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Archives for August 2015

Ask The Doctor-Can you help with the discoloration around my areolas?

August 28, 2015 by

Picture of a roseThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had a breast augmentation and have scarring/discolorations around my areolas. I have been turned down by another facility because I did not have the surgery performed there. Can you help me? If not, can you tell me where I can go to get help? I just need my areola’s tattooed.

Answer: I would be glad to help. We specialize in plastic surgery of the breast and our nurse and physician’s assistant perform nipple tattoos frequently. The best way to proceed would be to come in to our office for a consultation and then have the procedure. Did you have healing problems after your surgery? When was the surgery? The best time to do tattooing is after 3-4 months to allow any scaring to soften.  Immature scars may be difficult to tattoo.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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How to Start Your Day on the Right Foot

August 25, 2015 by

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The way you start the day each morning directly impacts the rest of your day.

That’s why successful people have similar habits that ensure a productive start to their mornings.

Not a morning person? Here are a few tips that will help you start your day on the right foot.

Prepare the night before

Preparation for a great morning begins the night before. If you bring your lunch, try making it the night before. Think you’re too old for a bedtime? Think again. Having a set bedtime keeps you from the “okay only one more show” mindset that inevitably leads to a groggy morning.

Leave plenty of time

Wake up at least one hour before you need to be out the door. Starting the day in a rush leads to stress that will snowball throughout the day. Allow plenty of time to get yourself ready and in a good mindset.

Don’t snooze

It takes some training, but make a mental decision to never snooze your alarm. Decide on what time you’ll need to wake up and stick to it.

Have a healthy breakfast

Food is our body’s energy source. Start your day with a healthy breakfast to get your brain and body moving!

Review your day

Reviewing your day first thing in the morning is one of the best habits of product morning people. Taking a moment (maybe while drinking your morning coffee) to look over your calendar for the day and mentally prioritize is a great method to start your day on the right path.

Think positively!

Make the conscious decision to think positively when you start each day. It will be infectious to those around you and truly impact your daily outlook.

Are you a morning person? We’d love to hear your strategies below.

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Ask The Doctor-Should I have a 2nd surgery to remove the scar tissue/neuroma

August 21, 2015 by

pink flower This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had a direct implant after a mastectomy, and I have had pain from under my arm to the implant along the scar tissue for 4 months. Should I have a 2nd surgery to remove the scar tissue/neuroma?

Answer: Thank you for your question. It is important for the doctor who did your reconstruction to examine you for any specific causes of the pain. If there is no other reason for you to have surgery on the breast, you could consider a nerve block to see if it is a neuroma. If the block did not last, then considering surgery would be next. If you had any other reason for surgery on the breast (capsular contraction for example), then you might skip the block and ask your surgeon if the scar could be removed during the surgery.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Traveling Abroad Checklist

August 18, 2015 by

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So you’ve decided to finally take the dive and travel abroad.

Exciting!!

Especially for those venturing overseas for the first time, the initial wave of excitement is often followed with an overwhelming feeling of “oh wow, there is so much to do!”

Since we love to travel and know a lot of our patients do to, we put our heads together to come up with everything you need to prepare before jetting off to your fabulous vacation.

Hope you find this checklist helpful and be sure to send us a postcard!

  • Plan well in advance

By picking your exact dates and the location(s) for your trip, you can start narrowing down more details. Not to mention the earlier you book your vacation, the more options you’ll have.

  • Make sure your passport is current

Check your passport expiration date ASAP. Renewing or applying for your first passport can take months and waiting until the last minute may leave you high and dry without a way to leave the country.

  • Buy plane tickets (buying in advance saves money)

Buying plane tickets well in advance helps you plan your trip, as well as save money.

  • Book accommodations

Especially if you’re going in peak season, your top picks for hotel accommodations will fill up rapidly. Researching places to stay is also a great way to get to know the area.

  • Book tours and activities

Although it’s wonderful to participate in spontaneous activities when you’re there, one of our biggest recommendations is to have your activities planned beforehand. That way you can spend your time enjoying activities, instead of stressing over what to do each day—and no one says you absolutely have to stick to the plan—it’s just a great place to start!

  • Create an itinerary

This is a MUST. Between travel plans, multiple accommodations, tours, and restaurant reservations, it’s difficult to keep it straight (or everyone on the same page). Print out a copy for every member of the group, and leave it with someone at home who can always know where to reach you while you’re abroad.

  • Nail down transportation

Research your ideal transportation for your trip. Whether that involves renting a car, looking into public transportation, or buying train tickets, that’s an important factor to be nailed down in advance. Especially when it comes to train tickets, you can receive an exceptionally cheaper deal when bought more than a month in advance. 

  • Print travel documents, make copies of passports, credit cards

Have a copy of all of your travel documents, passports, and credit cards in both your carry on or suitcase in case of an emergency. It’s also important to leave an additional copy with someone you trust at home as a back up.

  • Order appropriate currency

Currency conversion can be an unnecessary extra expense. But some planning can help reduce the cost. Shop around for the best rates before you depart. Warning: the worst rates are at the exchange desks at the airport. Also an important note: give your credit card company a call and let them know where you’ll be traveling abroad.

  • Look into electric adaptors and convertors

Countries have varying power wattages, so be sure to look into what electric adaptors and convertors work in each country you’ll be staying in.

