Take a look at our March newsletter!
The
Monthly
Renewal
3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • www.eyeplasticmd.com
MARCH 2022
WHAT MY KIDS HAVE TAUGHT ME Father Knows Best? Not Always.
This St. Patrick’s Day must be extra lucky because March 17 this year also happens to be Incredible Kid Day. Held every third Thursday in March, the idea is to take a moment to tell your kids just how incredible they are. I try to make a point of telling my kids how much I love them on a weekly basis, but now’s my chance to share some of my growing pains with you. When bringing up children, it’s clearly our job to teach them to be honest and honorable people. As a parent, you hope to set an example for them to live by, and refer to, when they encounter tough times. But like all of us, I’ve sometimes fallen short — going so far, on occasion, as showing my two kids exactly what not to do. That’s its own sort of lesson for them, but it’s also a lesson to me. It has been humbling but oddly pleasing to see my children tell me when I could have navigated a situation with more grace and kindness. Those moments of feedback are a blessing. I know it must take a lot of courage to tell one of your parents when they’re not at their best. I am hopeful that both of my children will continue to say, “Papa, you were wrong,” and that I’ll be able to continue accepting their criticisms with love and humility. My wife, Tala, and I have tried to raise our children to become self-motivated individuals who have the courage to go after what they want in life. Even when they were very young children, we were impressed by the determination and grit they showed when facing a challenge. Our oldest, Alecia, started taking ice skating lessons when she was 6. She was talented, and her coaches said she had competitive potential. When she was 8 or 9, she decided to compete in a Christmas show at SkateQuest in Reston, Virginia. She won, and that helped to trigger her interest in competitive ice skating, which has been a passion for her ever since. In addition to skating, Alecia’s had many other outside interests growing up and did an amazing job balancing her time. With hard work and determination in solo ice dancing, Alecia went to nationals multiple times and even competed on a synchronized ice skating teamwhere they took third at nationals. It was inspiring to see the determination and excitement she had for this sport. Now as she is completing her last semester of college, I know that her ability to dedicate herself to a task will serve her well throughout her life.
Our son, Nicholas, has also shown an aptitude for both school and athleticism. In sports, Nicholas loved baseball through grade school and high school, but one summer, he asked to go to a pole vaulting camp on a whim. He did extraordinarily well at a pole vaulting camp in South Carolina and cleared almost 10 feet after only three days of practice. At first, he was pulled back to his love of baseball, but as the word of his pole vaulting potential spread. Eventually, his high school pole vaulting coach approached him and stated that if he’d cleared between 9–10 feet in only three days, he could definitively add a foot to his PR (personal record) if Nicholas would try pole vaulting during his sophomore winter track season. Nicholas ended up clearing 11’6” during this first season and he received the “most improved” track award from the head coach for that accomplishment. In his senior winter track season he cleared 14 feet, and he took fourth in the state in pole vaulting and was looking forward to the spring season, only to have it canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to studying mechanical engineering, Nicholas continues to pole vault in college. Finally, I’m so happy to see our kids, now 22 and 20, become such close friends. When they were young teenagers, they would on occasion bump heads and frustrate each other. But as they got older, they started connecting more and more. Not too long ago, Alecia invited Nicholas to a concert at her college to see the singer, Max, perform. During the concert, Alecia “volunteered” Nicholas to sing the rap portion of a song with Max. So at the edge of the stage, Nicholas performed a short duet with Max. As exciting as it was for Nicholas, Alecia was just as excited to see her brother have such a wonderful experience. I love that they enjoy spending time together, and I know their shared intensity will open many doors for them in life.
For me, as a dad, bringing up our children has at times felt like driving in a car where you and your child both have a steering wheel. For my part, I thought I had to keep a death grip on the wheel. The hardest lesson I had to learn as a parent was how to ease up on my grip and let Alecia and Nicholas take over. But as tough as it was, it has been even more rewarding to watch them steer!
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START YOUR GARDEN WITHOUT GOING OUTSIDE IT’S TIME TO GARDEN!
