Healthy Living October 2014

STILL BEAUTIFUL

… after all these tears

HAVE YOU TIPPED A TIRE TODAY?

Rope climbing, tractor tire tipping and chin-ups, oh my!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Bargains, freebies right outside your door

6 WOMEN SHARE THEIR STORIES OF

CONQUERING CANCER

These women have faced very different battles against breast cancer, but their war cry is the same — fight like a girl!

TOP 5% FOR PATIENT SAFETY NATIONWIDE.

Recognition for Leesburg Regional Medical Center continues to grow. HealthGradesTM has awarded the hospital its 2014 Patient Safety Excellence Award. The distinction places Leesburg Regional within the top 5% of all hospitals in the U.S. for its excellent performance in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays. And while we’re undeniably proud of the recognition, we’re most proud to provide our community with the highest quality of care, year after year.

LeesburgRegional.org

Limbstitute has made giant strides utilizing the latest techniques and technologies to improve limb health—but the first steps are yours. Simply put, the Limbstitute was created to save legs. We provide comprehensive vein care and incorporate

the latest technologies—closing off veins with radio waves for example—to get the best results. We’re also wound care specialists and experts in artificial skin grafts. We do whatever it takes to save a limb and give a patient their life back.

TomTran PA-C, MPAS • Phlebologist

MikeRichards PA-C, MPAS • Phlebologist

Jeffrey D. Baumann, MD

Ray D. Maizel, MD Gregory J. Panzo, MD

Stacia H. Goldey, MD, FACS Keith C. Charles, MD Shawn C. Wilker, MD

FEATURING 24 32

October 2014

VOICES OF HOPE

Healthy Living revisits five courageous breast cancer survivors who use their experiences to help others and inspire many. Plus, one local woman shares her story of determination as she fights back against breast cancer.

WRITER: SHEMIR WILES

STILL BEAUTIFUL AFTER ALL THESE TEARS

Reconstructive breast surgery has come a long way from the days when radical mastectomies left women horribly scarred. Here’s what to expect today, as told by a skilled surgeon and the young woman whose breast — and life — he rebuilt.

WRITERS: DR. RICHARD BOSSHARDT AND GARY CORSAIR

PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

CONTINUED

HEALTHYBODY

SHAPE

40 CROSSFIT CRAZE

This fitness trend brings new meaning to “no pain, no gain.”

WRITER: TRACY DRAPER

LOOK

42 SAVING THE SKIN YOU’RE IN Nausea and hair loss aren’t the only side effects to worry about.

WRITER: RUTH ANN BYRD

HEALTHY

HEALTHYSPIRIT ALTHYMIND

OVERSIGHT

46 HELP! MY KID’S ALWAYS ONLINE

When it comes to kids and technology, there’s a good and a bad side.

WELLNESS 50 CAN’T AFFORD A MAMMOGRAM?

A group of Mount Dora women raises funds for mammograms.

WRITER: MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

MENCOURAGEMENT

52 A TIME WHEN TIM MCGRAW, AND THE BIBLE, ARE OF HELP In the face of serious illness, embrace living life to the fullest.

WRITER: RICHARD BURGUET, B.A., M-DIV

10

12

HEALTHYFINANCE

PREPARATION

58 PLAN FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES BEFORE THEY HIT Maintain balance between healthy relationships and financial demands.

40 46

BRANDE WAS ONE OF A KIND

John Brandeburg lived like he was obsessed with befriending every member of the human race.

Fittingly then, in his final moments, he was thinking of others.

I know. I received an email from Brande the weekend he passed away.

He was replying to my inquiry about the possibility of my friend Bill Mallonee playing a fundraising concert for the Leesburg Lightning. Brande, the Lightning’s general manager, answered that he didn’t think the team’s board members would go for the idea.

And that should have been the end of it for John Brandeburg, who was in the middle of the biggest real estate deal of his career.

But Brande didn’t roll that way. Things stuck in his mind ... and more importantly, in his heart.

If a friend had a problem, Brande also had that problem.

I wasn’t surprised, then, when Brande tried to get a local college interested in sponsoring a concert.

When they didn’t bite, he tried another college … and then a performing arts center. The guy was working harder to help me than I was.

Brande was always all-in, never one foot in and the other out.

Brande lived to help others.

Brande wouldn’t say, “You might want to talk to …”. Nope. He’d make the contact.

I know. Brande recommended me to our publisher Kendra Akers to write the history of Leesburg baseball for a 16-page insert for Style magazine. But Brande did more than suggest, he personally phoned me, explained the project, and gave me Kendra’s contact information.

Most people would have said, “Call this guy.” Brande made the call.

That extra effort started a chain of events that led to an unhappy newspaper editor finding a home where he feels appreciated every day.

Brande and I weren’t the closest of friends — 1,000 people knew him better than I did. But I’m sure glad he came into my life 18 years ago. I’ll never forget breakfasts at Water Oak Country Club when he had an idea he wanted to bounce off me. Or sitting together at a Lightning game, although Brande never sat for long. He was always working the crowd, selling 50-50 tickets, handing out programs, cheering his beloved Lightning.

Today, I cheer for Brande.

Gary Corsair

KENDRA AKERS publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DOUG AKERS vice president doug@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

SABRINA CICERI associate publisher sabrina@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

GARY CORSAIR executive editor gary@akersmediagroup.com

SHEMIR WILES senior staff writer shemir@akersmediagroup.com

BOB TENNANT copy chief bob@akersmediagroup.com

MARY ANN D ESANTIS editor-at-large maryann@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

FRED LOPEZ chief photographer fred@akersmediagroup.com

ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, MD, FACS RICHARD BURGUET RUTH ANN BYRD

STEVEN J. CODRARO creative director steve@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer/advertising josh@akersmediagroup.com

ANTHONY CASTO senior designer/editorial anthony@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

RHEYA TANNER designer rheya@akersmediagroup.com

MATTHEW GAULIN photography assistant matt@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS//PHOTOGRAPHERS TIM MCRAE vice president of sales and marketing tim@akersmediagroup.com

MORGAN ELLIS ROBERT AND THOMAS FROSS MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH FRED HILTON

SALES // MARKETING

MIKE STEGALL senior account representative mike@akersmediagroup.com

ANDREW AKERS account representative andrew@akersmediagroup.com

MELANIE MELVIN director of client services melanie@akerscreative.com

HEIDI RESSLER account representative heidi@akersmediagroup.com

AUBREY AKERS production coordinator aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

DEB MATLOCK account coordinator deb@akerscreative.com

ADMINISTRATION

TINA MORRISON office manager tina@akersmediagroup.com

SHAENA CHASTAIN receptionist shaena@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

“I was walking a mile by the end of the week and by week three I was riding my bike. Now I’m living my life again!”

