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3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • EyePlasticMD.com
JULY 2025
Thoughts From a Fireworks Fan THE KABOOM CHRONICLES
BOOM! That sound often sends waves of fear and concern through most people, but it gives me great joy. Allow me to explain.
site provides all the information you need, including tips on rooftop bars and fireworks-related cruises, to craft the perfect celebratory trip for you and your family! And if you’re gutsy enough for the bike ride, there’s even info on how to watch fireworks from the Mt. Vernon Trail. No matter where you decide to go, get there early enough to secure a good spot! All that said, I would be remiss as a doctor if I didn’t circle back to my earlier mention of lighting off fireworks as a kid and stress that all fireworks must be handled safely. My most obvious advice is to leave fireworks to professionals and enjoy them from a safe distance. If you’re going to light your own, always wear polycarbonate safety glasses and gloves — and keep any spectators far away from you. Additionally, be mindful of how your pets may react to the loud noises and consider ways to prevent them from being disturbed. Most importantly, don’t play with fireworks if you’ve been consuming alcohol, and designate a sober person to light them off. Here’s one more thing to know as you set your Fourth of July plans: Although sparklers are primarily seen as appropriate for children, they’re pretty dangerous — sometimes reaching temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees!
I grew up in a little town in New Jersey called Woodcliff Lake. Although it wasn’t a thriving mecca by any means, it went all out on the Fourth of July by hosting the most amazing fireworks display. Although the annual shows lasted all of five minutes, they thrilled me to no end. Considering my enthusiasm for these sights and sounds — and that young boys enjoy lighting things on fire — it’s perhaps no surprise that I kept an eye out for any fireworks, M80s, and sparklers I could set off. (More on that in a bit.) My love of fireworks carried into adulthood. In 1986, while training in ophthalmology in New York City, I had the opportunity to attend the display held in celebration of the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary. Watching from Battery Park, NYC, I stood in awe as fireworks were set off around the Hudson River, the East River, and out by the statue. They were going off everywhere I looked! It was a big deal, and even then-President Ronald Reagan attended the festivities. I was so fortunate to have witnessed such an extraordinary event in person. Eventually, I moved to the D.C. area, which is understandably one of the best places to see fireworks this time of year. However, I’ve only ever attended one display in D.C. itself, as it took hours to get home amid all the crowds and traffic! As unforgettable as a D.C. fireworks show can be, dealing with the logistics of traveling to and from an event of that scale becomes less appealing for some people as they get older. I recently searched for alternatives to heavy travel and came across “Guide to July 4th Fireworks in DC | Best Viewing Spots & More,” a cool resource at Washington.org for anything and everything involving fireworks in our area this Independence Day. From finding a good spot near the National Mall to enjoying fireworks from across the Potomac River, this
Regardless of where and how you spend your Fourth of July, I hope you’ll do so with comfort and safety in mind. And if you end up checking out some great booms at a new location this year, please let me know so I can add it to my list of possible spots for 2026!
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Being There for Someone Who’s Struggling Kindness That Lasts We’ve all experienced bouts of bad mood and even occasional depression. While difficult to go through, it can be equally challenging to see someone we care about hurting and not know how to help. The main thing to remember is that providing support isn’t about fixing things; it’s about showing up in meaningful ways. SKIP THE PEP TALKS AND LISTEN. For many of us, our initial instinct is to rush to lift our loved one’s spirits and help them break out of a bad mood. However, offering them space and a calm ear is often the best thing we can do. Friendly company can be comforting even if they’re not ready to talk. Just be sure they don’t feel pressure to do or say anything. This might mean bingeing a favorite TV show together or just being with one another in the same room. FOCUS ON SMALL GESTURES. Along with providing company, you can support your loved one with simple gestures — a phone call, handwritten note, or warm meal. These acts remind them that someone cares and that they are not alone. Continuing to show up for your friend even after the rest of the world has moved on can have an even greater impact. There’s no specific script to follow, but small efforts all add up and may matter more than you’ll ever know. If you have a friend or family member going through a hard time, validating their experience and being present for them can be all they need. While they may not remember what you said, they won’t forget you showed up and stayed when they needed you most.
June’s Journey From Heavy to Hopeful OPEN EYES, WIDER WORLD
Dr. Scott changed how I see the world.
I hadn’t realized how much my field of vision was affected by the droopiness until I had the surgery done. I see the world entirely differently now. I see the sky. I see the ceiling in my living room. Dr. Scott’s expertise has given me a whole new perspective on a larger, much brighter world. As a psychologist, I will add that the mental health benefits of this surgery have been an unexpected advantage. Most significantly, I dealt with lung cancer about two years ago, and people who know me look at my eyes today and say, ‘June, you look great! You look so healthy!’ After the surgery, I told Dr. Scott, “You know, I was expecting that I would look a lot younger.” He said, “Well, we could have made your eyes look much younger, but they wouldn’t have fit the rest of your face.” I thought, “That makes total sense. I don’t want the eyes of a 25-year-old and the face of a 66-year-old.” That attention to detail is another reason why I appreciate him.
