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New children's book takes on mommy's plastic surgery
AP ^ | 04/17/2008 | LEANNE ITALIE

Posted on 04/18/2008 7:31:38 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

Divorce. Bullies. Foster care. There are books for children on just about every tough subject these days. But mommy's plastic surgery?

A Florida plastic surgeon has written about just that in "My Beautiful Mommy," a picture book due out April 28 that tries to calm the fears of kids with parents getting tummy tucks, breast enhancement procedures and nose jobs.

Dr. Michael Salzhauer said so many moms brought kids to their appointments that he was motivated to stock up on lollipops in his Bal Harbour, Fla., office. In "My Beautiful Mommy," he explains mommy's recuperation, changing look and desire for plastic surgery.

"Many parents don't explain to their kids what's going on," said the father of four, with his fifth child on the way. "Children are very perceptive. You can't hide a major surgery from them. When mom goes down for two weeks after a tummy tuck it affects them."

Illustrations show a crook-nosed mom with loose tummy skin under her half shirt picking up her young daughter early from school one day and taking her to a strapping and handsome "Dr. Michael."

Mom explains she's going to have operations on her nose and tummy and may have to take it easy for a week or so. The girl asks if the operations will hurt, and mom replies, "Maybe a little," warning she'll look different after the bandages come off.

The girl asks: "Why are you going to look different?"

Mom responds: "Not just different, my dear — prettier!"

Big Tent Books in Savannah, Ga., is racing the book out after the Internet lit up Wednesday with word of its upcoming release. The initial 4,400 copies will be available for purchase only through the Web site of the company, which provides editorial and publishing services to picture book authors for fees.

Salzhauer acknowledges the subject matter may seem distasteful to some.

"There are people who are going to read this and say you're indoctrinating kids and idealizing beauty. That's not the intention of the book at all," he said. "The intention is to allow parents who are going through this process anyway to have a vehicle to explain it to their kids."

Diane Kuplack understands.

At 37, Kuplack has six biological children under the age of 12, including 5-year-old twins, along with two older stepchildren from her husband Matt's first marriage. She said it was "nerve-racking" trying to decide what, if anything, to tell her children about the breast implant surgery she scheduled for Friday.

Kuplack, who lives in Weston, Fla., and is a patient of Salzhauer's, read the book to her children.

"The older ones loved it," she said. "We were nervous that if we didn't say anything at all that they would notice I look different when I came home. It really helped them understand because it explains everything so well. They didn't have any questions after that."

The book, told from the perspective of the grade school-age daughter, has the groggy mommy home from the hospital the day after her double surgery, sitting up in bed sipping chicken soup with grandma helping out. Soon mommy is out of bed but still not able to do any heavy lifting, so the girl and her big brother pitch in around the house.

At the breakfast table, the girl tells mommy how she's learning about butterflies at school and mommy laughs that her bandages make her feel like a cocoon.

Then the big day arrives — mommy's bandages are gone and illustrator Victor Guiza lights up the new and improved mommy with a sparkly princess pink background.

"Mommy, your eyes are sparkling like diamonds," the girl exclaims. "You're the most beautiful butterfly in the whole world."

Jerry Seltzer, general manager of Big Tent's parent company, Whimsical LLC, sees the obvious niche for "My Beautiful Mommy" in plastic surgeons' offices and among moms undergoing cosmetic procedures. He admits he initially wondered about the content.

"I thought, `Gee, mommy looked awfully good before the surgery.' But I felt confident because it was appropriate for the market," he said. "Women are out there getting the surgery."

Salzhauer said he performs about 200 tummy tucks and breast procedures a year, the bulk on mothers. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, representing most of the nation's board-certified surgeons in the specialty, reported nearly 348,000 breast augmentation procedures and 143,000 tummy tucks on women in 2007.

"My patients do worry about their children when they're going through this," Salzhauer said. "The book just goes toward trying to make the process as understandable as possible for the kids, so they can feel included and don't have to make things up in their minds on what's going on."

On the Net: American Society of Plastic Surgeons: http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/statistics Big Tent Books: http://www.bigtentbooks.com/


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bookreview; plasticsurgery
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To: brooklyn dave

“Heather Has New Mammaries”


21 posted on 04/18/2008 8:10:58 AM PDT by quack
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To: Responsibility2nd; MotleyGirl70; Cagey; Mr. Brightside; Rb ver. 2.0; lesser_satan; Taffini; jdm; ...
Bypassing the easy reference, highlighting the Sidra question, I humbly submit the following:

AUDREY: So, what did you think?

GEORGE: About the pizza?

AUDREY: No, about the nose job.

GEORGE: Oh, the nose job. I don't know, what did you think?

AUDREY: Well, I've thought about it, but I don't know.

GEORGE: Yeah. (another pause) Not that I care, one way or the other, but these doctors today really do amazing things, you know, if you were so inclined. And again, I'm not suggesting.

AUDREY: I know, they're good.

