I Love My Children, But They Came At A Cost

by J. Drew Sanderson, MD | photos courtesy of Flower Mound Plastic surgery & Aesthetics Spa

As promised, today I am going to review the process of restoring a woman’s body after childbirth. If you did not read my article on stretch marks last month, I recommend checking it out. No part of a woman’s anatomy changes nearly as much as her abdomen during childbirth. The rapid increase in size over a nine-month period often stretches the abdominal skin past its elastic ability to return to the original shape. This fact becomes obvious to most women a month or two after giving birth. However, what may be a little less obvious is the fact that the muscles and fascia (thick sheet of connective tissue) under your skin gets stretched the same way, likely the destroying the six-pack you may have proudly displayed at the beach in your youth. With the weakened abdominal muscles, the distance from your belly button to your spine becomes longer. There are certainly differences in the way each person’s abdomen appears after pregnancy, but some “snap back” more than others.

Should you have excess skin, stretch marks, or a weakened abdomen after

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

pregnancy, there are some great options that can fix this; such as an abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck). During an abdominoplasty surgery, your surgeon will remove all of the excess skin on your lower abdomen and re-tighten your abdominal muscles which can dramatically change the appearance of your lower abdomen. You will have a scar that easily hides below your bikini line following the skin removal.

When discussing recovery, I tell patients that it is a rough first week and then every day in your second week you will begin to feel increasingly better. Most patients are back driving and running short errands in their second week after surgery. I try to get patients to take two weeks off of work simply because most people do not feel like getting back into the daily grind after only a week. A gradual return to exercise begins at three weeks with walking. Many of my patients will begin walking up to five mile distances in the third week following the procedure. At postoperative week six, you may resume all typical workouts. The best long-lasting results occur when people get motivated at week six and hit the gym.

I am frequently asked, “How long do I have to wait after giving birth to have a tummy-tuck?” First, you want to make sure you are done having children. While getting pregnant after having a tummy tuck is not unsafe, it will ruin your beautiful results. The minimum one must wait after birth is six months to have a tummy tuck. Other factors come into play based on each individual’s circumstances, but six months is the minimum.

Finally, I occasionally get asked, “Do I need this?” My answer is always that nobody “needs” what I do, but if your abdomen bothers you, we can make safely make it better. Many of my patients have said that when they look their best, they feel their best! Please understand, childbirth is a miracle and a beautiful thing; I am humbled by the women I am fortunate enough to work with daily in restoring their bodies.

972.691.7900 | www.liveyoungspa.com www.flowermoundplasticsurgery.com

2931 Long Prairie Rd., Ste. 100 • Flower Mound, TX

Future The OF DENTISTRY A True Family Practice That’s Ahead of the Curve

by Steve Gamel | cover photo by Your Candid Memories (YourCandidMemories.com)

In a time when healthcare and wellness are becoming increasingly crucial, it is essential to consider care that goes beyond antiquated practices and looks to the future of medicine. Perhaps no one is more ahead of the curve in that department than Dr. Matt Artho and his team at Country Lakes Family Dental.

As a true family practice that sees patients as young as 9 months old to 90 years young, Country Lakes Family Dental has maintained its reputation as one of the most elite family dental practices in the area.

“The future of dentistry is upon us,” Dr. Matt said. “It is up to us as a profession to determine what the face of dental care will be while also exceeding the expectations of our patients.”

As owner and general dentist, Dr. Matt, as he is affectionately known to his patients, strives to utilize the industry’s advancements to provide a comfortable dental experience with meticulous accuracy and a high standard of care. Considering his background, this is no surprise.

Dr. Matt’s profile boasts a wealth of experience. As a former electrical engineer, Dr. Matt credits his technical comprehension to his past education. However, as Dr. Matt explains, his desire to fulfill his vocation on a more personal level led him into the dental field. Graduating from Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dr. Matt furthered his education in an Advanced Education for General Dentistry (AEGD) residency. He also served in the Texas Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Major. He served in a combat unit and medical command company, receiving training in combat casualty care, among other medical training. He also completed his exam and was accepted as a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry this July. This is a feat that only two percent of dentists nationwide achieve.

He is also a long-standing member of the ADA, TDA, the International Association of Orthodontics, and the American Academy of Facial Aesthetics.

