Restore Health & Wellness - Blog

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM TABETHA....OFFICE CLOSING PERMANENTLY.

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:19:06 GMT

PLEASE READ ALL BELOW BEFORE CONTACTING THE OFFICE.
"As many of you know, I (Tabetha) have been struggling with my health for quite a while. Once Karla turned in her notice (she is moving away), I knew that I would not be able to continue working and running this practice. I started looking for someone to purchase it but so far have had no success. I wanted you all to have someone already set up to continue your care. I had planned to slowly transition out over the next few months but an emergency of multiple circumstances has occurred that has caused me to need to close ASAP.

Therefore, after 21 years, this office will close at 5 PM on February 26, 2026 at 5 PM.  It breaks my heart that I have no one to take over to help you but things happen that we have no control over. I thank you for your faith and support over the years. You guys are great patients and I wish you good health on your continued journey.

Between now and then we will be seeing patients on a limited basis with very limited staff. Please do not call the office if you have questions and concerns.  Please email through your chart on CHARM (preferred way for you to communicate!) OR email us at info@restorehwc.com (not HIPAA compliant so better to use CHARM).

We will be selling all supplements at a "Going Out of Business" Discount of 30% off while supplies last, so please feel free to come by and purchase anything you may need.  We will not be doing any shipping of supplements at this time.

You can order supplements using the following links in the future:
BioTE:   https://link.biote.info/o1o
www.Xymogen.com (Click "Order at Whole Scripts" to sign up. Referral code is insight1960 and last name of provider is smith)
https://VitalPlan.com/

You will have 2 options to obtain your records through the end of March ONLY - Please note: the VERY LAST DAY to put in the request will be FRIDAY, March 27 and Monday, March 30, 2026 at 5 PM will be the last day that records can be obtained.

Option 1: We will email you a free copy of your last visit and last set of labs. This option is the only option that is free. For pellet therapy, it is really all the information that you need to continue pellet therapy. For functional medicine, they may want your full chart but that type of provider also often like to start from scratch so this may still be a good option.

Option 2: Complete & Sign a Restore records release form (CLICK HERE) and we will email you the entire copy of your chart. THE COST OF THIS OPTION IS $15 -- again this is for your records to be EMAILED. Please do not call and fuss at us about this charge. It is legal for us to charge and it costs us money to review your chart and compile your records. It actually costs much more than $15 and legally we could charge more. I am choosing to only charge that much to help you
out and make this transition as easy as possible.

*****IF you want your HARD COPY records, it will be a $25 fee and you must pick it up at the office. *****

When you inform us, we will also make sure to send in refills of your medications for a 6 month supply.

Please email us which option that you choose; and, if it is Option 2, please email us a signed copy of the records release (click here).  We will call you to collect payment. FYI: I always recommend that you get the copy of your records and not another office. If you get them, you always have a copy to share with any provider in the future and for your health records. If you let a new office get them, they are not legally required to send a copy of them with any records release in the future so you will lose them.

For pellet patients, you can go to www.biote.com and search for a provider.
like Tonia Blackwell, FNP in Whiteville and Rebecca Droberg, FNP and her staff in Cape Carteret.
I helped train and certify these providers and trust them.
In Wilmington, I recommend Dr. Sunil Arora & Mojgan Jones, PA at the Center For Pain Management.

For functional/integrative medicine, you can go to the following websites and search for local providers:
North Carolina Integrative Medical Society https://ncintegrative.org/practitioners
American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine https://www.a4m.com/find-a-doctor.html
The Institute of Functional Medicine https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner

Office Hours to pick up records & supplements starting in MARCH 2026
Monday, March 2: 8am to 5pm (closed noon to 1pm for lunch)
Friday, March 6: 8am to 12 noon
Monday, March 9: 8am to 5pm (closed noon to 1pm for lunch)
Friday, March 13: 8am to 12 noon
Monday, March 16: 8am to 5pm (closed noon to 1pm for lunch)
Friday, March 20: 8am to 12 noon
Monday, March 23: 8am to 5pm (closed noon to 1pm for lunch)
Friday, March 27: 8am to 12 noon (last day for records request)
Monday, March 30: 8am to 5pm (closed noon to 1pm for lunch) Last day to receive records

Milestone Dinner and the Platinum Biote Provider Difference

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 12:37:15 GMT

Last month, the team of Restore Health was honored to be treated to dinner at Bluewater Grill courtesy of our amazing Biote rep, Justin Stoehr, to celebrate the rare milestone of 2000 NEW Biote Bio-Identical Hormone pellet patients. Way to go Tabetha & Restore Health Team!

