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3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • EyePlasticMD.com
APRIL 2023
Celebrating All 5 Siblings FULL HOUSE
Raksha Bandhan is name of a Hindu festival celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters. It’s observed in August, particularly in India, dating back to the mid-1800s. The relationship between siblings only gained a celebration in the U.S. in 1995, when Claudia Evart founded National Siblings Day in honor of her brother and sister, who died at a young age. Evart was particularly aware of the crucial role siblings play in our lives after losing hers, and she chose April 10 to coincide with her late sister Lisette’s birthday. She continues on her quest to make National Siblings Day an internationally celebrated holiday. I agree our relationships with our siblings are meaningful and irreplaceable, so I want to take a moment to honor all five of mine. My older sister, Beth, was a wonderful role model when we were growing up and was, and continues to be, an incredibly kind, gentle, and loving sister. I always looked up to her, and even as an adult, my admiration for her is unfading. Today, she lives in Holland with her husband, Jitze, and has three lovely grown children. She’s too far away for my liking, but we cherish any time we can spend together. My daughter, Alecia, got to spend Thanksgiving with her this year in Holland. I’m the second oldest and was followed by my brother, Grant, who lives in Raleigh. He’s a patent lawyer by profession, but I’ve always thought he could have a second calling as a physician. Grant has a deep interest in integrated medicine and he is my go-to person for the latest updates regarding COVID-19. He regularly shares educational resources with me, in fact, he introduced me to much of the information on heart health found on Page 3! Grant is very generous, compassionate, and would give you the shirt off his
back if you needed it. On a fun note, he finished the Leadville Trail 100 MTB — bike race in under 12 hours and got the official belt buckle! Look up this race online and you will be amazed.
promised; we should cherish every day we have and spend as many as possible with loved ones.
Robert is the second youngest in the family. He lives locally with his wife, Jennifer, and they have three wonderful children as well, so we regularly have the opportunity to catch up and spend time together. Like Brian, Robert has an incredible sense of humor. He can get away with making fun of any of the siblings, and no one ever takes him to task because he’s so lighthearted about it. Robert is super kind and generous as well. He and his wife are very gracious and have a “shrimp boil” at their house each year for anywhere from 50–150 people to celebrate the start of summer with family and friends. Finally, Leigh lives in Bridgton, Maine. My youngest sibling is an incredibly gifted writer. More than that, she too is a remarkably kind and loving person — and she has the best laugh. She always reminds us to care for each other and treat the people we love with tenderness. I always know I will have a good laugh talking with her! Leigh is now living next to Long Lake, Maine, which is an extremely beautiful area, and it is where we had our longest and my most favorite summer vacation together as a family. I agree with Claudia Evart that we should have a day to celebrate our siblings because they’re such an enormous part of our youth — and, if we’re lucky, the rest of our lives.
Brian was the fourth child in our family, and he sadly passed away suddenly at age 43 from complications from undiagnosed cardiomyopathy. He was a devoted father to two children and was always able to make us laugh. One of his favorite jokes involved “recycling” greeting cards we sent him. For example, Beth would send him a Christmas card, and when it was my birthday, he’d cross out “Merry Christmas” and replace it with “Happy Birthday.” He’d also strike the original names and update them. He even used a sticker over the address to mail it in the original envelope! I feel incredibly blessed to have had Brian in my life for 43 wonderful years. He was an example to us in life and reminds me daily that tomorrow isn’t
We should take time to honor them whenever possible, but April 10 provides us a good excuse to take a moment to appreciate our siblings.
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The DIY Birdhouse That Blends Into Your Garden Bring on the Birds!
STEP 2: MOUNT YOUR POT. Take your flower pot and align its drainage hole to the hole you drilled in step 1. Then, slide one of the washers over the carriage bolt before pushing the bolt through the drainage hole and into the drilled hole. Slide a washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the other side of the fence or wall, and twist the nut onto the bolt to hold the pot in place. STEP 3: GIVE THE HOUSE A DOOR. Use your 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit to create a door in the round wooden plaque, about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges of this hole for the birds’ safety, and use your outdoor acrylic paint to coat only the outside of the plaque and let it dry.