  • Pack

Easier said than done! Start the packing process many days prior to be sure not to forget anything.

  • Have a fantastic time!

We can’t wait to hear all about your fabulous trip!

We’d love to see your awesome pictures! Share them on our Facebook page.

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Ask The Doctor-Should I have a 2nd surgery to remove the scar tissue?

August 14, 2015 by

2807332883_cd9104dded_m (1)This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had a direct implant after a mastectomy and have had pain from under my arm to the implant along the scar tissue for 4 months. Should I have a 2nd surgery to remove the scar tissue/neuroma?

Answer: Thank you for your question. It is important for the doctor who did your reconstruction to examine you for any specific causes of the pain. If there is no other reason for you to have surgery on the breast, you could consider a nerve block to see if it is a neuroma. If the block did not last, then considering surgery would be next. If you had any other reason for surgery on the breast (capsular contraction for example), then you might skip the block and ask your surgeon if the scar could be removed during the surgery.

 Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Inspirational Quotes for a Rainy Day

August 11, 2015 by

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You may have noticed in our monthly newsletters that we always like to include an inspirational quote.

That’s because we believe words have the power to truly make an impact.

Whether you’re battling health issues, going through relationship struggles, or just plain having a crummy day, we’ve compiled our favorite inspirational quotes to pull you out of a dark mindset.

The Natural Breast Reconstruction team strongly believes in find the positivity in every situation. Our patients inspire us each day, so we want to share our favorite inspirational quotes with our readers. 

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” ~Buddha

You are in control of your mindset. If you believe you can overcome an obstacle, you will succeed.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” ~Steve Jobs

How true is this? Life is so short, and why do we devote so much time to being what others would like us to be and doing what we think will please others. Life is a journey of finding who exactly we are—sans the opinions of others.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ”~Maya Angelou

The Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. With so much temptation to take shortcuts and disregard the feeling of others, it takes a conscious decision to be kind to everyone you come across each day.

“Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” ~Thomas Jefferson

A lot of anxiety, stress, and unhappiness that we feel each day is a byproduct of knowingly or unknowingly putting something off. Whatever we’re procrastinating, the healthiest thing to do is to do our best to confront it soon as possible.

“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~Japanese proverb

We left our favorite quote for the last. No matter what is knocking you down, just remember you can always get back up.

Follow our Facebook page for more inspiration.

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Ask The Doctor-Could I have problems with my breasts this long after the surgery?

August 7, 2015 by

2531585750_a035e93214_mThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and tram flap done at MD Anderson in 2004. I have had numerous problems since. Last week, I was in a car accident which I had severe bruising to my sternum and a bruise across my left breast caused by the seatbelt. I feel swollen and bruised in both breast and under my arms. Could I have problems with my breasts this long after the surgery? The pain I am having is much like how it felt after the surgery. Thank you in advance for any advice that you could give me.

Answer: Sorry you had some problems, but glad to hear you survived the accident. Most likely your breasts will be fine. Once the body heals after the tram procedure the blood supply grows in to the new breast, and it should heal like any other part of the body. It is possible that the bruising could cause some fat necrosis. It will take some time for the bruising to resolve then you can have your doctor check your breasts for scaring.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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5 Super Easy Ways to Cut Carbs

August 4, 2015 by

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Photo credit: Scott Veg

When you love all things bread and pasta, cutting carbs from your diet can seem nearly impossible.

However, restricting your intake of carbohydrates–especially the kind that come in the form of a large box of pizza—is an important factor to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle.

Fear not, carb lovers, we’re providing 5 alternatives to some of your favorite recipes that are sans carbs. And they’re delicious.

Spaghetti Squash

Someone from up above took pity on those of us who love pasta by creating the most amazing vegetable, spaghetti squash. As its name implies, it’s a squash that you bake and then scrape out the contents with a fork, and it comes out in strings resembling pasta. The even better part is that it tastes like whatever sauce you put on it!

We recommend this marinara and turkey meatball spaghetti squash recipe as a great alternative to pasta.

Pizza bites

There is a lot of buzz about cauliflower crust pizza floating around in the PinterestSphere, but it can be incredibly time consuming to make (not to mention the smell alone can put off your appetite). These no-crust pizza bites only require a muffin tin, Canadian bacon, shredded mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, and any additional pizza toppings of your choice.

The best part of this recipe (minus being super duper healthy) is that it allows everyone to create his or her own mini pizza—minus the carbs!

Eggplant pizza

Replace the high-calorie crust with eggplant! Slice the eggplant, salt both sides and let sit to draw out the moisture, sprinkle some herbs, and bake for about 25 minutes. Next, add your pizza toppings, and place back in the oven for a few more minutes. Only downside is this eggplant pizza recipe is a little tricky to eat with your hands—you may have to opt for a fork and knife.

Pepper nachos

This pepper nacho recipe is perfect for the chip lover! Using mini peppers (sliced in half and hallowed-out), stuff full of corn, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado, and low-fat cheese. Pop in the oven until the cheese gets nice and melty, and then snack away!

Roasted chickpeas

Roasted chickpeas are an absolute lifesaver when you need that salty and crunchy fix. Just add olive oil, salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices you’d like and bake for about 15 minutes—so easy and delicious!

Have a favorite carbless recipe you’d like to share? Comment below!

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