MEDICARE & OTHER INSURANCES ACCEPTED!

Over 30,000 patients treated & 13,000 surgeries performed.

DR. FRANK BONO + DR. JAMES RONZO BOARD CERTIFIED, FELLOWSHIP TRAINED

SMILE YOUR WRINKLES AWAY

“Does Stress Cause Wrinkles and Gray Hair: Fact or Fiction?” by Vivian Diller, Ph.D., Psychology Today, March 29, 2012 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/face-it/201203/does-stress-cause-wri nkles-and-gray-hair-fact-or-fi

Sources: “Does stress cause facial wrinkles?” WebMD.com, posted April 6, 2008 http://answers.webmd.com/answers/648647/does-stre ss-cause-facial-wrinkles

ction -“How does stress cause wrinkles?” Sharecare.com http://www. sharecare.com/health/stress-reduction/how-does-stress-cause-wrinkles

5 Ways Chronic Stress Can Affect The Aging Process,” by Carolyn Gregoire, The Huffi ngton Post, April 11, 2013 http://www.huffi ngtonpost.com/2013/04/11/stress-aging-process_n_3047000.html

Have you noticed how much President Barack Obama has aged since he’s been in office?

He still bounces up and down the steps to Air Force One like a 20-year-old and has a pretty decent jump shot, but he has definitely aged. His hair has turned gray and he has new facial wrinkles.

Let us note quickly that this is a nonpartisan space. Other presidents have also aged rapidly and shown a marked increase in wrinkles.

“Does worrying cause wrinkles?” by John Barrymore, Howstuf fworks.com

stress, so is it causing your wrinkles?

“Stress And Aging:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/anti-aging/worrying-causewrinkles.htm

“True or False: Stress Causes Wrinkles,” by Sara Kosmyna, MarioBadescu.com http://blog.mariobadescu.com/stress/

With the pressures of 9/11, George W. Bush grew considerably grayer and appeared much older. Jimmy Carter aged because he lusted in his heart. Bill Clinton aged because he ... never mind.

We don’t have any photographic evidence, but George Washington probably aged a lot while he was in office. Part of it might have been because his false teeth hurt. (And, no, despite what you’ve heard, his false teeth were not made of wood.)

Some of the presidents’ wrinkles are just the natural force of nature, but the job of president of the United States has to be incredibly stressful and, according to a time-honored old wives’ tale, stress causes you to wrinkle and age quickly.

You don’t have to be president to have

The scientific community generally agrees this particular old wives’ tale has some truth to it. WebMD waffles a bit, saying most of the evidence is anecdotal but adds “one small but significant study did show a link between chronic stress and aging.”

Dr. Vivian Diller, a psychologist, told the Huffington Post “when we’re under ongoing stress, it creates that fight-orflight reaction in an unrelenting way, and as a result, stress chemicals are released into the body. What we know so far is that the release of those stress chemicals creates biological changes. It’s very possible that if you have a life filled with that constant stress, little by little the body is breaking down.”

A website on skin care, MarioBadescu. com, explains “the stress hormone cortisol

actually degrades collagen, which is one of the main proteins found in youthful-looking skin. Wrinkles, which are caused by lost or weakened collagen, can begin to form during times of prolonged stress when cortisol levels are high.”

The problem can be intensified by the fact that when you worry, you don’t eat well, exercise properly or get enough sleep. All of those things can affect your appearance.

The solution to the worrying/aging problem is simple. Just keep singing Bobby McFerrin’s wonderful song over and over: “Don’t Worry, Be Happy!”

FRED HILTON spent 36 years as the chief public relations officer/spokesman for James Madison University in Virginia and 10 years as a reporter and editor for The Roanoke Times in Virginia. He is now happily retired in The Villages with his interior designer wife, Leta, their Cadillac Escalade golf cart, and their dog, Paris. (Yes, that makes her Paris Hilton).

WRITER: FRED HILTON

HOW DVT AFFECTS

THE BREAST CANCER SURVIVAL RATE

The risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis, the second leading cause of death in cancer patients, increases with hormone therapy and chemotherapy— putting added stress on the body in an already critical fight for life.

Medical grade graduated compression stockings provide pressure starting at the ankle and reducing pressure as the stocking goes up to the calf or thigh. This helps support the weakened vein walls and promote the pumping action that veins are designed to do. As a result, blood flow is increased, helping to reduce swelling, fatigue, pain and possible formation of clots in the legs.

The physicians and surgeons at Vascular Vein Centers want to encourage all cancer patients to wear compression stockings.

Pink CEPs on sale for $38 (reg. $48)

IF YOU ONLY USE YOUR BRAIN

Those pint-sized ghosts, goblins and ghouls roaming the streets are not the scariest part of Halloween. Actually, it’s adults who are driving impaired.

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunken drivers kill more than three times as many people on Halloween as they do on New Year’s Eve.

• The NHTSA also says that between 2007 and 2011, 52 percent of all accident fatalities in the U.S. on Halloween involved a drunken or impaired driver.

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2010, there were 678 drunken-driving deaths in Florida. Only Texas (1,270) and California (774) had more.

Source: MADD

Your partners for life

Local residents experiencing vein disease need not worry. The team at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County possesses the necessary credentials, experience and background to provide top-notch, comprehensive care.

