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The Best Tours of Charleston

March 21, 2012 by

Charleston ToursCharleston, South Carolina, is commonly cited as one of the nation’s most historical cities. Many of our patients who come for breast reconstruction surgery stay long enough to enjoy the eclectic sights Charleston has to offer.

The next time you’re in town, consider making time to visit one of these excellent Charleston tours.

Historic Charleston Tour

Founded in 1670, Charleston boasts more than three centuries of fascinating history. Join the historic tour to learn about Charleston’s role in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, as well as the natural disasters that the city has withstood through the years. Your licensed tour guide will draw your attention to more than 100 points of interest. Hotel pick-up and drop-off service may be available.

Old Charleston Walking Ghost Tour

Keep your mind sharp and your body healthy with a walking tour of Charleston’s most haunted places. Tour guide Mike Brown offers more than a decade’s worth of research about the city’s spookiest alleys, graveyards, and other locations. Offered at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. daily, these tours are sure to get your heart thumping and can act as either a main attraction or the opening for an exciting night on the town.

Historic Harbor Boat Tour of Charleston

Relax aboard a boat for a nonstop tour from the water. During your 90-minute sea adventure, you’ll learn about the historically significant Charleston Harbor and get to view three major forts (Moultrie, Sumter, and Johnson). The tour also includes views of Charleston’s best-known landmarks, including St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. If you keep your eyes on the water, you may even spot dolphins, pelicans, or other Low Country sea life.

Gone with the Wind City & Mansion Tour

Relive the beauty and drama of Margaret Mitchell’s iconic novel on Charleston’s Gone with the Wind City & Mansion Tour. You’ll see the French Quarter, the Market, Old Citadel, and the Rainbow Row of homes in pastel colors. The tour concludes inside the historic Manigault House, complete with antique furniture and architecture.

 

Filed Under: All Things Charleston Tagged With: , , , ,

6 Ways to Soothe Sore & Aching Muscles

March 19, 2012 by

Most active people don’t mind a little muscle soreness after intense workouts —after all, sore muscles are the evidence that our bodies are working hard enough to attain new levels of fitness and help us prevent diseases like breast cancer. But after a while, it’s perfectly normal to want some relief.

Here’s the six-part formula to soothing your aching muscles.

  • Stretch it out. Within a few minutes of finishing an intense workout, spend about ten minutes stretching your muscles. Lengthening warm muscles post-workout helps flush out lactic acid (the stuff that makes you sore the next day). A good stretch will also reduce stiffness and overall soreness, but make sure your muscles are warm. Stretching cold muscles can cause strains and tears.
  • Go for the cold. Take advantage of your sweaty post-workout state to enjoy an ice bath (or an icepack or a few minutes of cold water in the shower). Exercise researchers have found that applying cold in the period immediately following a workout constricts blood vessels, which prevents swelling and inflammation. Plus, as your body heats up after the chill, your circulation will automatically improve.
  • Apply heat. After the first day, heat can help ease muscles soreness by relaxing your muscles and stimulating blood flow to heal the small tears in muscle fibers. Even if you don’t have access to a sauna or hot tub, a hot shower, a soak in the bathtub, or a heat pack can help you achieve the desired results.
  • Get a massage. What better way to relieve tension, pain, and inflammation than by getting a massage? If you’re not comfortable stripping for a professional massage (or if you can’t afford regular visits to the masseuse), enlist a friend’s help or do it yourself with a foam roller, a massage stick, or a massage chair.
  • Rest. Our bodies are pretty good about telling us when we’ve overdone it. Listen to your sore muscles and slow down for a few days so you can heal. But don’t become a total couch potato: light movement (such as low-impact cardio or yoga) improves circulation and helps your body recover.
  • Pop a pill. If you’re still in pain after trying everything you can think of, go ahead and take an anti-inflammatory pain killer such as ibuprofen. But if you’re still sore after several days, consult your doctor to make sure you aren’t seriously injured!

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Your DIEP Reconstruction Recovery Process Question Answered

March 16, 2012 by

diep questionsThe below question is answered by Charleston breast surgeon, Dr. James E. Craigie. of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction:

I still feel tightness in my chest and stomach after DIEP reconstruction, when can I expect that to improve?