For years, I struggled with droopy eyelids that obscured my vision and looked pretty horrific due to their asymmetry. I would compensate for my appearance by scrunching my forehead to lift my eyelids. Based on my mother’s experience with the same condition, I predicted my eyes would become a big problem for me in 10 years’ time. I knew I had to do something about my eyelids sooner rather than later. I asked several people for recommendations, and everybody mentioned Dr. Scott. I liked him immediately. He was personable, clear about what he saw, and open about the pros and cons of different approaches to solve my issue. Most importantly, he was warm and really seemed to enjoy his work. Dr. Scott performed my surgery last November. I was surprised by how little pain was involved in my recovery, and I took almost no painkillers. The swelling went down quickly, and there was no scarring.
I feel lucky to have worked with Dr. Scott; he has my highest recommendation.
–June Tangney
2 EyePlasticMD.com
How to Manage Styes and Recurring Chalazions BURN-FREE BEAUTY SUMMER SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR EYES
Summer may be a wonderful time of year for your peace of mind, but it can be far from a picnic for your eyes.
octinoxate, and homosalate. The EltaMD UV AOX Elements is just one example of a product
Although most people know not to leave the house or head to the beach on a sunny day without first applying sunscreen, they may be tempted to avoid adding the same level of protection to the thin and sensitive skin around their eyes. After all, getting sunscreen in your eyes can sting, quickly turning your seasonal excursion into a blurry, burning mess. Unfortunately, neglecting to use sun protection in this area can have major consequences, including skin cancers, sagging skin from extended UV exposure, and the development of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also lead to sun and age spots or prompt melasma , a condition characterized by dark patches on your skin. Laser resurfacing around the eyes is often required to repair this damage. Thankfully, there are pain-free ways to help this part of your face resist the rays. Here are four tips to keep your eyes safer without the sunscreen sting. • To minimize eye irritation, use a physical or mineral sunscreen instead of a chemical one. Check the label to determine the difference between the two. For example, a physical/mineral sunscreen may contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, and a chemical sunscreen may contain ingredients with funny names like avobenzone, octisalate, oxybenzone, octocrylene,
that may be kinder to your eyes than a chemical-based option.
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Use your ring finger to apply sunscreen around your eyes. After all, you’re likely
instinctively gentle with it anyway, why not extend that care to the most delicate skin on your face?
• Avoid getting sunscreen on your eyelashes. Avoid direct contact with your eyes by just going around the bony orbital rims of your eyes. • Don’t rely on the same sunscreen year after year. It’s common for skin care products to change their ingredients over time. Research to confirm whether your preferred sunscreen has new additives that may cause irritation. Additionally, do not forget about the damage that occurs from blue light coming from your computer screen and your phone. EltaMD UV AOX Elements sunscreen has zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as mineral filters, and it also has iron oxide which helps to block blue light.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
Inspired by CookieAndKate.com
INGREDIENTS •
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss sweet potatoes in 2 tbsp olive oil, cayenne pepper, and salt. 2. Bake for 30–40 minutes, then set aside. 3. In a large saucepan over medium
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
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1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp fine salt
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heat, add remaining olive oil. Add onions and cook until softened. Add in cumin and chili powder, stir for 30 seconds, then add black beans and water. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then mash about half the beans. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Warm tortillas in a large skillet over medium heat, then assemble tacos and enjoy!
1 small white onion, finely chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp chili powder 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
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“Laughter is the fireworks of the soul.” –Josh Billings
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1/3 cup water 1 tsp lime juice Salt and pepper, to taste 8–10 small corn tortillas
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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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Pops and Precautions
2 2 3 3 4
The Art of Quiet Kindness
Strength, Sight, and Self-Discovery
Sun Protection Without the Sting
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
The Most Dangerous Game of Monopoly Ever Played
Allied Powers Outwitted the Enemy, One Game at a Time When Monopoly Helped Win a War
You know Monopoly as the game that ruins friendships and sparks hourlong battles over Park Place. But during World War II, it played a much more significant and far braver role: helping Allied soldiers escape from German POW camps. Yes, really. In one of the most brilliant covert ops of the war, the British Secret Service turned Monopoly into a top-secret escape kit. Before this tactic, smuggling noisy paper maps without tipping off the guards was too risky, and getting caught could be fatal for prisoners. Enter silk — strong, weather-resistant, and, most importantly, silent. The British turned to John Waddington Ltd., the licensed Monopoly manufacturer in the UK, who also happened to be an expert in printing on silk. It was a match made in espionage heaven. Waddington didn’t just tuck maps into game boxes, though. In a locked room most employees didn’t know existed, craftsmen rigged Monopoly sets with tiny metal files, magnetic compasses, and even real currency hidden beneath the play money. Each
game was marked with a secret red dot on the Free Parking space — an insider’s clue for captured soldiers to look out for.
Thanks to a clever partnership with the Red Cross, these “games” were slipped into POW camps as humanitarian aid packages. The guards thought they were passing along innocent entertainment. Meanwhile, inside the box were the tools to freedom. By the end of the war, over 35,000 POWs had escaped German camps — many with the help of these customized Monopoly sets. Though exact numbers are lost to history, Monopoly’s role in those escapes is one of the war’s clever secrets. The mission was kept quiet for decades to preserve the strategy for future use. Today, the story reminds us that the simplest tools can sometimes carry out extraordinary missions. Next time you pass “Go,” just remember Monopoly once helped people pass barbed wire.
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