“We have a team of invasive cardiologists who are used to treating heart problems and peripheral artery disease,” says Dr. J. Henry Lesmes, a cardiologist in Lake County for 22 years. “Treating veins is a continuation of our skills we’ve developed in residency and throughout our careers.”

The team conducts a thorough medical history and performs ultrasound to rule out other problems, such as osteoarthritis or neuropathy. Conservative treatments like making lifestyle changes or wearing compression stockings are the first line of treatment.

If symptoms persist, the team at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County can utilize an in-office procedure called radiofrequency ablation. During this non-surgical, outpatient procedure, a thin catheter is carefully inserted into the diseased vein. Then, radiofrequency energy is applied to help seal the vein.

As one of the oldest and most experienced private cardiology practices in Central Florida, at Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County, we are dedicated to bringing innovation in cardiovascular care to our patients. Since 1992, we are your partners for life.

PUMPED FOR PiYO

Many people are trying PiYo, a fun, challenging form of exercise blending Pilates and yoga. PiYo classes emphasize low-intensity, high-impact movements that help participants build strength, gain flexibility, burn calories, tone muscles and improve balance.

SLIM JIM

Jimmy Hawthorne was not a happy camper when his doctor wanted to prescribe medicine to treat his blood pressure and blood-sugar levels.

“I was prediabetic, but I don’t like taking medicine,” says Jimmy, a lifelong Lake County resident. “I needed to make a lifestyle change.”

A WORK FORCE

For the 14th consecutive year, Central Florida Health Alliance was selected as one of the “Top 100 Companies for Working Families” by The Orlando Sentinel. The award recognizes companies that demonstrate a core commitment to family and a balance between work and life. A panel of human resources experts selected the winning companies.

“This award helps demonstrate our commitment to creating a workplace environment that enables our team members to realize their full professional potential and, in turn, strengthen their families,” says Amie Richason, vice president of human resources at Central Florida Health Alliance.

Vac-Tron Equipment’s Summer Slim Down competition provided the perfect avenue to achieve his goal. During the 10-week program, Jimmy competed against 15 other employees to see who could lose the most weight. He eliminated potatoes, starches and bread from his diet and faithfully exercised. During the last week of the competition, he bicycled five miles in the morning and five miles in the evening.

He ultimately won the competition by losing 18 pounds, landing him $376 and a plaque.

“Losing weight was important, and being in a competition with my co-workers made it a lot more exciting and easier,” says Jimmy, a product developer in the company’s engineering department. “I saw my doctor after the competition and he said he does not need to see me for another year.”

year. ”

Fanning the flames

October is National Fire Prevention Month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some tips to keep your home from going up in smoke:

• Never leave food on a stove unattended.

• Keep cooking areas free of flammable objects such as potholders and towels.

• Never leave burning cigarettes unattended.

• Never place portable space heaters near flammable material such as drapery.

• Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and test them every month to ensure they work properly.

• Devise a family escape plan and practice it routinely.

• Consider installing fire sprinklers into your home.

• Ear evaluation and cleanings

• Treatment of ear infections

• Complete audiology/hearing testing and services

• Independent distributor of hearing aids

• Physical therapy for imbalance

More Than Just A Name!

• Allergy testing and treatments

• Evaluation and treatment of sinus disease and infections

• Minimally invasive Balloon Sinuplasty® and other sinus surgeries

• Surgery for nasal obstruction

• Evaluation/treatment of pediatric and adult tonsillitis as well as Upper Respiratory Infections

• Evaluation of swallowing, hoarseness and vocal cord function

• Voice and Swallow therapy with Speech language pathologist

• Thyroid and Parathyroid conditions

• Surgical and non-surgical facial enhancements/ rejuvenation

• Cosmetic surgery of the ear, eyelid, brow, forehead, face and neck

• Laser resurfacing, Rejuvapen® micro needling, Silkpeel®, etc.

• Botox and fillers

• Skin cancer surgery and repair of MOH’s defects

Healthy inspiration

YOU DON’T HAVE TO TRAVEL ALONE

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

“

You have breast cancer.”

Those words, understandably, would devastate most women. They mark the beginning of a journey filled with fear, uncertainty and anger.

That journey, though, is Latanya Ruiz’s passion.

Latanya, 37, facilitates a breast cancer support group at Florida Hospital Waterman. Her group, formed in January 2013, offers patients in remission or receiving treatment a place of fellowship, support, understanding and sharing.

“We want patients to know there is life after diagnosis,” says Latanya, an oncology social worker at the hospital. “You have to put one foot in front of the other each day and know things are going to get better. You cannot look at hardships as failure, but rather as part of the journey.”

Clearly, Latanya benefits from that outlook as much as the patients.

“I’m privileged to witness them go through their journey,” she says. “I get to see them rise from the ashes and display

incredible strength on a daily basis. For that reason, I don’t give them half as much as they give me. These patients fill my heart with joy.”

The support group meets the third Thursday of the month from 1:30–3p.m. Typically, 12 women attend, creating a relaxed, supportive environment in which they can seek answers, share their experiences with others and learn from those who have traveled the same path.

Don’t think for a minute it’s a somber atmosphere. Laughter is a key component.

“One time the entire group was laughing about a patient’s husband who put her mastectomy bra on upside down,” Latanya says. “In his defense, though, there are quite a few straps. There are lots of things to cry about, but most do not realize there is also a lot to laugh about.”

Each meeting begins with a 30-minute lunch. Then, patients listen to and interact with guest speakers who provide valuable knowledge about their breast cancer battle. Latanya has invited licensed clinical social workers,

attorneys, pharmacists, artists and yoga instructors.

“We don’t give medical advice and we never badmouth a patient’s medical team,” she says. “However, we do talk about emotional topics, such as having a mastectomy and losing hair due to chemotherapy. Body image is a big concern for breast cancer patients. Having an outlet to discuss these topics is very important for these women

because sometimes they feel like they’re burdening their family members and friends. Many of them share deeply personal stories that offer valuable lessons.”