Tightness in the donor site area or tummy depends on how much tissue was taken to rebuild the breast and how much loose tissue was there to begin with.  The scar that results after the healing process can take approximately 6 months to relax and mature.  Therefore, during recovery, the tissues will be stiff for approximately 3 months and as you begin to do more and exercise more, the areas should slowly become less tight, less swollen, and more natural.  Regarding tightness in your chest, it would be unusual for tightness to exist for very long after having reconstruction with your own tissue.  Usually a new healthy breast made from your own tissue will improve tightness or scarring particularly if someone has had reconstruction with implants prior to using their own tissue.  However, if you have had radiation, those changes can be permanent and there may be residual stiffness, but it is very unusual for people in our practice to complain of tightness in the chest area once everything has healed approximately 3 to 6 months after surgery.

-Dr. James E. Craigie

Share this post with your followers on Twitter and Facebook. And if you have a question for our breast surgeons, submit them here!

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Where to Go for the Best Sushi in the Low Country

March 14, 2012 by

Best SushiWhen nothing will do but sushi, South Carolina’s Low Country has plenty to offer your palate. Here’s a guide for anyone in search of great Japanese cuisine in the greater Charleston area.

Wasabi of Charleston

Please a crowd at Wasabi of Charleston, which offers sushi and hibachi dinners, plus an extensive drink menu (including plenty of sake choices!). In addition to classic Japanese cuisine prepared by professionally trained chefs, Wasabi boasts an exciting nightlife and hosts special events including birthdays and anniversaries. Open for lunch (11:30 to 3:00) and dinner.

O-Ku Sushi

This upscale sushi hotspot was cited by Esquire magazine as one of the country’s 20 Best New Restaurants in 2010. So far, its finely prepared entrees and small plates have lived up to the hype. With locally sourced ingredients, a sleek interior design, and an assortment of hand-crafted cocktails, O-Ku’s unique take on Japanese favorites provides something for everyone to love. Open for lunch (11:30 to 2:00) and dinner.

Bambu

In addition to its unique cocktails and hand-rolled sushi, Bambu boasts an outdoor patio and live music every weekend night during the summer. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the Charleston-influenced Japanese and Thai dishes, the quirky décor, and the community-style tables (private booths are available too!). Bambu further distinguishes itself from other sushi haunts in town by offering diners a glimpse into the sushi-rolling process, which they can observe via a webcam stationed in the kitchen. Open at 5:00 p.m. daily.

Tsunami

Tsunami’s four locations and extensive menu (which includes hibachi, sushi, and other traditional Japanese fare) make this an ideal site for a night out, no matter what crowd you’re with. The restaurant makes a special effort to accommodate those with food allergies and special diets, making this restaurant the place to go for those with food restrictions. Open for dinner daily.

 

 

Filed Under: All Things Charleston Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Healthy and Delicious Breakfast Ideas

March 12, 2012 by

healthy breakfastAs Charleston breast surgeons, we’re always on the go, and breakfast is a meal we often overlook. Like you, we tend to grab something quick and run out the door or stop at Starbuck’s on the way to work for a quick pasty with our coffee. The old saying is true: a good breakfast is the start of a good day, so you don’t want to skip it.

Following are a few ideas we’ve found that don’t take long to prepare. They’re not only tasty but also good for you.

Breakfast casserole or quiche

You can prepare a quiche or breakfast casserole on the weekend and reheat it all week long, or you can prepare mini quiches for an even quicker bite. They’re delicious, and if you do it right, you’ll have at least one or two servings of vegetables and protein in each helping.

Fruit with peanut butter and cheese

Who can resist fruit with peanut butter and cheese? This breakfast is not only quick, but also mouthwatering and very healthy, especially if you use organic peanut butter or almond butter and low-fat cheese. Make sure the fruit is fresh!

Smoothie with fruit, protein powder, and yogurt

It doesn’t get much easier than this—throw some ice, protein powder, yogurt, and fruit or juice in a blender, turn it on, and drink your breakfast. A little research will turn up plenty of smoothie recipes you’ll love, and you’ll be amazed at how long you stay full if you add enough protein and fiber.