Our office has also been honored in the last few years to have the highest recognized level within Biote as one of their Platinum Partners.

Choosing a Platinum Biote Provider offers patients several advantages:
Extensive experience: Platinum providers treat a high volume of patients, including those with complex hormonal needs, giving them a high degree of expertise.
Commitment to results: Our office has a track record of delivering consistent and effective outcomes for our patients.
Confidence and trust: You can be assured that as Platinum Providers, our practitioners are highly skilled professionals who can confidently manage a wide variety of hormonal issues.
Greater patient satisfaction: Recognized as having high rates of patient satisfaction.
Complex cases: Successfully managed a wide variety of patient needs, including complex hormonal imbalances.
Deep personalization: While all Biote providers tailor treatment plans, a Platinum provider's deep experience ensures a more nuanced approach. Our experience with numerous patient outcomes allows us to personalize the treatment more effectively, including dosage adjustments and complementary care.
Nutraceutical expertise: In addition to hormone therapy, we incorporate clinical-grade nutraceuticals into treatment plans to address common vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Emphasis on overall health: As highly experienced Biote providers, we integrate a comprehensive approach to health, considering factors like thyroid function, diet, and lifestyle to support hormonal balance. This provides a more holistic and lasting solution for our patients.

Happy New Year from Restore Health!

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 08:00:00 GMT

We excited to enter our 20th year at Restore Health & Wellness Center, where Tabetha Smith, FNP became one of the first functional medicine providers in the area. It is a continued privileged to assist our patients with excellent functional and integrative medicine, where we go above and beyond to provide our community with the best care possible.
In 1992, Tabetha graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. (Prior to that, she received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a Specialty in Health Behavior and Health Education from the School of Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill.) She then graduated from the UNC School of Nursing at Chapel Hill in 1997 with her Master of Science in Nursing and started her career as a Nurse Practitioner.
Tabetha is an ANCC Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a top Legacy BioTE Bio-Identical Hormone Pellet Provider. She was also the first hormone pellet implant provider in the Wilmington area. Tabetha has specialized in bio-identical hormone therapy her entire career and has specialized in functional medicine since 2005. Tabetha has been trained in bio-identical hormone therapy by BioTE, Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA), Apex Energetics, ZRT Labs, and The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) just to name a few. She has been a member of the North Carolina Integrative Medical Society as well as A4M for over 15 years.
Her nurse, Karla Vavra Melcher, RN, BSN, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with High Distinction from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1996 where she not only graduated second in her class, was on the Dean's List every semester and a Student Assistant for her professors at the UNMC College of Nursing, but also was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Karla has worked with Tabetha for over 7 years and has been a Certified BioTE Provider in this office since June 2018. She is also formally certified in both IV Nutrient Therapy and Heavy Metal Toxicology/Chelation Therapy from the International IV Nutritional Therapy Global Physician Education.
Together, Tabetha & Karla have over 60 years of nursing experience and are consistently and continually learning to bring their patients the highest functional health care and bio-identical hormone therapy in the area. We are excited for positive changes coming in 2025 as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary and all of YOU, our patients!
To stay up to date with our plans for our 2025 celebrations, specials, and other information, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

NEW PRICING INFORMATION

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 20:46:19 GMT

To all our valued patients,
We want to start by saying how grateful we are for being a part of your health journey and for you choosing Restore Health to partner with you. Over the many years, we have seen so many patients get well and get back to a better quality of life. It has been exciting to see and to have the privilege to participate in optimizing our clients' health!
Over the last 5 years, we at Restore Health have not increased the prices for our patient or BioTE visits – something virtually unheard of, not only in business at large during normal economic times, but especially in the last few years.
As we are all aware, costs of goods/supplies have dramatically increased due to COVID, supply chain issues, as well as inflation. We held off as long as we could and absorbed the substantial price increases ourselves. However, due to increased medical supply costs (for example, the cost of numbing medication increasing from $4 a vial to $30 a vial), below is a list of our new prices which will go into effect January 2, 2023:

NEW BioTE Female Procedure: $400
BioTE Female Procedure (12+ weeks repeat visit): $400
BioTE Female Procedure (<11 week repeat visit): $375
BioTE Male, Regular/T200 Procedure: $700
BioTE Male, Modified/T100 Procedure: $550
New Patient Consult: $300
New Patient Consult for New BioTE with a New BioTE Procedure: $150 (½ price)
Established Patient 60 Minute Repeat Follow Up Visit: $300
Established Patient 30 Minute Repeat Follow Up Visit: $150
Phone Consult: $150