As a facilitator, Latanya has learned a valuable lesson of her own.

“These patients,” she says, “have taught me to live life to the fullest rather than letting it pass me by.”

Dr. Mark Rothschild

• Avid photographer with a special interest in travel photography with pictures taken on five continents.

• Pursues photojournalism as an avocation with articles that have appeared in Style and Healthily Living magazines.

• Strong interest in literature including fiction and non fiction.

• Enjoys physical conditioning including strength training and aerobic exercise.

• Experienced skier with trips to the U.S. and Canadian Rockies.

• M.D. degree obtained at SUNY Upstate Medical University in 1982.

• Internal medicine residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago in 1985.

• Completed fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of Boston in 1987.

• Was a member of the SJH Cardiology Group in Syracuse, NY from 1987 to 2012.

• Performs noninvasive studies including echo, stress echo, transesophageal echo, nuclear cardiology, plain treadmill testing and Holter interpretation.

More than relief – a long-term cure for allergies

“This serum is a safe, easy, convenient, painless, holistic way to treat patients suffering from itchy, watery eyes, congestion and sneezing caused by airborne allergies.”

MARK VOCCI, MD Board-certified ophthalmologist

If you suffer from sinus and/or eye discomfort due to airborne allergies and are tired of the many side-effects of medication, then you should know about immunotherapy*. Immunotherapy, in which tiny amounts of allergens are introduced into the system over time, has traditionally required painful and inconvenient injections 1-2 times a week in a doctor’s office.

Now, thanks to allergy drops, people of all ages can get safe, painless, all-natural immunotherapy without shots. Taken daily under the tongue, this therapy provides symptom relief within a few months. And, in four years, if you are like most patients you will experience complete remission of your environmental allergies. That’s right – this breakthrough treatment provides more than just symptom relief, but true allergy relief. Another big improvement is allergen testing, which takes only 15 pain-free minutes.

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www.LakeEye.com |

At Promise Hospital of Florida at The Villages, we specialize in complex wound care. Not only are the patients who are admitted for wound care given a head-to-toe skin assessment; each patient receives an evaluation upon admission to detect possible wounds. If a wound is discovered, patients undergo treatment by the wound care department, which delivers a patient-focused approach in an extremely compassionate environment. The wound care team off ers an individualized treatment approach to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous wounds and surgical wounds.

OUR DEPARTMENT MAKES COMPLETE HEALING A PRIORITY … SCAN

L to R: Tammy Hopkins, Wound Care Coordinator and Jamie Perez, Certified Wound Care Nurse

hope Voices of

THE BALD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Brenda Bowers

Brenda Bowers flips carefully through her small pocket planner. The months fly by at her fingertips, but in reality, the days have been anything but fleeting. Most of her planner holds muddled memos reminding her of doctor appointments, chemotherapy treatments and tons of blood work.

“This has been my life for months,” she says with each turn of the page.

Then she stops on April 14. There’s no reminder, just a simple yet haunting note:

“I have stage 2 breast cancer …”

Most people, upon hearing “You have cancer,” would feel hopeless, fearful, even angry.

Not Brenda. She’s held steadfast to her faith and the belief that one day she’ll take her life back from the devastating disease.

“Worrying about it won’t make it go away,” she says. “I may not know why this happened to me, but I put it all in God’s hands. In life, I’ve always tried to have a positive atti-

tude and cancer isn’t going to change that.”

A FIGHTING SPIRIT

Brenda rocks her “baldie” unapologetically, but she doesn’t do it to be bold or courageous.

“I do it because it’s more comfortable to just be bald,” she says, and laughs. “Have you ever tried wearing a wig in the summertime? It feels like I’m wearing a wool hat.”

Dressed in a flirty pinkand-green summer dress and matching drop earrings, she flounces through the halls at Florida Hospital Waterman’s Cancer Institute. Her enthusiasm is infectious. People stop for a quick hello, a hug or just a passing smile.

She’s a survivor, in every sense of the word.

At 52, Brenda’s been through her fair share of trials. It started at 3 months old when her father passed away from kidney failure, leaving her to be raised by her mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder. Still, most of Brenda’s hardships arose in adulthood.

After moving from New Jersey to Florida 25 years ago, she began working as a school bus driver for the Orange County School District. For her, it was a dream job.

“I loved those children,” she explains. “They respected me and in return, I respected them.”

But in 2001, Brenda shattered a disc in her back while washing the car. She underwent six surgeries that left her unable to return to bus driving. She lost her job and applied for disability. Five years later, she and her husband Patrick divorced.

Wanting to start fresh in a new place, Brenda relocated to a small apartment complex in Eustis and met Jeff. The two middle-aged divorcees hit it off.

“I know it sounds silly,” Brenda recalls, “but it was love at fi rst sight.”

They married March 31, 2012. Two days later, Brenda tripped and broke her ankle. It took her four months to recover.

Simultaneously, Jeff was struggling to find work as an electrician. Financial troubles

left them in an endless state of catch-up. Nevertheless, even with their own problems, Brenda and her new husband found it in their hearts to help others, including Brenda’s ex-husband, who was going blind and was nearly homeless.

“I didn’t want to see him on the street,” she says, “so he ended up staying with me and Jeff last year for six months.”

As 2013 rolled by, Patrick eventually found a place of his own. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s came and went with little fanfare. Yet, by February, Brenda started to feel very fatigued. She had canceled her regularly scheduled mammogram in October because in the past, her results had always come back negative. She didn’t think it would hurt to wait a year.

Now, she was thinking that was a mistake.

“Something just told me it was cancer,” she says.

On April 14, an hour before she was to learn the results of her MRI-guided biopsy, her cell phone rang. The voice on the other end wanted to set up

The journey from diagnosis to recovery isn’t easy. Still these women fought to become survivors. Healthy Living revisits some of the most memorable breast cancer survivors to ever grace our pages. Here’s the story of one woman whose battle is far from over.

WRITER: SHEMIR WILES PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

her first radiation appointment.

