A patient journey post 2 – One month away from my breast augmentation

Hi, I’m back. If you didn’t get a chance to read my opening guest post, be sure to check it out. In a nutshell, I’m posting my entire experience leading up to the breast augmentation I’ve been wanting for years. Dr Ronel will be performing this on February 4th. This is my second post.

So, I’m one-month way from flying into Albuquerque and having Dr. Ronel work on me…actually 29 days to be exact. So I’ve been preparing. Okay, wait, I’m lying…I’ve been preparing to prepare, if that makes sense.

I’m already in the place where I meditate on a daily basis and practice visualization and things of that nature. I also work out regularly. The place where I’m really going to focus on in the coming weeks leading up to my surgery is alcohol consumption. That’s always been my downfall. I’m not an alcoholic by any means, but I’m in a rock band and we’re in a bar-like environment most of the time. It’s easy to have a couple beers or a cocktail a couple nights a week. (I’m also the tamest of the band, which is interesting.)

So, for me, with alcohol, comes cigarettes. Oh, the vicious circle. I’ve decided to take this month and next month off from drinking. I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going. Instead, I’m getting really focused on healing visualization (yes, I know, the surgery isn’t even done, but I’m serious about all this. I want this to be the best surgery experience of my life.) I want people to understand that state of mind has everything to do with your physical everything. This is why I’m guest posting.

Okay, so, I’m working out, journaling, meditating, drinking plenty of water and eating right. I’m getting excited. Not nervous. That’s where I’m at today.

For any of you out there, did you do any kind of prepping for your procedure? I’m curious to know what worked and didn’t work for you.

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Maura Kelly under fire for “fat” people comments

On last Wednesday’s episode of The View, the women on the show brought up sex and relationship writer, Maura Kelly, of Marie Claire, and her view on obese people. Kelly said in a recent blog that she would be “grossed out” watching “two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other,” just the same as she would be if she saw a “very, very fat person simply walk across the room.”

This statement was referencing the new sitcom, Mike and Molly, a show about an obese couple who fall in love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting on CBS.

In a piece on Opinionati.com as they covered this topic Thursday:

“No one who is as fat as Mike and Molly can be healthy,” Kelly writes in the post that, with over 1600 comments to date, has caused an internet fury…

….At the end of her post, Kelly asks readers, ”Do you think I’m being an insensitive jerk?” And the Internet responded with an equally resounding “yes.”

There are people out there that really don’t have to worry about being “fat” or “obese.” It’s just not in their genes. But for most of us, with the cheap, unhealthy food choices given on a daily basis, it’s something that has to be worked on. And even though there is tons of information out there on making healthier choices, it’s not always easy.

Most of the time, there are issues behind overeating. The stories I’ve heard from patients are heartbreaking at times…abuse, cheating, etc, and food was the easiest thing to turn to. Maura Kelly admitted she suffers from anorexia. People have different reasons for the actions they choose. Not everyone can just stop eating.

From a health standpoint, yes, being overweight and obese is not healthy. But it’s not something we can judge people on. You never know what is going on in their life. For people in the media such as Kelly, it’s especially important to have compassion on those that are different.

There are alternative ways to get inside and see where the problems come from. They’re used in my practice everyday. With the combination of things such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, energy-work, and education on exercise and nutrition…the Whole Being Plan, along with procedures such as Tickle Lipo, regular lipo, and the array of other procedures that can help get the body to a healthy place, positive changes can occur.

The most important thing in all of this would be to show compassion and help educate rather than judge. What are your thoughts?

To see the episode, click here. The commentary is about six minutes in if you would like to see it.

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Holistic Healing – The mind/body connection

How many of you believe that there’s a connection between what your mind believes and what you manifest in your life? Do you believe there is a mind/body connection?

I’ve felt this way since before I started practicing medicine. As I’ve explained before, the reason why I integrate the Whole Being Plan into my practice is because I have experienced and seen firsthand the power of thoughts and guided imagery affecting the healing process…some for the best and some for the worse.

My wife and I just covered this in our last episode of The Humanity Behind the Vanity. In the current issue of Yoga Journal, there’s an article talking about the very things we practice. Mentioned were focused breathing, guided imagery, visualization, affirmations and mantras, aromatherapy, and reflexology. All of these ideologies have been around and used for centuries in other parts of the world for healing purposes and general well being.