Spring has “sprung,” and if you’re someone who cannot wait to get your plants into the ground, you may be counting down the days until it’s time.
windows in your home, you’re in luck! Point your seedlings in that direction, so they can soak up as much light as possible. Be mindful of how cold it is, too. Seeds need a lot of heat and sun, so your windows may not be enough. If that’s the case, opt for fluorescent lighting — standard incandescent lighting won’t be enough — and hang the lights just a few inches above the seeds. Keep them on for 15 hours each day and allow the seeds to get some rest at night. FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE. Much like a newborn, seeds need a lot of balance. Too much water will cause them to drown, and if they don’t get enough fertilizer, they may not sprout. Finding that balance takes practice, but there are a few basics to keep in mind. First, have a small fan running for an extended period of time each day. This will prevent excess moisture. Then, establish a liquid fertilizer schedule. Once per week is usually best.
However, you don’t have to wait for the perfect weather to start your garden. In fact, the best time to plant your seeds is 6–8 weeks before the last frost. (So, you might be behind already!) If you start now by creating your own “greenhouse,” you can cultivate a stronger garden that’s prime for a big harvest. PLANT SEEDS LIKE A PRO. Thankfully, gardening experts have invented tools that can “hack” gardening for novices of all kinds. Look for seed trays, which will have small pockets where
you can plant your seeds, and find trays with small holes at the bottom. This will allow excess water to flow out of
the seedling’s new habitat so it doesn’t drown. Review the instructions on the back of each seed packet to determine soil depth, a watering schedule, and soil types.
Once the weather gets warmer, start introducing your new plants to the outside world. This transitory time should take just over one week to avoid shocking them.
LOOK FOR AND CREATE NATURAL LIGHT. Once your seeds are in their new pods, you need a light source! If you have a south-facing garage with windows or south-facing
For more gardening tips, be sure to visit your local nursery. Happy growing!
A 10 OUT OF 10
Wayne’s Experience at Eye Plastic Associates
Throughout his life, Wayne has known a lot of doctors. That’s not only from personal ailments — before his retirement, he was a personal injury attorney specializing in medical malpractice. Of all the physicians and surgeons he’s known, he says Dr. Scott “is one of the best.”
going to happen from the beginning,” Wayne says. “He said, ‘You’re going to feel this’ or ‘I’m going to stitch up that section there.’” When it came to the recovery, he adds, “I didn’t really notice it. I did what he said, and everything turned out okay.” Wayne is a Marine veteran who served during the late 60s and early 70s. After leaving the service, he became a lawyer in Washington D.C., where he practiced medical malpractice law and became a senior partner at his firm. Wayne enjoys spending time with his wife and playing golf. Though he stopped playing tennis a few years ago, he’s quite accomplished. “We went to nationals five times,” he says. He’s also a bit of a bookworm, having read about 20 books on the Revolutionary War, and more recently switching to tomes on the cosmos and the universe. “It’s really interesting,” he says. “You can’t believe there are things like this in the world. There are particles that can be in two places at once!” If Wayne needs additional eyelid surgery, he vows to return to Dr. Scott for the work. “On a scale of 1–10, I think they’d get a 10,” he says. “They were perfect, and everything was top-notch.”
Wayne was referred to Dr. Scott by his ophthalmologist. He had an entropion, a condition that caused one of his lower eyelids to turn inward. Entropions can be painful, but Wayne’s case luckily was not. Still, he didn’t care for the appearance and hoped Dr. Scott could help. Dr. Scott performed the surgery in his office with Wayne under local anesthesia. Seeing the surgery happen may sound scary to some, but it was reassuring to Wayne. “I consider it the best way to have surgery, so you know what’s going on,” he says. “It’s better than just guessing.”
Throughout the surgery, Dr. Scott remained attentive and communicative. “He told me everything that was
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If I Could Turn Back Time ... Why Do We Age, and What Can We Do About It?
At some point, we will look in the mirror and wonder where the time went. It would be nice if the years didn’t show on our faces, but like it or not, aging is a natural process that we don’t get to skip. We can, however, help slow down and in some cases reverse some of the natural changes. When we’re young, our faces have something called a “triangle of beauty.” The triangle is pointing down, with one point outside of each eyebrow and the final point at the chin. It symbolizes high cheekbones and a defined jawline. But as we age, the triangle slowly inverts. It’s a combination of gravity, reduced bony prominence, thinner skin, and less defined muscles. The cheeks become shallower, the jaw becomes less defined, and jowls may form.
