isn't moaning, whining, crying, sobbing, screaming, gnashing, or complaining. The pediatrician looks at her ears, then kindly gives her some children's ibuprofen while we go to wait for the prescription. Now, this ibuprofen also has magical results. I am not saying she wasn't in pain, or that the pain medication didn't help, but she was quite improved by the time we left the office... We are talking 5 minutes here folks.

The point I am trying to make (I think), is this: That the best medication, is appears, is faith and trust. Saliva doesn't fix anything. But, a kiss on the head, and attention from mom does. A bandaid doesn't unsmoosh a finger, but someone paying attention and saying it will be "all better" makes it insignificant when there are toys to be played with. Doctors, on the other hand, can actually cure things, but I think Kari's trust and faith was so consequential, that just being there was enough to get her through it.

Sometimes you need the antibiotics. But sometimes, just sometimes, a placebo can work just as well. Give me some of that!