My entire life I have seen my mom, Lori, suffer from debilitating headaches. Until recently, about one-and-a-half years ago, she has anguished from the pulsating pain caused by the dreaded migraine. Although her headaches have not completely gone away, they are definitely less severe and not as frequent since receiving Botox injections. According to my mom, “ I am able to do a lot more without the headaches. Before I would lie around with pain, but now I have more of an active life.”

 Her form of relief? Botox injected from Upland, California-based neurologist Shashi Shah, M.D. To learn more about the procedure that has made a world of a difference in my mom’s life, I decided to talk with Dr. Shah directly to gain insight.

 
Q: How does Botox work to prevent migraines?

A: “Botox works by interfering with the pain pathway, and also by relaxing the muscles that are tight in the neck area. It has been clinically proven to be helpful in moderate to severe types of tension headaches associated with tight neck muscles, and also migraines.”

Q: How do you determine if a patient is an ideal recipient of Botox?

A: “Patients do have to come in to see me for an initial consultation to determine if he or she would be a candidate. Then I give them a neurological exam and review their medical history.”

Q: How long do the injections take? And, what does the procedure consist of?

  A: “The actual procedure takes about 20 to 30 minutes. On the day of the procedure, the Botox is mixed with preservative-free normal saline as soon as the patient walks in. The mixture can sit for no more than three to four hours. It has to be used fresh.”

Q: Is there an average of injections administered?

A: “Per sitting, anywhere from 40 to 45.”

Q: How severe is the pain associated with these injections?

A: “It’s less painful than getting a regular shot. Most patients are already in pain so this is not as bad as that pain.”

Q: How often are the injections administered?

A: “Usually we recommend it every three months. After a series of injections, some patients might be able to decrease the frequency to four months.”

Q: What type of results do patients typically receive from Botox?

 A: “The patient does not notice any results right away. After about three days they usually start noticing the benefits, for example; improvement in the tightness of the neck muscles, improved range of motion, and reduction of the frequency and intensity of headaches. The benefits reach a peak in three weeks and they last for about three months. There is about 30 to 40 percent improvement after the first series, and after the second it is usually about 50 to 60 percent. After three of four series, we see 75 to 80 percent in most patients. The quality of life is better.”

According to Dr. Shah, Botox can even be used to help alleviate the pain associated with writer’s cramp and tennis elbow!

 In the meantime, I strongly recommend that if you are plagued by uncompromising, unrelenting, and unbearable headaches, consider Botox injections. Because the injections don’t get absorbed into the circulation, there are no systematic Botox side effects. So why not try it? It has made a world of a difference for my mother, and may just be perfect for you as well.

(Consult a Botox specialist with any additional questions — learn if your’re an ideal candidate!) 

Dr. Shah can be reached at (909) 946-2828.

Her address:  600 N Mountain Ave. # D 100
                            Upland, Ca 91786

~ Leeann

Photo Credits: Courtesy of my own camera work!

It was the week we’ve been waiting for on MTV’s The Hills – the night of more Whitney Port! 

Whitney is only a few months into her new position at Teen Vogue, and editor-in-chief Lisa Love has bestowed some weighty responsibilities on our favorite ex-intern.  It was Whit’s first time in charge of a photo shoot for the magazine.  Sending her off to meet the models (the band Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), Lisa offered the encouraging words, “If anything goes wrong, it’s your problem!”

And something did go wrong, thanks to the night that Whitney, Lauren Conrad, and Audrina Patridge spent partying with the band.  The next day, Whitney and Lauren were presented with the challenge of dealing with a hung-over band showing late and their diva frontman refusing to change into the wardrobe presented by Teen Vogue. 

                 (Whitney deals with trouble on the set. The band is late!)

Knowing she was in trouble, Whitney accepted defeat and the sentence from Lisa that was to come. But Lisa’s confrontations are nothing new to Lauren and Whitney. This time, her icy demeanor was at its best when she told Whit, “You really to step it up from this point on.”    