Thank you for letting us be part of your health journey. It has always been and will continue to be an honor!
Sincerely,
Tabetha L. Smith, FNP-C
Owner, Restore Health & Wellness Center

Month of Milestones! #2 out of 3,000 BioTE Providers! 1,000+ IV Infusions, 200+ AWT's

Mon, 08 Jun 2020 11:15:16 GMT

Tabetha and Restore Health & Wellness are proud to announce we were recently informed that we are #2 out of over 3,000 BioTE providers for patient retention!

This is the ultimate compliment from YOU, our patients, as it is one of the highest forms of your expression of satisfaction.

Tabetha and our team strive to be the best in the field. As we educate our patients on the importance of optimizing their health through BioTE bio-identical hormone replacement, improving thyroid function and overall wellness, we are enhancing the lives of our patients, and through our patients' improved lives and their commitment to their health, it shows.

Restore Health is proud to announce another accomplish Tabetha was recently rewarded. Tabetha is not is a Legacy Level BioTE Provider and a BioTE mentor for new BioTE medical providers, but she was recently approved to become a BioTE Protocter to train, observe, and approve new BioTE providers. Congratulations, Tabetha, on your continued accomplishments!

More News! Karla Vavra Melcher, our infusion nurse, performed her 1,000th IV Infusion in May!! Karla has attended several infusion trainings and has been trained by naturapaths and doctors (including Dr. Paul Anderson and Dr. Virginia Osborne, among others) from INTERNATIONAL IV NUTRITIONAL THERAPY GLOBAL PHYSICIAN EDUCATION, whose mission is to teach safe and effective administration of intravenous micronutrients and pharmaceuticals according to the current standards of medical care.

Karla received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and is also certified in Heavy Metal Toxicology/Chelation Therapy.

Finally, Restore Health's licensed, trained registered nurses have performed over 200 Acoustic Wave/Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy procedures since 2018. This therapy is revolutionary and has been used in Europe for several decades. Call to learn how we can help you, as well has how you can save up to 20% off on this therapy and our IV Infusions.

HEALTH TIPS TO HELP PREVENT VIRAL ILLNESSES -- How to Boost Immunity and Protect Your Overall Health

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 14:13:59 GMT

(Please share! We carry all of the pharmaceutical grade items in this article as well as provide Myers Vitamin IV Infusions with mega-doses of Vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium to help boost your immune system. We also are carrying Doterra On-Guard.)

1. EAT WELL: For the best chance to stay healthy this winter, make sure you are eating at least three servings of vegetables each day and two servings of fresh fruit. Try to choose whole grains when you can, and make sure you are having at least two servings of milk or yogurt daily.

2. WASH YOUR HANDS: Wash your hands with hot soapy water every time you use the bathroom and before every meal. To be sure you are washing away bacteria and viruses, use hot water and scrub your hands for at least 60 seconds.

3. USE ANTIBACTERIAL HAND SANITIZER: We recommend DOTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Mist. Spray hands with 2 pumps, rub into your hands, then raise hands to nose and inhale deeply. We recommend you do this every time you leave a store or group setting.

4. GET PLENTY OF SLEEP: To be sure your body is capable of fighting illness, create a bedtime routine. This includes going to bed at the same time every night so your body learns to anticipate sleep. You may consider adding new habits to relax you before bedtime, such as a warm bath or begin reading a new novel.

5. TAKE Vital Plan Advanced Biotic DAILY: Ingredients include Andrographis extract which has been shown to help support a healthy & balanced immune response, as well as, Elderberry, Echinacea, Astragalus, & Olive Leaf Extract. Suggested use is 2 pills daily

6. TAKE A PROBIOTIC DAILY such as Klaire Ther-Biotic Complete or BioTE Mulit-Strain Probiotic to boost immune system function.

7. TAKE Ecological Formulas Monolaurin 600mg 2 capsules DAILY.

8. TAKE Xymogen Bio C 1:1 2 capsules DAILY.

9. MAKE SURE to take enough Vitamin D3 so that your Vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy level is 70-100.

10. If you are traveling, increase #3, #5, #7-9 to 3-4 times/day.

11. If you would like to add flavor to your water, add EFFER-C Elderberry Effervescent Drink Mix for immune boosting

**COPING WITH A COLD OR FLU**
Unfortunately there will be times when you come down with some type of illness such as a cold or flu. Here are some tips to get you through the illness.