“I remember saying, ‘Radiation for what?’” Brenda says. “Then he said, ‘For your cancer.’”

FINDING THE ‘CAN’ IN CANCER

One week after her diagnosis, Brenda would receive another life-changing phone call. This time it was about her ex-husband Patrick.

“I remember it was 10 o’clock at night and his landlord called to tell me he had passed away,” she says. “It was very hard for my children because they were still trying to deal with the news of my cancer.

“So, for a while I tried to keep them in the dark about my stuff because I wanted to protect them.”

In addition to undergoing a lumpectomy to have a tumor and six lymph nodes removed, Brenda also received four rounds of chemotherapy. The day before Patrick’s funeral, she chopped her long, beautiful blond hair into a much shorter style; her hair had already started falling out in handfuls from the chemo.

“Losing my hair was really the only thing that upset me because I had fi nally gotten my hair so healthy,” she says. “But I knew it was coming, so the day after the funeral, I went ahead and shaved the rest of it off.”

Hair loss wasn’t the only adverse effect Brenda experienced from the chemo. Shortly after her first treatment, she landed in the hospital.

“I had a bad reaction that caused my heart to skip beats,” Brenda says. “I was in the hospital for five days and had to

lower my chemo medication by 15 percent. When I had my second round, it was much better.”

The third and fourth rounds weren’t as tolerable.

“The medication burned my right forearm and the bottom of my feet from the inside out,” she says. “I got sores in my mouth, on my tongue, down my throat and in my stomach. It hurt to eat. Then after my fourth and final round, I received burns on my left forearm, and my hands swelled up like balloons. It was like getting a bad sunburn.”

Not to mention the chronic fatigue and the achiness that lingered just long enough that it was time for her next treatment.

“I would sleep for two days and three nights straight. I never threw up, but it felt like I was always fighting the flu. By the third week after my treatments I would start to feel better only to know it was time for my next round,” she says.

With chemotherapy behind her, Brenda has started radiation. Once complete, she will be considered cancer-free. But she will still have to take oral chemotherapy pills for five years, and since her specific type of cancer feeds off hormones, she has a 7 percent risk of recurrence.

Still, Brenda refuses to give in to the “what-ifs.”

When she began her cancer battle, she told her doctor she would do whatever it took to fight back, and whatever she couldn’t do, she would put it in God’s hands.

“I’ve had a tough life, but what doesn’t kill you makes

you stronger,” she says. “You just have to take the bad events with the good and pray for the best.”

Looking ahead, Brenda’s excited about her much-needed vacation time with her husband this month.

“We never had a honeymoon, so for us, going camping in St. Augustine is a big deal,” she says.

She’s also looking forward to the day she’ll be able to use her experience as a survivor to give back.

“Because cancer has given me so much,” she says. “I realize I’m stronger than I thought I was. And my faith in God is stronger than ever. I just have total faith in him, and if you don’t have faith and hope, you have nothing.”

FULFILLING A GREATER PURPOSE Margaret Beeching

As a mammography coordinator at Leesburg Regional Medical Center, Margaret Beeching remembers the pain — but most of all the hope — she saw in the eyes of breast cancer patients.

And as a breast cancer survivor of nearly 20 years, she could relate.

“Women are resilient,” she says. “It’s one of the many reasons I put off retirement for as long as I did. We’re truly a tough breed.”

But after working for more than 30 years as a mammography specialist, Margaret finally decided to retire in January at age 73. Walking away was one of the hardest decisions she ever made, but she holds on to the memories — good and bad — that remind her of her calling to counsel and teach others about cancer.

“I feel God isn’t done with me,” she says. “He wants me to use my experiences as a patient to help other women. I can offer more than information — I can offer hope …”

Shortly after appearing in Healthy Living in 2008 to tell her story, Margaret created a breast cancer support group at LRMC as a way to help women and their families cope. While education was a key component of each meeting, a little tender, loving care went a long way with those still coming to grips with their diagnosis.

Margaret remembers one woman in particular who showed up

to her first meeting alone and very depressed.

“Her PET/CT scan showed she had an aggressive tumor and she hadn’t told her family. She was actually talking about suicide,” Margaret recalls. “That day we loved on her and encouraged her to tell someone.

“When I saw her at the next meeting, I asked how she was doing and she said, ‘I’m fabulous.’ And that’s what we called her from that day on. She was amazing. She finally told her family and she went from feeling despair to feeling fabulous.”

There were also dark moments at the meetings; moments when hugs and reassuring words couldn’t stop the inevitable.

“We lost one,” Margaret says. She briefly pauses as she chokes back tears. “She worked at the laundromat where we took the robes patients change into for their mammograms. I came in one day and she asked me if I could look at her breasts because she felt something was wrong. We went in the back and I could tell just by looking at them her cancer was advanced, but an ultrasound and biopsy confirmed it.”

Until the woman took her last breath, Dr. Maen Hussein with the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute cared for her.

“But boy did she fight,” Margaret says and smiles.

This year, Margaret’s neighbor, Linda, discovered a very large tumor in one of her breasts.

“She came over to me and said, ‘Margaret, come here. I have something to tell you, but don’t be mad,’” Margaret says. “I always got on her about getting a mammogram and she kept putting it off.”

Despite the heartache that sometimes accompanies cancer, Margaret always stays hopeful and motivated. Just recently, an email from Linda again made her calling clear:

Early start. I have tons of work to get done before I go for chemo. It’s a strange thing psyching yourself up to sit and watch toxins being dripped into your veins. But God is with me. 3 of the 5 months of chemo I required are behind me. Looking forward to the day that I wake up and just feel good. It will happen. God is providing the miracles.

“People like my neighbor are the exact reason why I kept working,” Margaret says. “She has two more months of chemo before

she can even have surgery, yet her outlook is so positive.

“Most survivors will tell you their cancer was a blessing and how we just take it one day at a time. Fortunately cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence anymore.”

After taking a year to spend time with her husband, Margaret hopes to volunteer at the Community Medical Care Center in Leesburg, founded as a partnership between Central Florida Health Alliance and First Baptist Church Leesburg. She was involved with the clinic when she worked for LRMC and she wants to continue educating women about their breast health and the importance of mammograms.