Springtime is filled with flowers, baby animals, and colorful birds flitting through the sky. And while many people love to watch our fine feathered friends, not everyone wants to put a colorful birdhouse in their yard that clashes with their decor or attracts unwanted visitors like squirrels.
Luckily, there is a style of birdhouse that will blend into your yard, keep pests away, and is incredibly easy to make — it’s a flowerpot birdhouse!
To make a flowerpot birdhouse, you’ll need the following items from your local hardware store:
• Drill with a regular drill bit and a 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit • Two 1 1/4-inch fender washers • 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch carriage bolt • 7-inch-diameter flowerpot (preferably terracotta) • 1/4-inch nut • 6-inch-diameter round wooden plaque • Sandpaper • Outdoor acrylic paint • Sponge brush STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION, AND DRILL! Pick a vertical surface like a fence or wall to mount your birdhouse onto. Try to pick an area where people rarely walk. Then, determine how high you want the birdhouse to be, and use the regular drill bit to make a hole. Why Fatemeh Recommends Dr. Scott ‘The Best Doctor’ Fatemeh’s ophthalmologist referred her to Eye Plastic Associates after she developed ptosis, causing heavy, drooping eyelids. “It was really hard for me to see,” she remembers. She visited Dr. Scott to receive a repair surgery and improve her vision. During her first visit, Fatemeh says, “I could tell he was the best doctor. He was so kind and professional, taking his time and explaining everything to me.” Fatemeh was a nurse for 40 years, so she knows a thing or two about patient care and bedside manner, and she was particularly impressed by Dr. Scott’s. “When he explained something, he’d pause to give me enough time to think about it and ask questions,” she says. “I never felt like he was pushing me, and he was so kind and patient.” When the time came, “Surgery was great,” Fatemeh says, so was recovery, with her reporting, “Everything healed smoothly.” She can now see much better than before the procedure and is very pleased with the results.
Once the paint is dry, push the wooden plaque into the pot until it is firmly wedged inside, and you’re done!
This birdhouse is an excellent way to attract birds to your yard without the obviousness of a stand-alone house. Also, its lack of a perch stops predators from gaining a foothold that can lead them inside. To make the pot more discreet, hang it in a corner where shrubs or trees block it from view.
Fatemeh is married with two adult children and gushes, “I’m so happy in my life.” But her path was not always an easy one. She immigrated to the U.S. from Iran 37 years ago. Fatemeh was a nurse-midwife in her home country. She needed to be relicensed as a registered nurse in America. Not understanding the English language at the time made relicensing even more challenging: In a dramatic understatement, she notes, “It was not easy!” Looking back, she says, “My children are so proud of me because I landed in the U.S. with two children, spoke no English, and didn’t know anybody. My daughter said, ‘How did you do that?’” These days, Fatemeh tries to remain as active as possible, walking 5–7 miles most days and belly dancing “if I have time.” She remains grateful to Dr. Scott for his care and her newly-restored vision. “Dr. Scott really cares about his patients; he treats them like his own family,” Fatemeh says. “I can’t even explain how wonderful he is.”
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The Awesome Foursome SUPPLEMENTS FOR HEART HEALTH
As physicians, we spend most of our time treating medical conditions after they’ve occurred, often by writing prescriptions. I think all of us can agree we need to do more to prevent illnesses. To that end, we should examine alternative integrative treatments when they can supplement standard pharmaceutical remedies. With that in mind, I want to share some lessons from a book called “The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology” by board-certified cardiologist Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra. Sinatra explains that the primary function of mitochondria in our cells is to generate energy, specifically adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is critical to nearly all bodily functions, including our heart, which needs a great deal of energy to pump blood throughout our bodies. Through extensive trials and research, scientists have shown certain supplements boost our production of ATP, particularly when taken together. They’re what Sinatra calls “The Awesome Foursome:” coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), L-carnitine, D-ribose, and magnesium. Our cells and mitochondria need each of them to generate adequate ATP. Specifically, D-ribose helps your body create the building blocks of ATP, while CoQ10 and L-carnitine convert it into “fuel,” and magnesium ignites the required metabolic reactions. In simpler terms, these four supplements give our bodies more energy and protect our heart health. A shortage of ATP strains our hearts as these cardiac cells struggle to do the necessary work to keep us alive. Around age 40, our natural production of CoQ10 and L-carnitine begins to decrease, which is one
of the reasons we associate aging with lower energy levels. Worse yet, beta blockers and statins, which are heavily prescribed, can further slow CoQ10 production.