High-fiber English muffin or bagel with nut butter

Toast the bagel or English muffin and put your favorite nut butter or Nutella on top instead of butter or cream cheese. You could also add fresh or dried cranberries, strawberries, raisins, banana or apple chips, or sunflower seeds. You’re limited only by your imagination.

Your own GoGurt

You can make this great breakfast with any kind of cereal or granola you wish, along with your favorite flavor of yogurt. Grab a bowl or to-go cup and put some yogurt in the bottom. Add a layer of cereal or granola, and then add a second layer of yogurt and cereal. Fill the bowl and top it with your favorite fruit or nuts. There are literally a hundred and one ways to make this delicious breakfast.

What’s your favorite healthy, quick breakfast?

 

 

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Your Questions about Natural Breast Reconstruction and Implants Answered

March 9, 2012 by

implantsThe following submission below is answered by Dr. James E. Craigie, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction.

I had breast reconstruction in 2009 with implants and am unhappy with the result.  How hard is it to go back and do reconstruction with your own tissue?  What is the recovery time and does insurance give you a hard time if you need to do this?

Sorry that you are having so many problems with your implants, here are several things you need to know.  First of all, if someone required a mastectomy and their insurance company offers coverage for mastectomy; there is a federal law that mandates that insurance company to cover breast reconstruction.  If one technique did not work for you or failed, you are still eligible for another technique.  In our practice, 30% of our patients who undergo reconstruction with their own tissue have had failed implants.  Implant failure can be many different things.  Some people lose their implants because of infection; some have had radiation effects that contributed to rejection of the implant or hardness, while others simply have a result that is not satisfactory to them.  Other factors such as problems with implant itself or leakage can be reasons for implant failure as well.  Depending on exactly what your situation and original surgery was, the challenges of reconstruction following implants can include repair of the chest muscle, removal of leaking silicone, or removal of Alloderm if that product had been used during the initial reconstruction.  All of these things do make the reconstruction more challenging, but certainly our most successful technique to solve this problem is to remove the implants, any leaking implant material, the Alloderm, and the hard capsule that had formed around the implant and replace all of this with your own healthy living tissue.   Our preferred way to do this utilizes muscle-sparing techniques such as the DIEP or GAP, using just your fatty tissue to replace the implants.  Compared to someone who has not had failed implants, you may require an additional one or two revision stages of surgery and may require more time to allow the results to settle and overcome the effects of the previous surgeries.  These issues do make the process more complex, but the success rate among our patients is very high and the completed result is permanent and natural feeling which our patients who have had implant failures report to be their main goal. The recovery time for these types of surgeries is always patient dependent and generally longer than surgeries utilizing implants but our patients are usually back to work anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks.  I hope this has answered your questions and if you have any others I can answer, please feel free to forward them to us.

Do you have a question about breast implants or natural breast reconstruction? Submit your questions here to be answered by our team!

 

 

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Top 5 Spas in Charleston

March 7, 2012 by

Charleston SpasIf you’re in Charleston for a consultation or breast reconstruction surgery, we recommend the following spas for a bit of pampering or relaxation.

The Spa at Charleston Place

With its beautiful views and airy rooms, The Spa at Charleston Place is one of our favorites. The massage therapy options themselves are incredible: Swedish, deep tissue, warm stone, reflexology, and Moroccan oil. Skin care treatments include a decadent 24-karat gold facial and a diamond facial. Peppermint rosemary body scrubs, spa manis and pedis, and yin and yang classes are only a few of the dozens of possibilities for pampering.

Treatments for men and children are available, and if you stay at the hotel, you have use of the state-of-the-art health club with salt-water pool and Jacuzzi.

Stella Nova

Stella Nova takes facials to the next level with their Rx Infusion facial, which provides results fast with medical-grade ingredients that reduce rosacea and fine lines. This facial includes a penetrating serum and soothing mask. The Micro Mini Peel helps combat aging and firms the skin, while the Purifying Complexion facial reduces blemishes and deep cleans pores. The Cure Carboxi-Express and O2 Awakening infuse pores with oxygen to detoxify the skin.