“Mammograms save lives,” she says. “Women still say, ‘No, no, no, I don’t need a mammogram.’ Or they think if they are over the age of 70 they don’t need to have one done anymore. There’s so much misinformation out there and women have to educate themselves.”

A RESOURCE OF COMFORT Micki Blackburn

Micki Blackburn’s been cancer-free for 15 years, but

the lessons she learned from her diagnosis and treatment have since stuck with her.

“One of the biggest things I learned was the importance of mammograms,” she says.

“… cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence anymore.”

“That’s how my cancer was found. If it can be caught early, you have a chance. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”

Over the years, Micki has spent countless hours studying and promoting breast cancer awareness in the Lake-Sumter community. For example, her company, Micki Blackburn Realty, was a staunch supporter of raising funds to provide free mammograms to women at South Lake Hospital in Clermont. And through her research, when Micki learned black women died at a higher rate from breast cancer than women of other races, she took her message of awareness to several predomi-

HEALING THROUGH HUMOR Tori Brunold

Tori Brunold knew there was always a chance her breast cancer could return. But she hadn’t anticipated it coming back only three months after fi nishing chemotherapy.

“They used my own body fat to build my breasts,” Tori explains. “It was the best option for me because they didn’t want to use any silicone or saline implants due to the aggressive nature of my cancer.”

nantly black churches in the area, hoping she could inspire at least one woman to be proactive about her breast health.

“In the past, talking about breast cancer used to be so taboo,” she says. “It was whispered in the shadows as if it was something to be ashamed of. Now, people are much more outspoken about it. We survivors shouldn’t be ashamed to share our stories.”

When Micki was fighting her battle, the emotional support she received from other survivors, as well as family, friends and the community helped pull her through.

“It was so amazing to hear from people I hadn’t heard from in years, and to receive all their prayers and kind words really helped mold me into a more thoughtful person,” she says. “I pulled a lot of strength from a dear friend who was a survivor. That’s why now, when I hear someone has been diagnosed, I call them up, whether I know them or not, and talk to them.”

When Micki was featured in Healthy Living in 2008, she shared a series of tips for current and future breast cancer survivors. Most, she says, she learned from her oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. Six years later, her tips are still the same:

• Sleep: “Get a good night’s rest. I sleep a minimum of eight hours every night. Sleep is the only time when your body can heal itself.”

• Zinc: “I take zinc because it helps build your immune system. Maintaining a strong immune system is important for everyone’s health.”

• Food: “I eat tomatoes in some form every day. I also eat blueberries. They are both full of great antioxidants.”

• Read: “Every woman should read Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book. I read it cover to cover and that educated me a lot and made me feel better.

• Stress: “Avoid stress. My doctor said about 50 percent of her patients experienced a stressful event before their diagnosis. Therefore, if something is bothering you, ask yourself, ‘Is this worth getting cancer over?’”

“I did the interview with Healthy Living in August 2008 and by September, I learned my cancer had returned,” she says. “By the time the magazine came out in October, I was preparing to have a double mastectomy. I had a 50 percent chance the chemo would work, but for some reason, in my case, it didn’t.”

In Round 2 of Tori’s fight against cancer, she and her oncologist, Dr. Rambabu Tummala, settled on the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville as their new battleground. Armed with a new chemotherapy plan, Tori underwent five months of chemotherapy starting in January 2009. Then, she waited another two years before undergoing reconstructive surgery.

“My doctor wanted to make sure the cancer was all gone before having such a rigorous operation,” she says.

Not wanting to introduce any foreign objects into Tori’s body, her surgeon opted to perform DIEP (deep inferior epigastric perforator) flap breast reconstruction.

Tori speaks with genuine optimism to describe her fight against cancer. Despite all she’s lost, she’s gained strength she never knew existed.

Still, there are brief moments when she can’t shake the anxiety that came in September

“If it can be caught early, you have a chance. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”

as she celebrated her five-year cancer-free anniversary. She had reached this milestone once before, after her brush with melanoma in 2001. Five years later, she learned she had breast cancer.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit nervous because I know in the back of my mind that it could return,” she says. “Even to this day when I go for my PET scan, my doctor says he’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Nevertheless, fear doesn’t hold Tori back. It only pushes her to be more outspoken about her journey. In addition to speaking engagements and being an active supporter of

this shirt was made for me by my kids when I was the cross-country coach at Eustis High School,” she says. “They would wear their shirts before each meet. I even have a former student who still wears his before races. He recently posted a picture on Facebook of him wearing it before competing in a Spartan Trifecta race.”

The second shirt declares, playfully, “Fight like a girl.”

“Everyone in my family had one of these made,” she says with a smile.

However, the shirt wasn’t the only show of solidarity from her family. Each family member, including Tori, got a tattoo of a pink ribbon with

THE ROCKY ROAD TO RECOVERY Vicky McGhee

There’s no doubt a diagnosis of breast cancer invokes feelings of fear and uncertainty. Still, Vicky McGhee managed to bring cheerfulness to a serious situation.

Despite losing her hair during chemotherapy and having both breasts surgically removed, Vicky made it a point to laugh through it.

“When I was bald, I would come to work and say, ‘I’m having a real bad hair day!’ And whenever I took off my bandanna and a male co-worker walked into my office, I’d say, ‘Oh my gosh, you caught me naked!’”

Thanks to her keen sense of humor, Vicky, diagnosed in 2009, claims the proud title of cancer survivor. But she also discovered that achieving a normal life after cancer can be challenging and filled with many dark days.

“Just because treatment ends doesn’t mean your life will immediately return to the way it was,” she says. “There are struggles, and you don’t always feel like laughing.”

LIFE GOES ON

On March 29 of this year, more than 40 friends, neighbors and family members gathered at Vicky’s home in Altoona for what she affectionately calls her “555 Party.”