One of the biggest issues I’ve seen with patients that come in to see me is that some have no idea how to harness the personal healing power they have within themselves. This is why we have specialists in these areas to help assist in the process.

Watch as we talk about it more detail:

Ultimately, I want my patients to have the best experience possible, and going into surgery in the right frame of mind can make all the difference in the world. Please visit my website if you’d like to learn more or you can give us a call at 505-988-8886.

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Are people judgmental when plastic surgery is involved?

I tweeted and posted on my Facebook page a video of our radio show, The Humanity Behind the Vanity. The subject matter was centered on Julia Roberts and her announcement to not have plastic surgery.  This was on The View last week.  She has decided, for lack of a better expression, to “grow old gracefully.”

Julia Roberts is naturally beautiful. She’s been in the spotlight for decades, which may have played a role in her taking such great care of herself . . . that, and her biology.  Very few people are like her.  We “normal” looking people struggle with so many things that others can never understand, and often people are so quick to jump to conclusions or judgments.

This is an important topic because when a celebrity makes a pronouncement about plastic surgery, the buzz that follows is really about how we judge other people.

What a person chooses to do or not do to their body is entirely up to them.  There is nothing more satisfying than to see my patients post-op, and see a light in their eyes that may not have been there before because of the changes I was able to assist with. It’s one of the reasons we have the Whole Being Plan. It’s not just about how the outside looks, sometimes those outside changes affect how they feel inside . . . and vice versa.

Have you experienced different attitudes as a result of any procedure you’ve had done? Was it positive or negative? How did you handle it?

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The healing power of aromatherapy

We had the chance to have aromatherapist, Kris Wrede, on our radio show a few weeks back. We think she’s brilliant. As most of you already know, whether you’re a patient or someone who reads my blogs, etc., you probably understand that I feel it’s extremely vital to mix different types of complimentary medicines…some people call these “alternative medicines.” I found over the years that, with integration of these practices, patients heal quicker, have better self-esteem, more confidence, and some have an entire new outlook on life. And THAT is something that excites me.

Kris Wrede has been working with natural plants, mixing, and creating healing aromatherapy blends for over 20 years. She even shares in the video her own experience with a surgery scar that was completely gone within one year. What’s even more exciting is that Kris has joined our team in both the Albuquerque and Santa Fe offices. This means life-changing stuff for our patients. And you don’t even have to be “my” patient to come in and see her.

Check out the video. Kris goes into a bit of the history of aromatherapy, her experiences with it, balancing, healing, and what she’ll be doing with us!

Kris’s website is www.kismetpotions.com. Her number is 505-275-6508. Here is her page on my website as well.

Thoughts on this? Have you used aromatherapy in the past? What were your results? If you’ve not ever experienced it, is this a practice you may perhaps be open to? Sound off now.

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Breast reduction in teens and adults

I wrote a blog post back in March on teens and breast augmentation. When I wrote it, I was writing it from a small to large perspective. Well, what if it’s the other way around? What if your teenager hates her breasts because she thinks they’re too big. What if they’re also causing painful, physical symptoms?

It’s not uncommon to see teenagers with bigger breasts than those of teens from decades ago. I definitely feel that puberty can be accelerated by some of the foods we eat. It’s also not uncommon to see bigger breasts on bigger teenagers. Perhaps the obesity epidemic in the US could be part of the cause. However, regardless of what led to the issue, a solution needs to be found.

It’s already a stressful enough time for a teenager as they enter high school. For a teen with extremely large breasts, this could play a dramatic role on how she feels about herself, which in turn, could affect other areas of her life. Having been a pediatrician, I’ve seen teens experience rebellion and even depression over this issue.

I’ve also spoken with parents who have had concerns about sexual promiscuity and wondered whether having the surgery would lead to that due to emphasis on the breasts. In my experience, this has never been an issue. The heart of the matter is how the teenager feels emotionally and physically.