The Awesome Foursome can help many people with heart disease, hypertension,
congestive heart failure, and even fibromyalgia. Many studies show people with these conditions, who have not done well on traditional pharmaceutical solutions alone, can respond better with adding these four supplements. But
you need not have existing medical problems to benefit. Over the past five years, I have noticed improved daily energy while taking the recommended doses of each of these supplements. Of course, you should always talk to your doctor before beginning any new supplement, especially if you are taking prescription medication. The risks of interaction with the Awesome Foursome are very low, but they do exist. Further, you should never stop taking prescription medications without your physician’s guidance. Consider talking to your doctor about how these supplements might help. For more information about Dr Stephen T. Sinatra, visit HeartMDInstitute.com .
Cod and Asparagus Bake Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
INGREDIENTS • Oil for baking pan • 4 4-oz cod fillets
• 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved • 2 tbsp lemon juice • 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
A referral is the highest compliment we can receive! Thank you for sending us four referrals this month!
DIRECTIONS
“You and I are siblings. Always remember that if you fall, I will pick you up — as soon as I finish laughing.” –Anonymous
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a 15x10x1-inch baking pan brushed with oil, place cod, asparagus, and tomatoes. 2. Brush cod with lemon juice, then sprinkle with lemon zest. Sprinkle cod and vegetables with Romano cheese. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes. 3. Remove pan from oven; preheat broiler. Broil cod mixture 3-4 inches from the heat source until vegetables are lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.
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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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The Special Bond Between Siblings
2 2 3 3 4
The DIY Birdhouse That Blends In
A Patient Shares Her Ptosis Surgery Experience
Dr. Scott’s Favorite Heart Health Supplements
Cod and Asparagus Bake
Need to Make a Change in Your Life?
MOTIVATION ISN’T ENOUGH HOW TO CREATE HEALTHY HABITS
“I’ll complete this task when I feel motivated.” You may have told yourself or heard others say this sentence more times than you can count. Unfortunately, motivation alone will not help you fulfill your goals or complete your tasks. You aren’t going to “feel” motivated every day, so choosing what to do and not do based on a feeling will only get you so far. But not all hope is lost! There is something you can do to help you complete all of your daily items and goals. Instead of relying on motivation, create habits that will get you into the routine of conducting and completing different activities. Habits are extremely powerful and can shape our lives either positively or negatively — depending on the habits we create. We can have routines that support our values and goals or practices that don’t, making life harder than it should be.
Creating healthy habits is essential because the next time you don’t “feel like it,” it won’t matter — you’ll have a schedule and routine to ensure tasks will be completed. The best way to stick to your goals and values is to make healthy habits. HOW DO YOU CREATE HEALTHY HABITS? Before you can create new routines, you first need to be aware of the habits you have now. What do you typically do when you want to finish something but don’t feel like doing it? What do you usually say to yourself? Once you can identify your trends and patterns, you can start changing your thinking and actions. Developing a healthier routine doesn’t happen overnight — it takes time, patience, dedication, and testing. Therefore, it’s best to start small and make progress each day. You can change one habit at a time until completing that task is second nature. Then, modify another habit until
your routine is filled with actions that align with your goals and values.
So, the next time you’re not feeling motivated and want to skip or delay one of your tasks, don’t! You made a routine and created healthy habits, and now it’s time to stick to them. Even when you don’t feel like doing something, do it anyway. You may be surprised by how productive you’ll feel.
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