Full-body treatments include a head-to-toe massage and salt scrub, a lavender-scented body wrap, African Red Tea Body Cocktail, and a sweet, luxurious sugar scrub. If you’re visiting with friends, book the VIP Spa Suite to enjoy the butler service and choice of delicious food and drink while you’re being pampered.

Simply Your Spa

An intimate day spa and yoga studio, Simply Your Spa offers a variety of packages that give you the best of the best in spa services. The Simply Your Sampler includes a Swedish massage, Quick Results Facial, Express Manicure, and Express Pedicure. For the ultimate in spa, The Pleasure Seeker Package offers a Swedish massage, Herbology Body Treatment, Simply Your Signature Facial, and Sea Spa Manicure and Pedicure. The Ultimate Feet Treat Package pampers your feet with a shea butter reflexology foot massage, followed by a Sea Spa Pedicure.

Simply Your Spa also offers lash and brow tinting, spray tan, and yoga and Zumba classes, as well as professional skin care, makeup, and doggie bath products for sale. Men’s and couples’ packages are available, and Simply Your Spa caters to brides, grooms, and groups.

Urban Nirvana

With an invitation to come into your own, Urban Nirvana is a day spa with a difference: their treatments use luxurious products rarely seen anywhere else. In addition to prenatal and hot stone massages, they offer a spectacular hand and foot massage, a scalp and full-body massage with citrus extracts, a paraffin massage, a warm rubdown, and an aromatherapy massage with your choice of intoxicating scents such as oolong and mandarin.

Urban Nirvana’s reclined-seating hydrotherapy tub and seven-head Vichy Shower offer unsurpassed luxury and relaxation. Body treatments such as a seaweed detox, a coffee body mask, and cocoa shea-butter wrap are treats for the body, mind, and soul. A full-service salon provides hair care and waxing by seasoned professionals.

Seeking Indigo

Integrating holistic wellness and lifestyle, Seeking Indigo has a yoga studio, Pilates center, organic café, and detox center that offer biofeedback, yoga, massage, organic facials, and Ayurvedic treatments. In addition to reiki and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, the spa has unique treatments not seen anywhere else. The Charleston Hyperbaric Chamber delivers oxygen to the body at the cellular level and allows the body to heal itself. Seeking Indigo’s far infrared sauna heats you from the inside out, reducing blood pressure and detoxifying the body.

The spa also offers fashion from local designers ranging from vintage to modern, jewelry of all types, books, music, art, and exotic treasures for sale.

Which spas appeal to you, and why?

 

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5 Tips for Staying Regular (And Feeling Great!)

March 5, 2012 by

dietary fiberYou’ve heard it for years: eat more fiber to stay regular—but you might not understand what that means. Fiber is the part of the grain, vegetable, or plant that we cannot digest. It passes through your system without breaking down and adds weight and bulk to your stools.

Eating more fiber decreases constipation, reduces straining because bulky stools are easier to pass, and helps you feel great. You’ll want to aim for a certain amount of fiber per day, so you’ll need to read ingredient labels or research fiber amounts online to see how much each food has. According to the Mayo Clinic, men under 50 need at least 38 grams per day, while men over 50 need 30. Women under 50 should have at least 25 grams, and those over 50 should have at least 21 grams.

Good sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. The more of these you eat, the more you’ll find what works best for you. It’s easy to work fiber into your diet; for example, you can eat high-fiber cereal or cook with high-fiber vegetables. You can also use over-the-counter fiber supplements such as Metamucil, though whole foods should be your first choice.

To stay regular, you might try some of the following ideas in addition to extra fiber. These ideas will also help after breast reconstruction surgery,  as the procedure itself can be constipating.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Water helps keep your stools soft and easy to pass. Hot liquids, especially those with caffeine, stimulate colon action. You might try hot water with lemon juice first thing in the morning.

Don’t ignore the urge to go.

Many of us will simply hold off on using the bathroom if the urge hits at an inconvenient time. Always answer the call of nature. Regularly ignoring it can cause constipation or hard stools that are difficult to pass. Not going when the urge hits can also contribute to poor bowel action.