When I work with parents and teens in breast reduction cases, we go about the Whole Being Plan in the same manner as adult patients; incorporating psychotherapy to help both parties deal with the concerns or fears they have about the surgery. So far, it’s been highly successful. Patient symptoms prior to surgery such as lower back pain, shoulder pain, numbness in the fingers, and grooves in the shoulder are usually relieved by the procedure. Even more important is relief of the social awkwardness caused by having a large chest.

If you have a teen that has been experiencing any of these issues and have any questions, let me know. The same applies to adults. This certainly isn’t just a teen issue. It’s always good to know there are options out there.

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New Survey Shows Cosmetic Surgery is up

And why shouldn’t it be? It’s becoming more and more affordable, the technology has come such a long way, we’re seeing better results in safe environments, and if you can look years younger, why wouldn’t you go for it? Here is what the American Society of Plastic Surgeons had to say:

“According to a new online survey by Harris Interactive of 2,148 adults on behalf of cosmetic treatment community RealSelf.com, consumer interest in cosmetic procedures is up – way up, in many cases. More than two-thirds (69 percent) would choose to have cosmetic work done if money wasn’t an issue, up 15 points from November 2009 (54 percent), signaling interest among consumers is climbing.

Additionally, the desire for invasive plastic surgery procedures, many of which require substantial recovery time, suggests people want big changes, not just minor nips and tucks. Of those who would get cosmetic work done, almost one in three (29 percent) would choose a tummy tuck, 23 percent would want liposuction, and 13 percent would opt for a facelift.”

These numbers are not surprising — studies have shown that a reason for the 2009 decrease in procedures was mainly due to the economic environment. As this condition continually improves, so will the number of procedures through 2010 and beyond.

When men and women make the decision to get healthy physically, having a procedure or two done can have dramatic effects on their self-esteem and outlook on life. Here is one patient’s experience with her facial procedure and how it affected her:

I’m excited to share this because here is one woman, whose life changed because of one decision. She was able to participate in the Whole Being Plan, which is part of my program, and she saw real results. Plastic surgery is all about you. Just simple changes can impact the rest of your life. Have you experienced this? I’d love to hear your story.

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Food choices impacting our bodies and the earth

Do you ever feel like food choices are kind of like ‘buzz words?’ I know in my profession as a surgeon and being in the medical field, we have plenty of words we use that sound like they should be understandable enough, but many people don’t stop and say, “Hey, what exactly to you mean by that?” And perhaps they choose not to do so because they feel they’ll look silly, or they internally decide to Google it later on only to find that days go by and it’s still not been researched. Many people do this. I know I have. So, today, we’re going to get down to the nitty gritty on food and food buzz words, so you can actually go out there and make an informed decision on what to look for and what to buy.

The big words we’ve been hearing lately are local, organic, and sustainable. What do these words really mean and do they mean the same thing? We had Dr. Rita Dodge on the Humanity Behind the Vanity a couple of weeks ago. We’ve had her as a guest on the show before and she is so in tune with the body and what works best nutritionally so we were excited to have her back. In this episode, Dr. Dodge discusses these three words…local, organic and sustainable…what they really mean, and explains that just because one thing may be organic doesn’t mean it’s sustainable or organic or vice versa.

Buying local – This is when you buy from a farmer in your area. This does not necessarily mean that you’re buying organic. What is does mean is that you are helping to reduce the “carbon footprint” because the food doesn’t have to travel thousands of miles to get to you, burning up lots of fuel (carbon).

Buying organic – This means that the food you’re buying has not been treated with pesticides or any other chemicals. Also, if you buy organic, that doesn’t mean it’s local. There are small farms and huge farms all over the world that are organic. If you buy a fruit from South America that is organic, it isn’t necessarily sustainable and it has a large carbon footprint.

Sustainable – This means you are looking at where the food is coming from and making sure that those who are growing the food use healthy practices (don’t harm the environment, respect their workers, are humane to animals, and support farming communities.) Sustainability includes buying food as locally as possible but doesn’t mean local is always sustainable. Does this make sense? Perhaps hearing us talk about it will help:

As I said in the video, we have so many patients who use plastic surgery as a starting point to make serious changes in their lives. It is then our responsibility to help educate them after so they progress toward their goals. It’s been told to me that what you put in your body is 80% of how you look. We only have one body. We only have one earth. What can we do to make a difference? Do you have any thoughts on this?

