April 2021
World’s Fair “Avengers” Assemble at Elliott Bay Books
If you’ve always wondered how the Space Needle came to be—or if you’d like to know why Seattle Center was almost named “Pleasure Island,” grab a seat at a special Elliott Bay Books event this Saturday. The eminent local experts on Seattle history (not to mention monopolizers of the most entertaining World’s Fair trivia) are…
5 Tasty Food Dates For Your Summer Calendar
One of the many reasons summer goes by too darned quickly? There are just so many neat-o things to do. (Make time slow down, so we can do more!) Here are a few options to add to your already crammed culinary calendar: 1. Get to know your guts. This Saturday’s U-District Farmers Market is dedicated…
What’s the Poop on the Taylor Shellfishtival?
This press release from Taylor Shellfish Farms about the upcoming Shellfish-tival inspired a couple Friday afternoon thoughts… 1. I think if you’re going to call something a Shellfishtival you should fully embrace it and drop the hyphen. 2. The lineup seems a little heavy on feces-related fun. What’s with the poop party?
When the Doctor Becomes a Patient
Kimberly Allison, M.D. never expected to be lookin at her own malignant cells under a microscope.
Before the bad news came, life was good for Dr. Kimberly Allison and her family. It was early 2008, and Mercer Island resident Allison, then 33, had just been appointed to her dream job: director of Breast Pathology at the University of Washington Medical Center. New baby Henry, seven months old, was doing well. Four-year-old…
Dangerously Sleepless in Seattle
More than the name of a movie; Puget Sound sleep medicine experts say it’s a serious epidemic.
In the city that gave birth to Starbucks and spawned an international coffee craze, caffeine is king and sleep is often an afterthought. Start asking friends about their sleep patterns, and it becomes apparent that lack of sleep is less of a complaint than an accepted—though regrettable—part of daily adult life for Seattleites. What many don’t realize is that, whether it’s due…
The Joint Replacement Surgery Boom
Baby-boomers are driving an increase in joint replacements and less-invasive surgeries.
Victoria Williams remembers sitting in her car, crying after a disappointing visit with an orthopedic surgeon. She had been told nothing could be done, but if she came back in about 20 years, joint replacement surgery might be an option. Williams, only 40 at the time, was suffering from excruciating pain; the joint in her…
The Medical Home Revolution
A new way of interacting with physicians feels like a throwback to some golden age of health care.
The idea alone horrified Group Health family doctor Harry Shriver: Answer his own phone—without a nurse screening calls first? Give patients his e-mail address? It’s not that Shriver, now Factoria Medical Center chief, considered himself too important for such mundane tasks. It’s just that from the moment he walked into the clinic, he literally went…
Joseph Gruss, Visionary Craniofacial Surgeon
The world-renowned craniofacial, plastic and reconstructive surgeon is based at Seattle Children's.
Today, Puget Sound is considered one of the preeminent regions in the world for the practice of craniofacial and reconstructive plastic surgery, and Joseph Gruss is the visionary who made that happen. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gruss was recruited to Seattle initially by Harborview Medical Center in 1991 and joined Seattle Children’s…
What to Expect After Joint Replacement Surgery
The hardest part of a joint replacement, experts say, comes after the surgery.
While most patients focus on the surgery itself, that’s the easy part, says orthopedic surgeon Thomas Cross, D.O., of Federal Way Orthopedic Associates (a Franciscan Medical Group Clinic). It is the recovery and rehabilitation after joint replacement surgery that ultimately determines the patient’s satisfaction with the procedure. “My job takes two hours; your job takes…
Patient Perspectives on Joint Replacement
These locals have first-hand experience with joint-replacement surgery.
The Mountain Hiker Newcastle resident Carolyn Love, 63, has had both of her hips replaced in the last five years. Married, with two grown daughters and four grandsons, Love hikes Cougar Mountain and does Zumba, weight training and aerobics. “Having hip replacements has made a world of difference,” says Love. “I no longer wake up…
Sideline Savior
How Dr. Cora Collette Breuner, adolescent specialist, helped a patient to cope.
A painful sports injury that refused to heal sent Woodinville high school senior and star athlete Audrey Brezak to Dr. Cora Collette Breuner. But it was rapport that led her to stay on after her initial treatment ended. Brezak says that in addition to helping her heal physically, Breuner helped her deal with the crushing…