Through this experience, Dr. Matt has continued to advance his office with furnishings that make the office both safe and comfortable, including water filtration systems, state-of-the-art dental chairs with individual TVs, and digital radiographs.

“It’s fantastic how technology allows patients to enjoy comfortable appointments, but it’s also important that dentists utilize the technology that is

available to also improve the actual dental care and enhance the outcome of the entire experience,” he said. Safety efforts have been implemented Lauren Smits in May. Dr. Lauren received to help in the preventative efforts of her Bachelor’s degree Notre Dame and COVID-19, including UV sterilization and graduated from the Indiana University air filtration in every treatment room, School of Dentistry in 2013. aerosol evacuation during cleanings, and Dr. Lauren and her husband, Bryan, increased sterilization and PPE protocols. have been married 10 years and have Dr. Matt’s extensive education allows three young children. She is so excited him to truly be a one-stop practice as he to continue providing comprehensive is proficient in multiple areas, including dental care to the families of Country cosmetic dentistry, pediatrics, implant Lakes Family Dental. dentistry, endodontics, orthodontics, The team at Country Lakes puts patients and geriatric dentistry. With all-digital at their highest priority, focusing on impressions and 3D printing, patients treating every patient with the utmost enjoy the avoidance of uncomfortable kindness and professionalism. They’ve “goopy” impressions, allowing for more been named the Best of Denton County accurate, digitally pre-planned Family Dentist for eight years treatment of traditional and in a row! Invisalign orthodontic care as well as TMJ and sleep appliances. His prosthetic scanners and milling equipment also allow for precisely fitting same-day crowns without temporaries or “IT IS UP TO US AS A PROFESSION TO DETERMINE WHAT THE FACE OF DENTAL CARE WILL BE WHILE ALSO EXCEEDING THE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR PATIENTS.” “Each patient is a member of a family,” said Dr. Matt, a devoted husband and father of nine children. “It is important to us that we treat each individual as we would treat our own family members.” lab wait times and, with the assistance of 3D digital x-rays, also allow for the fabrication of implant surgical guides for meticulously placed dental implants. Dr. Matt makes very clear the importance of using his vocation and practice as a beacon of community involvement. A believer in education, Dr. Matt consistently sponsors multiple With minimally invasive laser therapy, ISDs and school activities and currently he can complete filling restorative sits as a VP board member for the Argyle treatments on children, and in certain Education Foundation. Having a place in adult situations, without anesthesia. his heart for the ill-treated and abused, he He can also complete lip and tongue- and his wife recently received The Hero ties, clean implants, perform biopsies, Award from the local non-profit Ranch handle mouth lesions, whiten teeth, and Hands Rescue. provide other amazing care. Dr. Matt and the team at Country And speaking of enhancing the patient’s Lakes Family Dental are heading in experience and care, Dr. Matt recently the right direction. And so will you with brought on a dental associate in Dr. one visit to their office.

TURN EXPANDS TO DENTON AREA TO FIGHT FOOD WASTE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ITS MEMBERS

Press relase submitted by Cheryl Schuldenberg

DALLAS, TX – Monday, August 31, 2020 – Turn, a Dallas-based environmental service, has expanded their food waste recycling service northward to Denton and the surrounding cities in the region. Organic waste is a terrible problem for our environment when left to rot in a landfill. Turn solves that problem by beneficially diverting the waste to local farms, gardens and composters who turn it into a resource.

Turn now hosts a food waste “drive-through station” in the parking lots of Whole Foods Market Highland Village and Armadillo Ale Works. Turn subscribers drop-off their full bucket of food scraps at the Turn truck, and receive a clean, sanitized bucket in return. As part of the $20/month Turn subscription, members also receive a monthly perk and a quarterly household impact report on their diverted organic waste. Subscribers have the option to keep their perk, or donate it to a local school or community initiative.

Turn’s two north drop-off locations at Whole Foods Market Highland Village [4041 Waller Creek, Highland Village 75077] and Armadillo Ale Works [221 S Bell Ave., Denton, TX 76201] are on alternating Saturdays between the two locations. The list of drop-off dates and times for each location are listed on Turn’s website, http:// www.turncompost.com/calendar.