These changes, to varying degrees, will happen to all of us. We can’t stop time from marching on, but we can take the necessary steps to keep our skin at its best. You can start by avoiding smoking, staying hydrated, and having a daily skin care regimen. It’s equally important to protect yourself from UV damage by wearing sunscreen every day. Remember, blue light from our phones and computer screens can damage our skin just like UV damage from the sun, so you need a sunscreen that’s adequately protective even when you’re indoors. There are a million different skin care products on the market, and some routines are overly complicated. It can all get confusing and overwhelming. If you need any skin care help, we can simplify this and get you started with the perfect four: a cleanser, day cream, night cream, and
sunscreen. Just mention “the perfect four” when you call. And if you’re ready for a slightly more advanced routine, we’ll be glad to help with that, too. Eye Plastic Associates also offers fillers and Botox to help create a more youthful appearance. During your facial rejuvenation consultation, Dr. Scott will analyze your specific features to determine the best application for structural support to your face to help reduce folds and wrinkles —without it looking like you had work done. Finally, if your face needs a kick- start, microdermabrasion is an in office treatment with instant results and absolutely no downtime. If you have questions about gaining a more youthful look, call us today to schedule a consultation. We can’t turn back time, but we can help you minimize its’ appearance on your face.
A referral is the highest compliment our patients can give!
Simple Bok Choy Chicken Soup Inspired by TheSpruceEats.com
Welcome to our new patients, and thank you for the eight referrals this month! Do you know someone who might need Dr. Scott’s care? Pass this newsletter along to them!
Is the chill of winter lingering? A hot bowl of this Asian-inspired soup will warm you right up! Our recipe makes 4–5 servings.
INGREDIENTS •
3 cups chicken broth
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2 tsp sesame oil
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1 tsp red pepper flakes
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1 garlic clove, chopped
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2 tsp soy sauce
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10 leaves bok choy, thinly sliced
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2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. 2. Stir in red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic. 3. Add bok choy leaves and rotisserie chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the bok choy is dark green and tender. 4. Enjoy with slices of your favorite whole-wheat bread!
explaining things to them.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupery
3 (703) 620-4300
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3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • EyePlasticMD.com
Inside This Issue
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How Dr. Scott’s Kids Make Him Proud
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Start Your Garden in 3 Easy Steps
A Patient Shares His Experience
What Causes Facial Aging?
Simple Bok Choy Chicken Soup
Get Healthy While Spring-Cleaning!
IT’S MORE THAN JUST TIDYING UP 4 Health Benefits of Spring-Cleaning
SPRING-CLEANING HELPS YOU BREATHE BETTER. Spring often brings pollen that triggers allergies for many. But pollen isn’t the only thing to blame when people have difficulty breathing. When dust and pet dander build up in
Sunday, March 20, is the first day of spring — which means it’s time for some spring-cleaning. Did you know that cleaning is not just about tidying up a physical space? It’s also about improving overall well-being. Here’s how organization and cleanliness can help you in more ways than you might expect. SPRING-CLEANING REDUCES STRESS AND DEPRESSION. Tidiness and mental health are actually connected. Studies have found that having a clean home is directly correlated to happiness and your ability to focus. Anxiety can spike when laundry is piling up, items are strewn everywhere, and papers get scattered on various surfaces within the home. Clearing the clutter is a great way to boost your mood and increase those feel-good hormones. IT PREVENTS ILLNESSES. Doorknobs, refrigerator handles, light switches, countertops, and remote controls are all things we touch many times a day. Cleaning anything that’s used often is one way to reduce the spread of germs. By keeping household surfaces clean, we help thwart the spread of viruses and illnesses.
your home, your respiratory system is greatly affected too. Deep-cleaning your air filters and vents can make breathing effortless — and it’s truly amazing how this can improve your well-being.
IT KEEPS YOU MORE ACTIVE. Off the couch and on your feet! Even just running the vacuum and clearing the clutter from the dining room table will get you up and moving, which is healthy for your heart and body.
This spring season, putting some elbow grease into your cleaning will benefit you in more ways than one. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
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