Cerium Oxydatum

A case of Encopresis
Sept. ‘05
A boy, age 6 years, comes with his mother because of serious constipation for the last 6 weeks. One week before school started he just stopped to let his stool go. The MD prescribed an enema, but with a momentary effect.
Then he started to let it go during his first sleep, at about 9:00 PM. His sheets had to be changed for cleaning every evening. At about 7:00 PM he would start to complain about a bellyache and wanted to go to bed. He feared to see blood with his stool and was afraid to die. He never wanted to go to the bathroom anywhere else, but at home. He hates ‘unclean’ hands, but plays and climbs with other children in the sand.

Observation
During the interview he was lying in his mother’s lap, his backside turned to me, as he did not want to be addressed. He did not comment, but listened attentively as was seen by his posture. Before the interview the mother talked extensively on the telephone because she wanted to speak freely without him overhearing every word. She explained that his problem was to do with the birth-situation, which was quite violent after being medicated to hasten the labor. He was forced out and the mother had a symphysiolysis, a ruptured placenta and lost a lot of blood. Her husband, who is in a wheelchair because of Polio, had the baby put in his arms and he thought he had lost his wife.

“He has two older half-brothers who live with us during the weekend. I see how he wants to be grown-up like them. He once said I would like to be you then I would have my drivers license without having to do an exam myself. It is just as if he came into the world thinking and thoughtful with a frown between his eyes. He wants to be both a grown-up and be a baby in mammies lap. He developed rapidly and was early to talk."

He is easily intimidated, especially with grown-ups. You have to explain to him what you are planning. One cannot just order him or push him. He needs his time to adapt to changing situations and it is difficult to find the right time. At school he had a strict teacher who intimidated him. They were impatient and he was pushed too much. He was put in a "Free School" (Rudolf Steiner - Anthroposophy), because he got sick with eczema, ear problems and water warts. He wanted a school where he could make his own choices. For instance, he does not want to draw because he cannot get his imagination onto the paper perfectly. If anybody makes a critical comment, he will not try anymore. He wants to master things in advance. The mother always asked herself why he never shines, although all the conditions for it are in the family. "He can manipulate a situation, for example, once his father took care of him (at age 2) he took advantage of it by refusing to walk the stairs because dad could not physically carry him."

He takes words very literally, which is difficult with understanding jokes. He can be very bossy and has a big imagination. He liked to swim, his head out of the water. Once, during a swimming lesson, the teacher pushed his head and he went under the surface. He does not want to swim since then.

He has been toilet-trained, but with little stress he’ll wet his bed, like before going to a party.
One week before going to school he stopped having stool.

He has no nightmares, but lively dreams of knights and battles.

Animals are “boring”, he answers (at last) when I ask him about it.
He can look victimized if he feels he is being looked at, his mother tells.

He eats well.
Likes fish, pasta, vegetables, fruits and hates olives.
He can like or hate dairy products.
He is thirsty for cold water.
He is quite warm and his head sweats on exertion.
The stool is mostly soft and odorous.

Analysis
For me what is most remarkable in this case is;
- the contradiction between the seemingly talented little guy and the reluctance to go for it.
- the remark of his mother that he came thinking’ onto this earth.
- his oversensitivity to (self-) criticism and the blocking effect it has on him.

This made me think of one of the "immovable" stadiums of the LANTHANIDES.
Namely; stage 4, which is CERIUM.

But which of the Cerium-group?
Especially the mother’s spontaneous remark about him behaving like a victim, together with the theme of dirt (shit) and shame brought me to OXYGENIUM. Stadium 16 of Jan Scholten or the Lepra-stadium of Rajan Sankaran.

So I gave him CERIUM OXYDATUM MK

Follow-up

3 days later, the mother mailed me, that on the second day, in the morning, he had a normal stool on the toilet.

4 weeks later we had another phone-consultation (because they live a 100 km away).
He just has a daily defecation. Before his birthday he wet his bed twice.
He is happy and he shines. He is not restless anymore and is quietly observant.
He can attentively listen to a story.
At a birthday party he went straight to another child to invite him to play. He took a milk tooth out by himself.
No fears or anxieties anymore. He is at peace.

The mother was extremely happy with the result of the homeopathic treatment.
Nine months later, he has not needed any remedy.