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Can you believe it?

July 12th, 2010

The original post vanished into thin air. So here I go again.

Amelie and Lydia are turning one in 2 weeks. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for asking about them and for the generous gifts. From books you’ve written, CD’s you’ve produced, playpens, strollers, gorgeous clothes, stuffed animals, Mother’s Day gifts, parenting advice, etc. I am overwhelmed with your thoughtfulness.

Thanks also for your support during my seemingly unending quest to become a mom. Four years of ups and downs (mainly downs!)-I’ve been through 3 miscarriages, upteen shots, been put to sleep 9 times and nearly lost my life. It was a beautiful and painful journey, but I’m so looking forward to the future.

Many of you have asked if they are identical. They are not. Amelie is loving, sensitive but a bit of a tomboy. Her idea of affection is a tackle with all of her weight and a head butt. She is also in the 95th percentile for height and 10th for weight. I think I have a future rugby player, punk rocker, supermodel, WNBA player. Her feet are huge (unlike my 5.5’s) unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be sharing clothes or shoes in the future! Her current skills are climbing stairs one way, clapping and throwing tantrums-really bad ones. She looks more like me but has gorgeous lashes.

Lydia was born at 2 lbs 11 oz. Lydia is only one inch and a half pound behind her sister. She is observant, independent and gets mad easily. Her smile and giggle however could bring peace to the Middle East. Her current skills include saying the dog’s name, swimming, singing and studying your hands. She resembles her grandpa, but with fair Irish skin.

Now you know what Korean Jewish Leprechauns look like. Cute, I think.

Amelie at 9 months

Lydia at 9 mos, Cheviot Hills Park

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Thank you, Veterans!

July 4th, 2010

For all that have served or are currently serving in the military (including our wonderful former employee and fellow Pi Phi Kelly McMullan who will soon join the Air Force for medical school) I give thanks for your dedication to our country and ensuring our safety.

I especially thank the Veterans of the Korean War, some of you who are my patients. It is mind boggling that 54,000 Americans lost their lives in this war.

Because of your selflessness and courage, my parents were able to come to this country and make their lives better. My mom came from an extremely poor rural area of South Korea and was given the opportunity to emigrate here, educate herself and meet my dad! My dad came from a wealthy family from North Korea, but lost everything in order to remain free. He had to endure a lot of hardship during the war (such as sneaking across the border more than once and being thrown into the middle of the action-see his recently published war story from the New York Times Op-Ed section-see Blogroll) but was able to come to the US and start anew.

On days when I am whining about having a less than average meal, I try to remember his story of feeling pains of hunger during law school. Freedom and opportunity are things that a lot of us take for granted. Maybe this July 4th we can think of it as more than a BBQ holiday!

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Restylane-L has arrived…

July 4th, 2010

Restylane-L (Restylane with lidocaine, a numbing agent) is here. So far, so good.  Restylane-L’s numbing effects are a bit delayed and I’m not clear still if  the lidocaine really makes a significant difference. Most patients tell me they are pretty numb after an 30 min to an hour of topical lidocaine, but still feel some of the injections particularly around the corners of the mouth and near the upper smile lines. I’m not sure if the effects of Restylane-L will last as long (which in my experience is 9 to 12 mos and beyond), but for now we’re going with it. We’ve even seen a case of microscopic retained Restylane 2 years later during Mohs surgery.

Correct placement is much more important than quantity. I once had a patient younger than I am get 3 syringes put in her face at another office. In the end, she ended up spending more money and had a complication requiring laser treatments. Juvederm XC is the equivalent of Restylane-L. In the end, both Juvederm and Restylane are great products with no discernable difference in my opinion. Both look very natural in the end.

A lot of people also ask about Sculptra and fat transfer. I do perform fat transfer, but not Sculptra. I still think hyaluronic acid is the best way to go. I don’t perform Sculptra for several reasons, that being said, it is not because it isn’t a good product. It is much more expensive than hyaluronic acid fillers. With the amount of money it would cost, one could get many syringes of hyaluronic fillers. It also has a higher risk of nodules and is not used in the lips. Fat transfer is more invasive and because a large quantity of fat must be injected in order to get reasonable results, you can look younger but fatter/chipmunky due to unpredictable resorption. It is somewhat unpredictable in its final result in comparison to hyaluronic acid.

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Polidocanol is now FDA-approved for veins

May 14th, 2010

Yay! Finally, the FDA has approved polidocanol. I’ve always used polidocanol for spider veins, though use was off-label. It’s safe, effective, painless, and has been used in Europe and Canada for years. I’ll be sure to get a supply of Asclera soon. There is a limit to how much can be used in one session, but it is rare that a patient needs that much.

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Botox got rid of my wrinkles!

May 13th, 2010

Haven’t had Botox for 4 years. For 4 long years of trying to get pregnant I had to live with my unintentional scowl (the wrinkles between my brows).

Push came to shove when my mom commented on my photo in the new website. “You look lovely except for a few new wrinkles…” Ummm. thanks. I didn’t know what she was talking about until I noticed that my upper eyelids were heavier and bunched up. I also developed some new crow’s feet.

I have a tradition of teaching our surgical fellow the way I do Botox. For the first time, I had my crow’s feet done.

I am happy to report I do look better and it looks really natural. You’ll have to take my word for this until I publish an updated photo…

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Vitamins and cancer

May 13th, 2010

Can’t remember where I read this, but folic acid may cause cancer. Also, carrots (beta-carotene) may increase lung cancer risks in smokers. I find the latter hard to believe, but there was some mechanism by which this made sense. There is also a lot of controversy about whether it is better to avoid antioxidants during chemo or radiation since their mechanism of action sometimes involves the creation of free radicals. 

Of course, when you’re pregnant folic acid is a must. You can’t really avoid folic acid in multivitamins either, so what are we supposed to do with this information?

Broccoli has been shown to prevent colon cancer and skin cancer (Go Verdure Matte Moisturizing Physical Sunscreen with Antioxidants!) . We are told to keep eating more plant based foods to prevent cancer and obesity. Of course, many of these crops are laden with pesticides unless they’re organic. Even with effort, I can’t eat 100% organic.

Fish is supposed to be good for you. But with mercury, this horrible oil leak and whatever toxins/drugs are spilled into our water supply does this mean that I am permitted to eat more Happy Meals and In-and-Out burgers?

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Basal Cell & Squamous Cell Carcinoma Affect Almost Everyone

April 19th, 2010

Here are some alarming statistics regarding skin cancer in the United States:

  • 1 out of 5 Americans will develop skin cancer within their lifetime
  • The two major forms of non-melanoma skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. 40-50% of Americans age 65 and up will have either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at least once
  • In the last 30 years, the number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has doubled and the number diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma has also increased

Both basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are often diagnosed late because they can look like anything, e.g., a scaly spot, pimple, wart, or cyst, so it is important to have a skin exam.

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