GEORGE: Peter Jennings had one.

AUDREY: Really?

GEORGE: Probably. They all do. In my high school, half my graduating class had them. Of course, I'm from Long Island, so...

AUDREY: Uh huh.

GEORGE: It's really nothing, it's like going to the dentist.

AUDREY: I hate the dentist.

GEORGE: It's a cleaning.

AUDREY: So you really think I should do this?

GEORGE: If it makes you happy, I don't focus on these things. I will tell you this: Unfortunately, we live in a very superficial society. I don't condone it, but it's a fact of life.

AUDREY: Well, maybe I should.

GEORGE: What the hell.

ELAINE: (barging in) Aw, now you talked her into getting a nose job?

GEORGE: Me? I didn't say anything.

ELAINE: You encouraged her to get one.

GEORGE: I didn't encourage. No encourage.

ELAINE: Peter Jennings had one?

GEORGE: It's possible.

ELAINE: Well, I think you should accept her for who she is.

AUDREY: No, George is right. I want to get one.

ELAINE: I think it's a mistake.

GEORGE: Me too, really. Unless you'd really like to get one.

22 posted on 04/18/2008 8:14:35 AM PDT by Gamecock ("I find your lack of faith-disturbing" Darth Vader)
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To: 75thOVI; Abathar; alarm rider; albee; Alice au Wonderland; Amityschild; aMorePerfectUnion; ...

No amateurs, please.
Send FReepmail if you want on/off ISHP list
The List of Ping Lists

23 posted on 04/18/2008 8:15:35 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: Responsibility2nd
Reminds me of "Holiday" by Nazareth...
Mama, mama, please no more facelifts
I just don't know which one you is

24 posted on 04/18/2008 8:15:50 AM PDT by rock_lobsta (Not Your Ordinary Crustacean.)
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To: metmom

________STANDARD DISCLAIMER________
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This supersedes all previous notices.


25 posted on 04/18/2008 8:21:31 AM PDT by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: Red Badger

SUPER STANDARD DISCLAIMER:

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26 posted on 04/18/2008 8:30:31 AM PDT by webschooner
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To: martin_fierro
Ah, the the Bride of Wildenstein!


27 posted on 04/18/2008 8:33:43 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: webschooner

I’ll use yours from now on, upon advice by counsel........


28 posted on 04/18/2008 8:36:34 AM PDT by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Why do we want our kids to be so worldly at such a young age? Why not just let kids be kids? They only get one shot at it, after all.


29 posted on 04/18/2008 8:42:53 AM PDT by LIConFem (Thompson. Lifetime ACU Rating: 86 -- Hunter Lifetime ACU Rating: 92 (any combo will do, fellas))
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To: Responsibility2nd
Mommy’s getting a boob job. What to tell the kids?
Happy birthday daddyy!!
30 posted on 04/18/2008 8:50:30 AM PDT by Moleman
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To: Lizavetta

Good for you! How did your procedure turn out? Mrs. Moleman has a consoltation in May. Was it worth it?


31 posted on 04/18/2008 8:52:57 AM PDT by Moleman
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To: Red Badger

They need to be combined, to create a Super Duper Holy Batman Disclaimer! ... :)


32 posted on 04/18/2008 9:06:23 AM PDT by webschooner
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To: quack

“Help! There’s ass fat under my cheeks!”

“Mommy’s New Knockers”

“Winnie the Pooh and Lipo Too!”


33 posted on 04/18/2008 9:07:49 AM PDT by waverna
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To: webschooner; Red Badger

Good Lord, the stuff we filter out every day.


34 posted on 04/18/2008 9:14:01 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Paleo Conservative

People really do that stuff to themselves intentionally?

That looks like the sort of thing I’d have plastic surgery to get rid of.


35 posted on 04/18/2008 9:15:32 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Responsibility2nd
"This is why Mommie has a cute little nose, and you don't."

sw

36 posted on 04/18/2008 9:17:22 AM PDT by spectre (Spectre's wife)
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To: webschooner; metmom

No animals were harmed in the making of this post.........


37 posted on 04/18/2008 10:04:52 AM PDT by Red Badger ( We don't have science, but we do have consensus.......)
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To: al baby; Auntbee; BJClinton; Dashing Dasher; dfwddr; exile; feinswinesuksass; Finger Monkey; ...
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket TaЯd ping!

"Tard" refers to the ping list members and not to the subject of the thread!

List of Ping Lists

38 posted on 04/18/2008 10:41:20 AM PDT by EveningStar
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To: Responsibility2nd; MeekOneGOP; Conspiracy Guy; DocRock; King Prout; Darksheare; OSHA; ...
My Beautiful Mommy



39 posted on 04/18/2008 10:43:34 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Code Pink should guard against creating stereotypes in the Mincing Community." --Titan Magroyne)
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To: martin_fierro

thats sick looks like my left one after surfing


40 posted on 04/18/2008 10:44:06 AM PDT by al baby (Hi mom)
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