Not only was she celebrating her 55th birthday, she was also marking five years being cancer-free.

the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life, Tori has become a pink fashionista. From cotton candy pink shirts bejeweled in flashy rhinestones to the oversized pink ribbon decal fi xed to the driver’s side of her convertible, she uses every opportunity to advocate on behalf of present, past and future survivors.

“I’m very vocal,” she boasts. “Everywhere I go I share something breast cancer-related.”

On this day, she tows two T-shirts with special significance. Slightly worn, the fi rst reads, “We run cross country for Coach B.” On the back: “I am Coach B and I will survive.”

“After being rediagnosed,

the same saying.

“Except for my daughters,” she adds. “Theirs say, ‘Fight like Mom.’”

Tori admits she got the tattoo despite her doctor’s disapproval, and while an allergic reaction to the pink ink left it a little flawed, all she could do was laugh about it.

“I know this may sound weird but my family and I had fun with my cancer,” she says. “I believe my faith helped carry me through this, but so did my great sense of humor. I learned to be resilient and positive because it’s the only way you can beat it. When you’re fighting cancer, you can either choose to laugh or cry.

“I chose to laugh.”

“It was a way to celebrate a fight I’m winning,” she says. “The people who attended are very special to me because they were my support system throughout my fight.”

Since Vicky last spoke with Healthy Living in October 2010, life has been going well. The biannual blood tests she’s undergone for five years reveal no traces of cancer. She maintains a healthy diet and exercises religiously. And she is gainfully employed as a senior staff assistant with the Eustis Parks and Recreation Department.

Her sense of humor remains unbroken, but she isn’t joking when she says breast cancer changed her life.

“It opened an entire new world for me,” says Vicky. “Every day I wake up is a beautiful and blessed day. I take nothing for granted.”

Few people would take things for granted after traveling the difficult road Vicky did to reclaim her life. Having both breasts removed took a devastating toll on her self-esteem. She felt a loss of femininity.

“My cancer was gone but so was my self-image,” she says. “Through all the treatments and surgeries, my body had changed considerably. Society constantly emphasizes the importance of women looking beautiful and being desirable. I did not like how I looked on the outside.”

So, 2½ years ago, Vicky underwent reconstruction surgery. And while it helped her feel whole again, life still seemed bleak. At the time, she was taking tamoxifen, an anti-cancer medication that sometimes causes depression. She became sedentary

“When you’re fighting cancer, you can either choose to laugh or cry. I chose to laugh.”

and gained 60 pounds.

“I simply didn’t have a desire to live my life.”

WAGING A NEW BATTLE

With time, Vicky came to realize if she could successfully conquer cancer, she could also conquer depression and obesity.

She began exercising. She also made significant changes to her diet, which included eating only grilled or smoked meats and incorporating peas, green beans or okra with almost every meal. She also eliminated bread.

Because of those lifestyle changes, Vicky dropped 60 pounds in eight months.

“I realized that I have to keep fighting,” she says. “Even though I’ve been in remission for five years, I’ve had to fight to get my life back. And while I have numerous scars from my mastectomies, I am no longer ashamed of them. They are my battle scars. They remind me to live every day with courage.”

Vicky is training to serve as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s Reach to Recovery program. Once training is complete, she’ll be paired with a local breast cancer patient to provide support, hope and guidance.

“I look forward to encouraging women who are newly diagnosed,” she says. “We’ll be able to email, talk on the telephone and even meet for lunch. I’m excited to pass down my knowledge, but most importantly, I want to keep their spirits up.”

And with her wit and valuable insight, she’s sure to do just that.

“I feel like me again. I realized that I have to keep fighting.”

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH Mary Pieper

Mary Pieper refers to her breast cancer diagnosis as her Y2K bug.

“It was May 2000 and something provoked me to reach my hand up to my breast,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting to find anything, because I had just had a mammogram that came back negative, but I strongly believe it was God who guided my hand to find that lump.”

After negative mammogram results and an unsuccessful needle aspiration, Mary and her gynecologist opted for a core needle biopsy. The wait for the results became the most agonizing five weeks of her life.

“You know something is in your body,” Mary says, “but you’re praying it’s benign. Nothing really prepares you to hear that you have breast cancer.”

As the reality set in, all she could fathom was it was possibly the beginning of the end of her life.

“I just remember driving home and realizing I was driving normally in a normal car and normal people were walking down the street,” she says. “Yet the world was still spinning, but it felt like mine had stopped. I kept thinking how this could be my last summer on Earth, so why wasn’t everyone stopping and dealing

with this with me.”

On the advice of Dr. Kurt Wagner, Mary underwent sentinel lymph node mapping that resulted in the removal of two lymph nodes. She also endured two lumpectomies, four rounds of chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments.

This year, she celebrated 14 years cancer-free. And though she is technically considered cured, Mary still sees her oncologist and receives a mammogram once a year.

Since she was last featured in Healthy Living in 2008, Mary has become a patient-care tech in the emergency room at Leesburg Regional Medical Center. She feels being a breast cancer survivor helps her be a more compassionate caregiver.

Being in the medical field, Mary also sees too many instances of people ignoring their own health.

“I once meet a lady who was 62 and said she had never had a mammogram,” she says. “So many people think just because you don’t have a family history of breast cancer you don’t need a mammogram. Well, I was 41, had no family history of cancer of any kind and I was the first in my family to receive a cancer diagnosis.

“You have to deal with your health. If you feel a lump, get

AUTHOR’S NOTE: In memory of Phyllis High

It never occurred to me, as I searched for the five inspirational women we featured six years ago in our magazine, that one might no longer be with us.

After days of searching for a phone number to contact Phyllis High, I stumbled upon her obituary. She had passed, and it made my heart sink.

I searched for clues as to what happened to her. She was 58 when she died in 2010; it felt as though she

it checked. Be proactive, be educated and don’t ignore symptoms.”

If a person does get a breast cancer diagnosis, Mary wants him or her to know it’s not the end of the world. A doctor once told her it’s a calendar disease: You just mark off the days of the calendar from the beginning to the end of your treatment.

