1. All of our Botox and filler are physician administered.
2. Dr. Mathison is recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for her expertise in administering Botox and fillers.
3. Dr. Mathison is double board certified and specializes in ear, nose and throat care and facial plastic surgery.
4. Dr. Mathison chooses to stay up to date by dedicating over 250 hours of in-class and special training each year.
5. Catalyst Medical Center takes great pride in their care of all patients.
6. Dr. Mathison and the medical professionals here are known for medical care for tonsils, adenoids, sinuses, allergies, sleep solutions, audiology, and acne care.
7. Dr. Mathison and the medical professionals are known for their cosmetic medical care such as upper bleph’s, laser treatments, chemical peels, rhinoplasty and injections.
8. Catalyst uses and sells only the highest quality pharmaceutical grade products
9. Catalyst believes in educating our patients in all available treatment options so they are well-equipped to make sound decisions in their care.
10. Our patients leave confident knowing they are well cared for, well-informed, educated, and empowered.
    AND
11. We inspire beauty, health and well-being in each and every one of our patients and are inspired every day by all of you!

Say no to the snooze button. Jump out of bed as if someone threw a bucket of cold water on you. Half of your day’s success is actually showing up and being excited. Even if you still feel foggy, get out of bed the minute your alarm rings.

Drink a pint of cold water first thing in the morning. If you don’t like water on its own, squeeze some fresh lime into it. After being without fluids for several hours, your body is dehydrated – you need fluids and the cold water will also stimulate your metabolism.

Bright light will help you energize. Exposure to light, especially sunlight is invigorating. It signals the brain that it’s time to get going, and turns off the production of melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone.

Enjoy the silence for a few minutes. Be mindful of your blessings. Think about the day ahead, and if you don’t do the previous night, write out your to-do list of the most exciting and important things.

Stretch and move. Research shows that a morning workout triggers positive endorphins and lowers stress hormones for most of the day. Every other day, make it an interval session of fast bursts of activity to turn on fat-burning hormones for the net 36 hours.

Brush your tongue as well as your teeth. Lose the morning breath and start off on a minty note.

Aromatherapy in your shower. Scents like mint, citrus, and eucalyptus are a great pick-me-up.

Drink green tea. Instead of coffee, have a cup of green tea. Boosts your energy, provides antioxidants and has been promoted as a great natural healthy option.

Eat breakfast within 30-60 minutes of waking to get your metabolism going. All research points to breakfast being the most important meal of your day. Make sure you include protein, healthy fats and some complex carbs to help with appetite control for the rest of the day and prevent the mid-morning slump.

Journal. I find that writing things out helps me be creative and problem solve, especially in retrospect!

Take care of yourself, before the rest of your world wakes up! Once kids, spouses and pets are awake, it’s harder to give yourself time to get a great start. Setting the alarm for your own personal power hour makes sense!

Looking back, 2010 was a wonderful year. Catalyst Medical Center continues to grow and expand, with our multi-specialty offerings enhancing health and creating positive change. We have taken a deep look at what we do and why we do it, and hope to make positive changes too! 3 yr-old Grant continues to delight with his charming grin and insightful questions: When I asked him to behave, he replied, “Who is Have?”

We took a few trips—North Carolina last winter to visit my sisters and their families, a girls ski trip to Big Sky put together with style by my friend Kathryn, and a trip to California for my Stanford Reunion, and then a drive down the coast with stops at Turley Vineyards (delightful Zinfandel,) LegoLand, the San Diego Zoo, and TEDMED, an amazing conference. We also made our almost annual pilgrimage to Seattle to visit long-time friends Heidi and Timm.

One more trip—to the operating room in July. I now have a new hip, and am so grateful to be able to bend over to pick things up, and to walk without a limp! Thanks Dr. Askew! Being on the other side of the knife made me appreciate the grace that patients exhibit in an often scary time. I tried to be graceful, but it wasn’t so easy when I got poked a dozen times for my IV!

Speaking of grace, I love this word, can you tell?  If I ever had a daughter, Grace would be her name!  Inspired by one of my favorite authors, Patti Digh (Life Is A Verb) and her “Year of Becoming Bendy” i.e. flexible and healthy blog, this is my Year of Becoming Graceful.  With a few personal health issues behind me, I hope to conquer a few more struggles, move more, eat better and more mindfully, and be more graceful with words and actions.

