A story in the Washington State Dental Association News  describes how Greg Ogata, 51, who grew up on Mercer Island, survived a stroke, then went on to make a big decision about his professional life as an orthodondist.

Here is an excerpt of the story by Rob Bahnsen.

If you’ve ever met WSDA President Dr. Greg Ogata you won’t likely forget him; a man of boundless energy, Ogata’s booming timbre often precedes him, reverberating well beyond the space he occupies.

Lively by nature, the former college lacrosse player seems to always be on the move, with boyish enthusiasm and a quick smile for all he encounters. All of that makes it hard to believe that two years ago, he suffered a stroke.

His father, Yoshitaka, was one of the state’s first Asian-American dentists, and was also an orthodontist. As a youth, Ogata would help out in his father’s office, and often accompanied him to professional conferences around the country. Ogata’s brother Randy also became an orthodontist like their dad, while sister Julie is an Emmy-winning television reporter and anchor, and brother Brett is the head football coach at Mercer Island High School.

For a time after the stroke, Ogata did not have the use of his right arm, had slurred speech and difficulty walking. He initially assumed he’d be back to work within six months, but it became clear over time, that wasn’t going to happen. In the meantime, colleagues filled in for him at his practice. While Ogata had a remarkable recovery, he made some difficult decisions. The first was to sell his practice and to whom  – and decide what he would do next.

For now, Ogata is the new president of the WSDA.

For the complete story, go to http://issuu.com/wsda/docs/2014_wsda_news_issue_1_october_mzd?e=1339552/9629356