TAKE OFF: One of the best ways to hurry recovery is to take a day off when you need to.

TAKE IT EASY: If you absolutely cannot take off work, think about what you can do to take it easy until you are feeling better. If you typically run on fourth gear most of the time, try running on second gear.

DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS: Drinking extra fluids when you are sick really helps the illness pass through your system much quicker. A good toddy would be ½ cup hot tea with ½ cup of grapefruit juice.

ASK FOR HELP: It is okay to ask for help when you need it. Ask a friend or neighbor to watch the children for you while you rest. You can return the favor another time.

***TAKE FOLLOWING REMEDY AT THE 1st SIGN OF ILLNESS:***
*Vital Plan Advanced Biotic: 2 pills 3 times a day
*Ecological Formulas Monolaurin 600mg: 2 capsules 3 times a day
*Ecological Formulas Black Elderberry Extract: 1 tbsp 3-4 times a day
*Xymogen Bio C 1:1 2 pills 3 times a day

If the above remedies don’t work to relieve most symptoms within 3-4 days, TRY THE FOLLOWING OVER THE COUNTER COLD REMEDIES (if no individual contraindications):
* Pseudoephedrine 30 mg: Take 2 pills 2-3 times a day (decongestant) (located behind pharmacy counter)
* Guaifenesin/Dextromethorphan (ex. Mucinex DM): Take 1-2 pills 2 times a day (expectorant/cough suppressant)
*Zyrtec (cetirizine) 10 mg: Take 1 pill a day (antihistamine)
*Ibuprofen 200 mg: Take 2-4 pills with food 1-3 times a day as needed for headache or aches/pains

RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE

Many times we question when it is necessary to seek medical attention. Often we visit our medical provider only to be told we have an upper respiratory infection, also known as a common “cold”. A cold is a viral infection of the nose, eyes, ear canals, mouth, throat, voice box or upper windpipe. A viral upper respiratory infection can last 10 to 14 days.
Cold symptoms include runny or congested nose with mucous color ranging from white to yellow to green. The nose symptoms are usually associated with postnasal drip, which causes two of the additional symptoms of a cold, sore throat and cough.

The cough usually lasts beyond the cold itself and may take up to 4-6 weeks to resolve. If a cough worsens or is associated with any breathing difficulty, you should seek medical attention right away.

We also want you to seek medical attention for yourself or your children when:
-There is fever over 100.4 for 5 days or longer
-Temp over 103 that bounces right back after using Tylenol or Motrin/Ibuprofen
-Poor fluid intake and a change in urinary output
-Shortness of breath
-Severe neck pain or stiffness
-Specific site pain such as ear ache or joint pain that is worsening
-Cough worsening and causing respiratory distress or worsening after one week or lasting greater than 4 weeks

Information provided courtesy of Restore Health & Wellness Center, 1010 South 16th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Please contact us at 910.763.1960 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a IV. We are open Mon-Thurs 8am - 5pm and anyone can purchase pharmaceutical grade supplements for our office. restorehealthwellness.com

Heart Health and The Need to Optimize Your Hormones

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 01:28:12 GMT

Heart disease is the leading cause of deaths, not only in the United States, but also globally. Once thought to be a “man’s disease,” women are just as affected and have the same number of deaths as men each year from heart disease in the United States.

While staying at a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, managing your stress and blood sugar, as well as controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels are all key to reducing your chances of getting heart disease, we may be missing an important part of the puzzle – the effect our hormones have on heart health and helping to accomplish the above list of positive health goals.

Estrogen and Heart Disease
Studies have shown women experience an increased risk of heart disease after menopause, increasing to one in four women dying of the disease a year. Researchers have connected this pattern to decreasing levels of estrogen during menopause.

In fact, low estrogen before menopause also puts women at risk. A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2016 noted premenopausal women with estradiol concentrations at or below the 10th percentile had a higher risk of stroke.1  That means it is important to have your hormones levels checked and at optimal range as you enter your mid-to-late 30’s.

Proper estrogen balance is associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good cholesterol”) and lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad cholesterol”). The decline of natural estrogen that occurs in menopause leads to lower HDL and higher LDL thus leading to the increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Men need estrogen, too. Optimal range for men is 30-70 pg/ml, and a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2009 found in 501 men with chronic heart failure, those with low testosterone and low estrogen had an 96% increase in overall mortality. In fact, men with the lowest estradiol levels were 217% more likely to die during a 3-year follow up.

