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 Spinal
surgery sends elite athlete on the road to recovery
In the summer of
2010, Erika Osborn should have been in the thick of training for her
third World Duathlon Championships, this time in Scotland. Instead,
she was recuperating from a fracture in her back, in pain and
pondering whether to undergo surgery. |
Releasing the tension
Leah Good can’t
afford down time. A 29-year-old mother of two young children and
a full-time graphic artist, she had experienced frustrating back
pain for four long years.
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 Nurse
navigators
You get the
dreaded call from your surgeon with the results of your biopsy — it’s
cancer. Next comes the deluge of appointments, all in the same week:
the surgeon, plastic surgeon, oncologist, genetist. Your mind is still
reeling with your test results. |
 Growing
pains
The
joy that comes with pregnancy can sometimes be overshadowed by the
discomfort and pain of the physical challenges that accompany it. But
women don’t have to live with the discomfort.
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Living
proof
On
a Wednesday morning five summers ago, Mary Schneider’s bed at
Froedtert Hospital was rolled into a surgical holding area. Nearby was
another bed where Schneider’s sister, Amy Sanner, lay waiting for
the biggest day of their lives. |
 A
win-win-win
For an hour each Saturday, Kevin
Tock proudly watches his 5-year-old son, Bryce, smile and laugh
as he plays soccer, though Tock has a different perspective on
the game than most parents.
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The
numbers game
Diane Tolega may
not be able to change the date on her birth certificate, but during
the past few years she feels she’s shaved a few years off her
chronological age through a combination of lifestyle choices and
medical approaches. |
Mirror
image
"Working
out can definitely define your body," says Anne Barber, fitness
coordinator at West Wood Health and Fitness in Pewaukee. "But can
you redesign your body? Definitely not." |
Correcting the
curve
In the past, some children with
scoliosis faced a difficult surgery with up to a year of inactivity,
but today that time has been reduced thanks to advancement in
surgery and other treatments.
|
 Conquering
colitis
For Megan
Starshak of Milwaukee, the symptoms of ulcerative colitis began when
she was a junior in high school. The disease, an inflammation of the
colon, often causes frequent and urgent trips to the bathroom and
severe abdominal pain. "At first, I thought maybe I had a
virus," says Starshak, 26. "I was doing high school track at
the time and thought I was overworking." |
 Sleep
cycle
Sleep is an essential part of good
health, as important as a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Unfortunately, most Americans view sleep as a waste of time. "We as
a society don’t place enough value on sleep," says Steve Gardner,
director of marketing for the Sleep Wellness Institute and executive
director of the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Foundation.
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Strike a
pose
Why
practice yoga? The better question is, "Why not?" "Yoga
is like taking daily vitamins. It’s not about fitness, it’s for
health," says Bron Gacki, owner of Bikram Yoga Milwaukee. |
 Making
a 180
It can take a health scare or the inability to complete the simplest
of tasks. Or it can be fueled by a lifelong passion unrealized. The
motivations behind the 180-degree turns we make in life are only
part of the tale. What happens along the way is the real story. |
Be well
A new year, a new you? If that’s your
goal, make it happen through diet, exercise and stress-free living.
We’ve compiled some expert advice on how to incorporate healthy
habits into your everyday life. |
Golden age
Check
your calendar — the first wave of baby boomers will hit age 65 in
2011. One challenge for these newly minted seniors will be maintaining
their health. And that means mind and spirit, as well as body. |
 Work
in focus
Take
a good look at your workstation. A poorly positioned computer screen
could be causing eye and vision problems known as Computer Vision
Syndrome. Symptoms include eye strain, blurred vision and dry eyes,
along with fatigue, headaches, and neck and back pain. "I see
patients with that complaint on a daily basis," says Dr. Marcus
Neitzke, an optometrist in Waukesha who serves as the president of the
Wisconsin Optometric Association. |
 Meeting
of the minds
People
with chronic pain, allergies and other health problems who have not
found success with traditional Western medicine are turning in greater
numbers to Eastern medical techniques for solutions.
"People often come to us when they are at the end of their rope.," says Art Rapkin, a trained Doctor of Oriental Medicine and
licensed acupuncturist at the Kindo Health Center in Elm Grove. |
 Silence
is not golden
Women improving their health together is
the concept behind Heart Secrets at Columbia St. Mary’s.
Participants learn from experts on diet, exercise, gynecology and
midlife health — and from fellow patients — in group settings that
last up to two hours. |
 How
to reduce allergens in your home
"Dust mites become part of the household
environment. You can be a great housekeeper and you will have them
It has nothing to do with the cleanliness of your house," says Dr.
Steven Cohen of Allergic Diseases S.C. in West Allis. "Dust mites
are primarily found in mattresses, pillows and carpeting in the
bedroom; they stick to the fibers." |
All in the
family
Best Doctors compiles its annual list by surveying approximately
45,000 physicians nationally asking the following question: "If
you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, and you could
not treat them yourself, to whom would you refer them?" |
 Cosmetic
success
Many
studies have shown that cosmetic surgery produces positive
psychological benefits by improving patients’ perception of
well-being. But a growing number of cosmetic procedures also can
improve certain physical problems that detract from the quality of a
person’s life.
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 Up
all night
"Adequate sleep is as important as diet and exercise, and only
a relatively small percentage of people are getting what sleep experts
believe is an adequate amount of sleep," says Steve Gardner,
director of marketing for the Sleep Wellness Institute and executive
director of the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Foundation in West Allis.
"Adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night
and teenagers and children need more." |
 Goal-driven
Marty
Auchter was your average overweight, under-exercised, cigarette
smoking, visit-the-bar-a-bit-too-often type of guy. The Cedarburg
resident had been too busy over the years — college, a law degree
from Marquette University, the tax director position at Sargento Foods
— to notice. |
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Magic
numbers
To
Dr. Mark Blake, weight is just a number on a scale. "Weight is
not all-meaning," he says. Body fat percentage, cholesterol
levels and body mass index are much more important numbers, he says. |
 How
does Milwaukee stand out?
Milwaukee is chock-full of treasures — those tiny theaters, museums,
public art sculptures and parks that are tucked away within the
urban landscape and are so often overlooked by the folks who live
here. It’s no different with the area’s health care services, which
contain all sorts of hidden gems. |
Boning up
If
you eat the right foods and stay active, there’s a good chance your
bones could carry you well into your old age. "There are several
well-established guidelines we recommend to patients that will help
keep bones healthy and prevent bone loss," says Dr. John England
of Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin in Waukesha. |
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