Goals for the next year include more writing, and I hope to share some of my personal journey and insights from our great Catalyst Team. We are working on the blog, newsletter and Facebook to bring you stories, fun facts, breaking health news, and inspiring quotes.  I am also working on a book called Positively Beautiful, and a website by the same name with even more resources.  I’ll keep you posted!

May 2011 bring you great health, happiness, peace and success.
Dr. Susan Mathison

Earlier this month, most of us rolled back our clocks and got an extra hour of sleep, but it’s not likely that was enough to help us catch up on our sleep deficit.  The United States is the most hard-working, sleep-deprived nation in the world, and it has major effects on our hormonal balance. We now know that sleep deprivation is one factor for obesity and other disorders. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep to arise feeling rested. If you feel groggy and tired in the morning, it may mean you need a sleep test, but first and foremost we need  to take a good look at our lifestyle.

A good night’s sleep starts well before light’s out. First of all, we need to enhance our environment. It starts in the morning—make your bed! There is something so soothing about peeling back smooth, cool sheets rather than a tangled mess of fabric.  Make sure you love your bed, your  mattress and your sheets! Go for the luxury of high thread count or consider soft, eco-friendly bamboo fabric sheets that are becoming readily available. Studies show that we sleep better in cooler temperatures. And one little side note and PSA : cooler temps and the presence of a gentle fan moving air in a baby’s room decreases the risk Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS.)

Feng shui principles encourage a sturdy head board and not pointing the foot of the bed toward the door to improve energy flow in the room.  The room should be painted a peaceful color, and clutter should be at a minimum. If possible, the room also functions as an office or TV space.  Darkness is important for deep sleep, but our many gadgets get  in the way. Even the subtle red light from your cell phone, the power cords, or the TV even when it’s off can pose a problem. Tuck gadgets away and certainly away from the head of the bed to minimize this light pollution.
If you have a bed partner,  snoring can be a major issue, not only diminishing your sleep success, but perhaps indicating sleep apnea.  Snoring is also an independent risk factor for high blood pressure. It’s no longer an annoyance or a joke, it’s a health threat,  and needs to be investigated.
Some people find the subtle fragrance of essential oils, especially lavender, vanilla and sandalwood  to have a calming, soothing effect. Melatonin can enhance sleep for many people.

So the stage is set, though you’re not quite done! It is really hard on your metabolism and your stomach to go to bed shortly after a heavy meal, especially with alcohol. Alcohol initially is a system depressant, making it easier to fall asleep, but in later phases becomes a stimulant, causing early awakening  and agitation.  It’s best to finish your evening meal 3-4 hours before bedtime. And some people are very sensitive to caffeine, especially as we age, so be aware of your caffeine time-out. For some, its after noon hour.

The last great sleep tip I have is to use a handy journal.  First use  it to recall your five best moments of the day—a great phone call, a beautiful sunset, a witty saying by your spouse or hug from your child, polished toenails,  a wonderful healthy meal.  With a little practice, being  aware of and grateful for these little moments  that make up our big lives becomes second nature. The act of writing stimulates more connections in our brain, and helps us remember them and be open to remembering so many more!  Next if you have any worries, put it briefly on the page. Writing can be cathartic, and if it’s still bothering you in the AM, it will be there for you to deal with. Lastly, if you have any TO DO’s that you’ve forgotten to record elsewhere, put it down here, and transfer in the morning. You’d be amazed at how many people have trouble falling asleep because they have so much to do and and so many worries that they worry they’ll forget! Minds are racing, no wonder we’re tired!  Write in on the page,  rest your weary mind,  and get a great night of beauty sleep! For beauty is health made manifest.


O-TO-LAR-YN-WHAT? Otolaryngology (pronounced oh/toe/lair/in/goll/oh/jee) is the oldest medical specialty in the United States. Otolaryngologists are commonly referred to as ENT physicians. And, at Catalyst Medical Center we have two of them. ENT physicians treat ailments such as ear and sinus infections, chronic sore throats, allergies, sleep apnea and more. February is Kids ENT Health Month.