Testosterone Decline and Increase in Disease
Men age 30-70 lose 1-3% of total testosterone production per year. Women ages 20-40 lose 50% of their testosterone production.

Low testosterone appears to be a predictive marker for those at high risk for cardiovascular disease.2 Not only does low testosterone in men and women increase their risk of heart disease and stroke, but testosterone deficiency is also associated with type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, coronary artery disease, transient ischemic attacks, and dementia.1, 2

The Need to Optimize Your Hormones
As people live longer, more and more people are entering menopause and andropause. (Andropause typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 60, but men as young as 30 may begin to experience male menopause symptoms which are attributed to a gradual decline in testosterone levels.)

As hormones are depleted cholesterol goes up, blood pressure rises, and inflammation in blood vessels increases.

However, when we optimize the hormones that have been depleted in men and women, we see restored blood flow to the coronary arteries, decreased plaque formation, increased HDL, decreased LDL and triglycerides, and reduced inflammation in the blood vessels.

“For far too long, testosterone has been stigmatized by its undeserved association with the over-use and abuse anabolic steroids,” states Dr. Jerald Bain, an endocrinologist at the Univ. of Toronto Dept of Medicine and the Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital.

While there is a concern about synthetic oral hormones (which pass through the liver), hormones delivered by subcutaneous bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) pellet implants bypass the liver, do not affect clotting factors, and do not increase the risk of thrombosis.3 Bioidentical hormone therapy is a compound that is identical to the natural molecules that the body produces. They are formulated from plant sources by pharmacists to match the body’s hormones identically.

Testosterone and estradiol delivered by pellet implantation do not adversely affect blood pressure, glucose or liver functions. Testosterone BHRT implants have been used in both men and women in five continents since the 1930’s. The longevity of this science-based modality attests to the fact that, when properly managed,  bio-identical hormone replacement through the use of pellets is scientifically recognized as effective, safe, and the most effective method available for administering hormone replacement therapy.3,4,5,6

When optimized, natural estrogen, natural testosterone, and natural progesterone protect the heart, brain and other body systems. When in balance, the natural bio-identical hormones work as antioxidants, reduce inflammation in the blood vessels, improve blood flow to the coronary and other arteries in your body, and decrease plaque format.7

There are numerous studies showing that testosterone protects the heart. For example, researchers from the University of Texas at Galveston performed a large study using testosterone in elderly men. Their results, published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy in July 2014, showed 50% fewer deaths and a reduction in heart attacks in men using testosterone.

Testosterone and estradiol improve lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL levels while increasing HDL cholesterol as well as decreasing blood pressure.8   This all has positive benefits on the cardiovascular system and helps to meet the goals of maintaining cardiovascular health.

Long term, men and women will not only have a reduced incidence of heart disease when they optimize their hormones through BHRT pellet therapy, but also Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis.9

For those concerned about the risk of breast cancer with hormone therapy, there are multiple studies showing the long term reduction in breast cancer in women using bio-identical hormone replacement therapy through the use of pellets rather than the increase in the incidence of breast cancer that has been associated with oral, synthetic hormones. 3, 10, 11 Even after twenty years of therapy with hormone implants, the risk of breast cancer is not increased.12

Given this information, the conclusion is that hormone balance and optimization play a larger role in cardiovascular and overall health than many people are aware of. Consider having your hormones levels checked to see if they are in optimal range and if you could benefit from having BHRT pellet therapy to optimize your hormones and health.

Karla Vavra Melcher, RN, BSN is a nurse and certified BioTE provider at Restore Health & Wellness Center

1. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Jan 2016
2.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/circulationaha.107.719005
3.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3658285
4. Salmon, U., et al. Use of estradiol subcutaneous pellets in humans. Science 1939, 90: 162.
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8483424
6. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(5), 467–474
7. Dr.Gary Donovitz, Age Healthier, Live Happier, 2014
8. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(10)00012-5/pdf
9. https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/58/5/M409/536121
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24028858
9. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.08.002. Epub 2013 Sep 10. Reduced breast cancer incidence in women treated with subcutaneous testosterone, or testosterone with anastrozole: a prospective, observational study. Glaser RL1, Dimitrakakis C.
11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16864758
12 Gambrell 06, https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(99)70550-8/abstract

PAST BLOG POSTS

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:07:57 GMT

Interested in old blog posts? Tabetha has shared a lot of wisdom over the years. Check some of her timeless advice on our old blog found at https://restorehealthwellness.blogspot.com/