Meanwhile, those who keep up with the real-life drama of the The Hills on MTV finally saw Jason Whaler (yes, the guy who was eliminated from “Celebrity Rap Superstar“) tell Lauren about her replacement, a pretty blonde athlete named Katja. To add icing to the cake, when Lauren arrived to the party at Jason’s new apartment, she learned that he and Katja are now engaged. 

                       (Cheers to you, Jason! Lauren raises her cup.)

Later, Lauren mused, “I realized that could have been me…at the party to announce my engagement, with a kegger and a Bob Marley poster.”  Way to keep your perspective, Lauren!     

~ Brook

Photo Credits: www.MTV.com

This week on Dr. 90210:

Dr. Robert Rey returns to the 9th episode in high spirits! With his recent voyage to Brazil to mend his broken relationship with his father, every aspect of Dr. Rey’s life seems to have improved. His relationships are stronger and his practice is thriving.

Another familiar face is that of Joe, a man that we were introduced to last week. Unable to undergo a procedure to correct his genital problem, he hopes that this time around the surgery will be possible.

We also meet two models, one who undergoes breast augmentation and the other gets Botox ® injections!

As usual, this week of Dr. 90210 is full of surprises. To learn of all of the events that took place during episode 9, check on my iEnhance.com recap!

~ Leeann

Dr. 90210 Season Archive

Image Credit: iEnhance.com

From the woman who has attempted everything from music to designing handbags, Gwen Stefani now has a perfume! The new scent has a little something for everyone. It is clean and fresh, with a hint of floral and musk. Similar to Gwen Stefani, it is a wonderful mix of fun, sophistication, and style. She can now add fragrance designer to her list of business ventures that have become overwhelmingly popular (even recently scoring a deal with Hewlett Packard!).

Check out the gorgeous Gwen Stefani in the commercial for her L perfume:

The L perfume definitely holds true to the bright colors of the L.A.M.B. clothing and accessory line.

~ Jacquie

Product image: http://shop.nordstrom.com

 This week on MTV’s The Hills, we were privy to Part Two of the Lauren Conrad and Jason Whaler reunion.  This time, the two ex-lovebirds visited Ketchup in Hollywood, seemingly unaware that there would be a run-in with Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. 

When the couple that everyone loves to hate arrived on the scene, there were plenty of rude remarks and evil deeds thrown around to add fuel to Lauren’s disdain.  From Spencer’s, “It’s great to see you two back together again,” to Heidi’s “movie-making action” comment, capped off by their “gesture” of sending over drinks (non-alcoholic to mock Jason’s time in rehab), Lauren was driven to her breaking point. Turned out that she and Jason quickly called it a night.

(Lauren doesn’t try to hide her disgust when Spencer and Heidi show up bearing insults and insincere gestures.)

The next day offered a refreshing change of pace in Lauren’s work day at Teen Vogue, as she and Whitney Port were sent by Lisa Love (editor-in-chief) to scout out locations for a Young Hollywood Party featuring designer Marc Jacobs.  It may be the most I will ever see of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel!

(Sitting next to Lisa Love, editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, Whitney must find the perfect location for the Young Hollywood Party!)

But the real action on this episode of The Hills Season 3 was taking place at Bolthouse Productions, where Heidi assumed the responsibilities of her new position.  These included the grueling tasks of gazing at a screen with her hand on a mouse, and telling an assistant to hold all calls that weren’t personal (huh?).  As the week wore on, her scorned co-worker Elodie could barely tolerate the injustice. 

Finally, while listening to Heidi barking about the previous night’s run-in with Lauren, Elodie told Heidi the truth about herself: “You don’t even know what’s right anymore, and it’s just so sad.”  Ouch!  There’s really no better way to end this re-cap of The Hills on MTV than with that!    

~ Brook

Photo Credits: www.MTV.com