Local businesses interested in recycling their food waste with Turn can contact them for more information at info@ turncompost.com. Turn currently services a wide range of commercial clients including restaurants, small businesses, and global corporate offices.

The UN Environment says that, “Nearly 30 percent of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted every year. This waste contributes to biodiversity loss through habitat change, overexploitation, pollution and climate change. Food is the primary source of landfill gas and the largest component of materials sent to landfills, which leads to methane emissions that cause climate change.” [Source: http://web.unep.org/ environmentassembly/waste]

According to the USDA, “In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply. This estimate, based on estimates from the USDA’s Economic Research

Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010.” [Source: https://www.usda.gov/ foodwaste/faqs]

“We’re passionate about nourishing people and our planet,” says Grayson Trygar, Regional Facilities Program Administrator Southwest Region for Whole Foods Market. “This is a win-win partnership for our local DFW customers and our environment.”

Turn Founder Lauren Clarke said, ”I think it is important to make positive environmental behavior changes as convenient and fun as possible. I love the Denton area so much; three generations of my family (including myself) have graduated from UNT. We’re grateful to Whole Foods Market and Armadillo Ale Works for hosting us!”

About Turn: Turn is an environmental service with a vision to help consumers rethink and reuse their urban environment. They offer organic recycling to consumers and businesses across DFW, and they educate consumers on sustainable food cycle practices. For more information, visit www.turncompost. com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @turncompost.

MY NEW Hobby Nutshell IN A

by Jean Eisenmann | photo courtesy of Jean Eisenmann

Ihave a new hobby. Ever since Covid-19 forced us to become semi-homebound, I’ve had more time to be, well, bored. Yes, I’ve worked remotely, experimented with new recipes, and increased my housecleaning regimen (is my nose growing?). But I’ve lacked having a passion — such intense interest in something that I want to learn everything about it to escape the stresses of pandemic life. Quite by accident, I found it — squirrel watching.

It began innocently enough, with me believe this critter was a male, and if you idling on the couch one day, staring out wonder how I came to that conclusion, the window at the many varieties of birds please consult the internet. Anyway, I that our feeder and birdbath attract. Over became captivated by his manners, for he the next several days, I set aside time didn’t disturb the birds as they picked the to observe how ground for dropped seed interesting birds are, from the feeder above. and how they all THE ENSUING WEEKS He waited his turn, and have personalities akin to their species. FOUND MY PASSION FOR with a nod to the flock as they flew away, ate the Of course, I made THE SQUIRREL WORLD spoils. What a gentleman! sure the intense daily housecleaning INTENSIFIED. I WORE A I was hooked. Bye-bye, birdies. was completed first. LOT OF BROWN. I’ve met a few squirrelly Then, at 2 p.m. on guys in my time, but this a Friday, to be exact, it appeared. No, not four-legged variety quickly became the Sasquatch. And not a UFO. A squirrel new object of my affection. The ensuing bounded into the yard. It was brownish weeks found my passion for the squirrel rust with big brown eyes and a fluffy tail, world intensified. I wore a lot of brown. which are very unusual characteristics for They had such endearing mannerisms: a squirrel. Of course, I had seen squirrels holding food with their little hands and in the yard before, but my focus had been menacing claws, hanging upside down as on the feathered friends. All those five they wrapped their feet around the bird hours wasted that I’ll never get back. I feeder like Godzilla on the Empire State Building, gently picking gnats, ticks, or some such whatnots from their coats. Adorable.

One squirrel, in particular, was my favorite and could be identified by a dark brown ring around his nose and mouth, much like a COVID-19 face mask. I named him Corona. He dug up the flowers that surrounded our birdbath and would lie prostrate on the cool soil for what seemed like an hour. Then, Corona would bury some edible treasure reserved for a latenight snack in the very same soil, right where his buttocks had been. Tears filled my eyes.

I asked my husband, Van, if we could put together a play area for them with a tiny slide, sandbox, and trampoline. If not, how about a teeny-tiny bounce house? Van slept in the guest room that night and called me “Rodent Mom.”

Rodent? Then it dawned on me. My thoughts traveled back to fifth grade, where I learned that squirrels were part of the – gulp – RODENT family. Corona’s cousin could be a field mouse!

Let the squirrels live their lives. I’m getting back to concentrating on my housecleaning regimen before I go nuts.