May this event NEVER happen to you.

Aspen has had a serious case of Pappiloma (wart) virus. Frankly it has been disgusting. We had tried getting rid of them, but to no avail, they had returned with a vengeance. Seeming to almost multiply hourly.

This summer I took her to see the Dermatologist. I warned her that she might need to have some warts "burned" off. The worst of which would be below her nose. She has been cutting off and then regrowing this little dangle repetitively, scared to death to have to BURN a part of her face.

Dr. told us we could treat most warts with a "patch" of medicine that her body creates an allergic reaction too, and then we can cover all (5050!) warts with a condensed form of the medication each week, watching them blister and fall off. Just for the record, we are four weeks in, and it is slowly (grossly) working!

But here's the clincher, the Patch does not work for faces. It can cause scarring. So the Doctor told Aspen she would need to hop in his chair and he would burn off the wart from under her nose, taking only about 20 seconds and relatively pain free. He then showed her his magic Harry Potter trick of pouring the freezing solution on the ground only to have it sizzle and dissipate in a white rising cloud. Aspen was not impressed.

This is when the situation began to take a horrible turn.

Aspen, my child who has been known to bolt running down hospital corridors in order to avoid immunizations and nurses, began to cry and fight insistently. Luckily the room was small and the Dr, his nurse and an intern were blocking the doorway. Meanwhile Liberty and Abbie stopped their play to view what torture was causing such an outburst. No one was touching Aspen. She was curled in a corner holding onto a chair leg for dear life yelling "NO, I'm not doing that... NO!" at the very top of her lung capacity while tears stained her shirt. 

I found myself wrestling my daughter while the Three Administrative Stooges looked on. No one lifted a finger, no one said a thing. The Peanut Gallery, probably in awe of the scene just sat there looking on. After what seemed like a sweaty, half hour long wrestle to pry a 70lb two armed death grip and leg entanglement off of every stationary object in the room- I decided to try a less physical approach. "Let's talk", I told Aspen. The three stooges listened in.

After the it's not going to hurt, the you can do this Aspen, the Dr. promised it wouldn't hurt more then a pinch, and by this time the just hurry and hop in the chair then we can go home- Aspen began to inch closer to the perceived electric chair.

Then the last stitch flight option:
"I don't want to do it today. Can't we come back?" Aspen pleaded.
"No way, I'm not going through this again. We are doing this today", I demanded. The Peanut Gallery laughed. I was dead serious. Aspen began to cry and fight louder, issuing more death grips far removed from the chair. Out of desperation, frustration, and empathy of her fear, I began to cry too.
"Can you give us a minute alone?" I said raising my finger to the Peanut Gallery. As they departed, I knew it was time for reinforcements of the heavenly kind. For Aspen, and for myself.

Aspen and I said a prayer, praying fervently for peace on her behalf, strength to be cooperative and faith in the process that it wouldn't hurt.

The Peanut Gallery arrived just as I had gotten Aspen seated in the chair. The Dr. performed his magic trick again, this time receiving the same reaction from Aspen. Tears, screaming, adamant refusal. I let go of her, folded my arms and looked to the heavens for help. Here we go again, I thought as sweat began to drip from my face.

As a tender mercy, one of the Peanuts began to speak. Nurse in her feminine firm charm calmed Aspen to a non yelling state and reassured her that she had seen thousands of children Aspen's age be scared and then after the procedure say "that didn't even hurt". Liberty even chimed in and encouraged Aspen, "You can do it Aspen, it won't hurt".

I clapped my hands, gave the Dr. a thumbs up- let-do-this sign and every one assumed their position. Myself directly straddling Aspen now that she was seated in the chair. Nurse procured the drugs, Dr. cradled Aspen's head in one arm, his other dabbing freeze to Aspen's face.

Immediately Aspen's body went limp. Her fight subsided. My grip loosened.
"It doesn't even hurt" she said calmly.

For decompression alone, I wanted to scream "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, ALL OF THAT FOR A 'IT DOESN'T EVEN HURT?'", but I resisted and helped myself to a sucker for the brave kids instead. 

This is Aspen , and we are grateful we lived through the wart removal experience to see this wart fall off forever!