If you have a habit of ignoring urges, you may want to establish a certain time of day when you go to the bathroom.

Get more exercise.

Exercise helps you stay regular because the movement stimulates your body and helps your colon move waste. There’s a reason dogs tend to go during daily walks. Laughter has also been found to stimulate the colon, so if you’re having trouble, watch your favorite funny movie.

Know your medications and compensate.

Some medications can be constipating, so you may need to be extra vigilant about your fiber intake and add more water, prunes or stewed figs, or even a stool softener.

Take precautions when you travel.

Traveling tends to make you irregular, so be sure to stay well hydrated and eat plenty of fiber before and during your trip. The time difference may mean you’re using the bathroom at very odd times. Go with it and don’t ignore your body.

What’s your favorite tip for staying regular?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips for Improving Recovery and Healing Time

March 2, 2012 by

Healing TimeOn the last edition of Ask the Doctor, we provided you with steps for the most optimal surgical experience. This week we are sharing with you some steps we have to help our patients improve their post surgery recovery and healing time !

After Surgery

Family members will receive periodic updates during your surgery.

Following the procedure, you will be moved to a special unit in the hospital where you will be connected to monitoring equipment. There, nurses trained in post operative care of breast reconstruction will monitor you at all times.  Family members can see you during visiting hours.

You will also receive an informative sheet that discusses your specific information and post-operative care.  This likely will include information concerning drain care; it is very important to monitor flow from the drains in a 24-hour period. This guides us on when to remove them.  You will also have a kind of thermometer on your chest, which monitors the flap.  Other specifics and information will be provided in your post-operative packets.

As You Heal

Family and Friends:
Support from loved ones is very helpful. But understand that comments they may make during your recovery can cause you concern. Remember this: We will tell you honestly how you are doing and what we expect your result will be.  Please trust in our knowledge and experience when we discuss your progress with you.

Healing:
You will heal! How quickly depends on factors your genetic background, your overall health and your lifestyle (exercise, smoking, drinking, etc.). Many people believe the surgeon “heals” the patient.  No person can make another heal. Dr Craigie and Dr Kline can facilitate, but not accelerate, the healing process.  But you play the starring role, so your cooperation is key.

Swelling:
You may find swelling of your new breast and abdomen (DIEP) or buttock (GAP) to be troublesome and your clothes may not fit.  Be patient, this swelling will gradually subside and you will feel better in a few weeks.  There will be a certain amount of tightness in the area where the flap was taken from.  This will slowly relax in a few months.

Following Instructions:
Another way to improve healing is by following the instructions given by Dr. Craigie and Dr. Kline’s staff.  We believe “the difference is in the details” and strive to achieve the best possible results for you.  It is imperative that you act as a partner in this process — not a passive participant.  The instructions are designed to give you the best opportunity for healing without delay or surprise.

Click here for a complete list of post surgery healing and recovery tips and instructions.

Have questions for the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction’s team? Send them on over, we’d love to hear from you!

 

 

 


 

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Change is in the Air!

February 29, 2012 by

Goodbyes are often bittersweet. While we are sad to see Christina Hobgood Naugle PA-C leave our team, we are proud to welcome a new team member, Kim Kay PA-C! Please take a moment to read the special message from Christina below.

“I am very happy to introduce to you all, Kim Kay PA-C.  Kim will be taking my place at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction starting in March.  My husband and I have a good opportunity in South Florida, so I will be returning to my home town.  Kim was a student with Drs Craigie and Kline a couple years ago, so she is a familiar face to The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction team.  I am very sorry that I am unable to hug each one of you prior to my move, but I could not leave without telling you all “Thank you”.  Thank you for the friendships, and thank you for the life lessons that each of you have provided in the past 3 ½ years.  This experience has been invaluable and the strength I have seen inspiring.  I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers, and check in with Drs. Craigie and Kline occasionally.

I am leaving confident that Kim will be an excellent addition to The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction family!
All my best!”

Christina Hobgood Naugle PA-C

Christina,  we wish you the best of luck in South Florida!

 

 

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