Mike suffered from knee pain off and on for several years, a condition that slowly worsened over time. He liked to remain active, but with every step he felt pain, which limited his activity. Slowly, the weight started coming on, which only compounded the pain.
Seeking help from his orthopedic doctor, Mike was told he would need a knee replacement, one of the hardest and most painful surgeries to recover from. He could not afford six weeks off work to recover, and he knew too many friends who did not find relief from this surgery.
Instead, Mike decided to try something new, a stem cell injection in the knee. At Healthy Living Liberty Lake, umbilical cord stem cells were injected in the knee, a 15-minute procedure. After just one month, he noticed an improvement in pain, and at three months he was walking 3 miles a day and able to play tennis. The knee continued to improve over the next year, and he is now completely pain free with cartilage restored in the joint.
Dr. Susan Ashley of Healthy Living Liberty Lake said patients like Mike are seen every day at the clinic, and their lives are restored through the use of stem cells.
If your other car is an STA bus, you’re not only helping the environment, you’re helping yourself save money.
“Riding the bus doesn’t mean you never drive,” said E. Susan Meyer, STA CEO and fellow Liberty Lake resident. “But it can mean you only need to own one car and that can definitely save you money.”
Many Liberty Lake commuters and residents utilize STA’s services, which are even more convenient thanks to service improvements implemented last fall. At that time, Route 74 (Mirabeau/Liberty Lake) gained service to the Meadowwood Technology Campus and Route 172 (Liberty Lake Express) began providing service to Country Vista Boulevard. The Paratransit Service Boundary was also expanded to include more of Liberty Lake.
As Liberty Lake’s full-service public transportation provider, STA offers bus, Vanpool, Vanshare and Paratransit services. So, which of these services is right for you?
Fixed Route Bus
Spokane Transit operates 147 buses on 40 different routes, covering 248 square miles within Spokane County. The routes serving the Liberty Lake Park & Ride can be viewed on the map on the previous pages and are described below:
• Route 74: Direct access to E. Indiana services and Spokane Valley Mall, this route serves the Mirabeau Park & Ride then continues downtown via I-90.
• Route 172: Travels from Liberty Lake Park & Ride to downtown Spokane via I-90. Both routes are ideally suited for commuters and students since, during peak commute hours, buses leave for downtown every 15-minutes. Many trips continue on to Cheney and Eastern Washington University so you never even need to transfer buses.
• Route 98: Gets you to great shopping, restaurants and services along East Sprague and connects with the Valley’s transportation hub, the Valley Transit Center (VTC).
Vanpool
Vanpool is like carpooling, but with groups of people who live and work in approximately the same areas that can share the commute to work in a van provided by Spokane Transit. Vanpools cater to long-distance commutes anywhere within eastern Washington and north Idaho, as long as the van starts or ends within STA’s boundaries.
Vanshare
If you can take the bus most of the way to work, but need a ride from home to a transit stop, or from a park & ride to your workplace, Vanshare can bridge the gap.
Paratransit
Spokane Transit takes pride in offering the best possible van transportation to customers eligible for Paratransit service under the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Paratransit provides service to 6,069 ADA-eligible customers, as well as their guests and personal care attendants.
NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.Click on the map below for a downloadable PDF version featuring STA’s service to Liberty Lake.
The team at Valley OBGYN has cared for thousands of expecting moms in 35 years serving the Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley communities. While no two pregnancies are the same, following are some basic tips to improve comfort from common issues from the doctors of Valley OBGYN.
Nausea: Get up slowly, and eat a few unsalted crackers before getting out of bed. More frequent, smaller meals help, as does drinking water with lemon slices.
Fatigue: Get regular exercise, take catnaps when you can, and — by all means — accept help from others.
Mood swings: Talk about your feelings with others, including other mothers. Limit sweets and caffeine while maintaining a healthy diet of regular meals.
Headaches: Fresh air, exercise, relaxation, rest — and repeat. Check with your health care provider before taking pain medications.
Heartburn: Smaller, lighter meals throughout the day helps, as does sleeping with your upper body raised 6 inches. Don’t lie down until two hours after you eat.
Constipation: Eat high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water and get regular exercise.
Breast care: Avoid alcohol or using harsh soaps, which cause excessive dryness. Wear nursing bras, as they provide extra support and can also be used after pregnancy if you choose to breastfeed.
Adequate sleep: Take a warm shower before bed, and sleep on a firm mattress. Position pillows to support arms, legs and belly, and lie on your side with one leg crossed over the other.