And SPEAKING of making a difference, Vanity for Vision was last week and I, along with around 50 other doctors in the United States participated in it this year. We just found out today that between the patients who came in and supported as well as donated or pledged funds, we were able to raise over $55K for Eyes of Africa.
THANK YOU! Everyone who came out to support on my behalf, you all did an amazing job. If you’d like to learn more about Eyes of Africa, visit http://www.endingblindness.org.

Thank you again for your support.

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A Family Affair

With Mother’s Day just behind us, Msnbc just had an article about a mother-daughter duo going under the knife together. The topic has been became a conversational piece last month when Christie Brinkley and daughter Alexa Ray Joel had simultaneous procedures. As the article says, “It’s not uncommon at all.”

I’ve actually done quite a few myself.

Special occasions tend to bring mother-daughter pairs in together, especially for weddings or family reunions. The most common are non-surgical procedures such as fillers and Botox, however tummy tucks and breast augmentations have been catching up.

Although there’s never been any formal research conducted on why people have “family” plastic surgery, my patients have expressed different reasons. Sometimes when you do things in pairs, it makes the entire procedure less intimidating. Mothers and daughters go through the recovery period together and can talk about the feelings they have together. Another reason has been because one of them may have had something done, as in the Msnbc article, and it gives the other the motivation or courage to follow in their footsteps. Every now and then a mom will have an unnatural desire to look just like her daughter – although this has been covered negatively in the media, it is a rare occurrence. When this comes up I explain that the age difference makes it impossible.

Even the Housewives of Orange County had a mother-daughter plastic surgery moment.

This brings up a good point: contrary to public opinion, a common reason people choose to undergo plastic surgery is because they are already self-confident and they simply want to improve a part of themselves. I have really enjoyed seeing the mother/daughter patients encourage each other in this regard. We all have flaws on the outside, and may not have genes that give us the highest metabolism so that we are thin, or we may not have perfectly shaped legs. Loving ourselves and feeling good “on the inside” is just as important as looking good on the outside. Surgery combined with alternative practices can help address this on a realistic and deep level. I explain it here:

It’s great to see mother/daughter duos come in: the comradery, bonding, and healing together often takes the relationship to a deeper level.

Do any of you relate to this topic? Have you and a family member had simultaneous procedures done? If you have, would you have chosen differently after the fact?

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The Celebrity Obsession

Let’s be honest.  How many of you watch celebrity gossip shows or subscribe to some kind of celebrity magazine? Or, perhaps you even stand in the line at the grocery store and skim through one because something catches your eye.  Guilty pleasure? I think this is totally normal!  It is easy to become semi-obsessed with the lives of celebrities: how they act, dress and look . . . and especially what types of plastic surgery they are having. From breast augmentation and face work to liposuction and lifts, there is no doubt that celebrities have brought public awareness of plastic surgery to the forefront.

At the beginning of the year, Heidi Montag made headlines worldwide because she decided to undergo multiple procedures. The media had a heyday with her, claiming she had 10 procedures at once. Hearing this raised eyebrows and questions, as people wondered why a beautiful, 23 year-old would be making so many changes.

To her defense, the media was a bit exuberant in their portrayal of what she had done. The truth is that not all of the work was a major procedure. Some were things that could have been provided in-office, some of the things she had done were ‘hand-in-hand’ procedures, and she just chose to get it all done at once. This is not uncommon.

In the videos below, we discuss this scenario, why it is common for some people to do multiple procedures at one time, and some of the risks involved.

At the end of the day, for the right patient, there are many advantages of having multiple procedures done in one shot, within reason.  I saw a woman yesterday in my office who would like a browlift, upper eyelid tuck, lower eyelid tuck, lip augmentation, filler, and a facelift.  That sounds like 6 procedures at once, but its really just a “full facelift” and a lip augmentation.

As we spoke about in the Mommy Makeover post, there is much more to it than coming in and having it done. We incorporate the Whole Being Plan to address all the bases…not just the outside, but also the changes that occur on the inside.

Our obsession with celebrities will never really go away, and I welcome the debate and discussion that they bring up!  What do you think?

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Image from TheHeidiMontag