Those of you who know my 99-year-old mother know that she remains a legendary cook and baker to this day. Last Friday, she baked six beautiful loaves of Latvian rye bread! I’m fairly handy in the kitchen myself, but until this year, I had never baked a loaf of bread. That all changed last Christmas when Dr. Ekstrom’s son, Tom, gave me one of the most unique and thoughtful gifts I have ever received—a sourdough starter.

Since that day, I’ve faithfully fed and cared for my starter as if it were a living pet. Every other week, I bake a loaf or two of sourdough, and sometimes I adapt the same starter to make Latvian rye bread. When my mother visited us in May for her 99th birthday, she paid me the ultimate compliment—she told me that my rye bread was as good as hers! For anyone raised in a Baltic household, that’s high praise indeed.

Rye bread holds a special place in Baltic culture. In Latvia, as in Estonia and Lithuania, rye bread isn’t just food—it’s a symbol of life and hospitality. Every household keeps it on hand, and no meal feels complete without it. Traditionally, when someone moves into a new home, they’re greeted with a gift of rye bread and salt. The bread symbolizes prosperity and nourishment; the salt, health and preservation. Together, they represent a wish for abundance and well-being in the new home.

While Baltic rye shares some similarities with German or Russian versions, it’s darker, denser, and slightly sweet, often made with malt, caraway, and sometimes a touch of honey. It has a hearty crust and a deep, tangy flavor that develops over time—much like the friendships that grow around a shared table.

Sourdough, too, has an ancient history. Long before commercial yeast, people relied on naturally occurring wild yeast and lactobacillus bacteria to leaven their bread. This slow fermentation not only creates the distinctive tangy flavor but also increases digestibility and nutritional value.

When I bake bread, I frequently set aside a loaf for a friend, an employee, or a family member—just as my mother always did. For me, baking is a welcome break from my surgical routine, a return to the simple joy of creating something with my hands, nourishing others in a very different, but equally meaningful, way.

A few loaves of my freshly baked Latvian rye bread.

Fresh load of my sourdough bread.

My mentor, my 99-year-old mother, baking Latvian bacon buns, “pīrāģi”

Let’s continue this week’s article with a quiz:

Quiz of the Week:
Which of the following statements about breast reduction surgery is true?

A) It’s done only for cosmetic reasons.
B) It can relieve back, neck, and shoulder pain.
C) It never affects the ability to breastfeed.
D) It leaves no scars at all.
E) It is recommended only after menopause.

(Answer at the end of the blog!)

Breast reduction surgery is one of the most satisfying procedures we perform, both for patients and surgeons. Women who live with excessively large, heavy breasts often suffer from physical discomfort—neck, shoulder, and back pain, painful shoulder grooves from bra straps, rashes beneath the breasts, and difficulty finding clothing that fits properly. These symptoms can make exercise and even daily activities uncomfortable. A breast reduction can be truly life-changing.

The traditional procedure removes excess breast tissue, fat, and skin, reshaping the breast into a more youthful, proportionate contour. Patients frequently describe an immediate sense of relief after surgery—standing taller, moving more freely, and finally feeling comfortable in their clothing.

Traditional breast reduction surgery produces a beautiful and balanced breast shape, but it does leave visible scars. Depending on the amount of tissue removed, incisions may be limited to around the areola, extend vertically below the nipple (“lollipop” incision), or include an additional horizontal incision in the fold beneath the breast (“anchor” incision). These scars typically fade well over time but never disappear completely.

One possible downside of a traditional reduction is that it can occasionally impact the ability to breastfeed in the future. For younger patients who have not yet had children and want to avoid visible scars, there is a less invasive option—a scar less liposuction-only breast reduction. This technique removes excess fatty tissue through tiny, hidden incisions, providing a noticeable decrease in breast volume and weight with minimal downtime and no visible scars.

Liposuction reduction is best suited for women whose breasts are mostly fatty rather than glandular, whose skin has good elasticity, and who are comfortable accepting a more modest size reduction. For the right candidate, it can provide symptom relief and an improved breast contour without the tradeoff of surgical scars.

Whether through traditional reduction or liposuction, the goal remains the same—comfort, balance, and confidence.

Quiz Answer: B) Breast reduction surgery can relieve back, neck, and shoulder pain.

Orange County Plastic Surgery at CosmetiCare
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Corona del Mar, CA 92625

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