“It’s not going to be forever,” she says. “When the days are done, you’re done and that helped make it easier to deal with.”

You’ll also come out a lot stronger and learn not to sweat

was too young to have passed away from natural causes. And while she left behind many family members, each lead I gained for information turned cold.

Though I can’t say for certain breast cancer contributed to her death, I can say it contributed to her life. In 2008, she told Healthy Living how having cancer didn’t make her less than the person she was before.

“I’m now a stronger person spiritually and emotionally,” she said then. “I’m also more compassionate

the small stuff.

“I was certain if I ever learned I had cancer I would crawl into a corner and die,” Mary says. “But I actually learned I was a hell of a lot stronger than I thought. I handled losing my hair; I handled being bald in the winter; I handled watching bags of red poison being pumped into my body.

“Now, if my bathtub has a hot-water leak or someone cuts me off in traffic, I just deal with it. After cancer, you learn the things that used to stress you out really aren’t that important anymore.”

toward others who are ill. I consider myself a cancer conqueror rather than a cancer survivor. I’m not going to live in survivor mode and in fear. You don’t have to live in fear. We are bigger and better than cancer.”

I’m certain Phyllis’ story touched many lives in our community, and I hope the memory of her strength and faith continues to be a comfort to the family and friends she left behind.

May she rest in peace.

“… you learn the things that used to stress you out really aren’t that important anymore.”

Still beautiful after all these

tears

Everything was looking up.

That’s how Kristi Teske felt. She was 30, happily married, and the mother to two adorable children. It was like turning the pages of a storybook life with her husband Brad.

Until three years ago, when the energetic Clermont resident discovered a lump in her breast.

“It was a lot of anger and a lot of fear,” Kristi says. “I was diagnosed on Feb. 11 and my mastectomy was March 4. It seems like an eternity when you fi nd something in your body that’s not supposed to be there.”

The doctor’s view:

Breast cancer is devastating not just because of the real possibility of death but as much — and sometimes more so — because of the

disfigurement that typically accompanies treatment of breast cancer even when that treatment is successful.

Disfigurement, Kristi could accept. Dying, she could not.

After extensive research, Kristi chose the most drastic option — a full mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation, if needed.

“One out of four women diagnosed with breast cancer run a risk of recurrence,” Kristi said. “I chose the most aggressive approach because I’m young and my children were young.”

The doctor’s view:

Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day is Oct. 15. And that’s a good reason to pause and realize we’ve come a long way from the traditional Halstead radical mastectomy, in which all the breast, much of the skin, all of the lymph nodes in the

armpit, and even the muscle of the chest wall were removed.

Radical is right. This procedure cured many women. But it was hideously disfiguring and produced many breast cripples: women with painful, unstable scars, and severe, chronic swelling of their arms.

When I trained in surgery, we had largely gotten away from the radical procedures and were doing a more conservative, “modified” radical mastectomy with less skin removal, no muscle removal, and a less radical clearing of the lymph glands in the armpit. The incidence of complications and long-term problems plummeted, but did not disappear. This led to a search for “breast-conserving” treatments.

The most popular option has been removal of just the cancerous lump in the affected breast and removal of the lymph nodes in the armpit,

followed by radiation to the breast.

Breast conservation options didn’t change much until recently, with the advent of the SAVI: a way of placing the radiation right into the space in the breast where the cancer was. SAVI has some of the same problems that external radiation does except it’s more intense and confi ned to a smaller area. True “breast conservation” still has a long way to go.

Kristi considered going through life with one breast. She chose breast reconstruction for the sake of her children.

“I didn’t want them asking, ‘Why isn’t mommy the same as other women?’” Kristi said.

The doctor’s view:

Many physicians, unfortunately, downplay the importance of reconstruction, especially for older women,

WRITER: DR. RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT AND GARY CORSAIR PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ

reasoning they won’t be so traumatized by loss of their breast(s); insurance companies reimburse so poorly for the surgery that many plastic surgeons simply cannot justify tackling such a technically demanding, time-intensive undertaking.

But studies have shown that women who successfully

undergo breast reconstruction rapidly come to see themselves as essentially whole again in contrast to those who do not have reconstruction.

When reconstruction is decided on, there are many options. It can be started at the same time as the cancer surgery is done, with the general surgeon and plastic surgeon working closely together. This is known as immediate reconstruction. Reconstruction can also be delayed to begin any time after the cancer surgery.

Kristi waited a year after her surgeon placed an expander in her chest cavity to prepare the area for a new breast.

“The expand-

ers push the muscles back and make sure the skin is ready for surgery,” Kristi said.

The tissue expander under her chest muscle effectively prepared the area for Kristi’s new breast. A saltwater solution periodically injected through a tiny valve mechanism inside the expander created a space slightly larger than the other breast.

The doctor’s view:

Reconstruction can be done using breast implants, the patient’s own tissue, or a combination of both. Each can produce good to excellent results.

Kristi is a believer. “Reconstruction was a piece of cake,” she says.

“The next day I took the kids to Disney.”

The doctor’s view:

Many factors must be considered in determining which technique will be most appropriate for a given patient — age, medical status, weight, whether one or two breasts will be removed, whether chemotherapy and/ or radiation therapy will come into play, and more.

Any discussion of breast reconstruction is incomplete without covering the limitations and risks. No operation is free of risks. A surgeon can guarantee only his or her best effort. The reconstructed breast(s) will have scars and may not be perfectly shaped or symmetrical. They will not have the normal sensitivity of a natural breast. Failure of the reconstructive effort, and even potentially life-threatening complications, must be understood as small, but real, possibilities.

Beating breast cancer is great. Beating breast cancer and coming out on the other side with two breasts is icing on the cake.

It is important — no, critical — to keep sight of the most important thing: The goal of breast cancer treatment is to cure the patient. All other considerations are secondary.

“I’m cancer-free,” Kristi says. “You always fear where and when cancer might recur. There were tears.

“Today there are no tears. I’m too busy. I focus on living, not surviving.”

In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Women’s Health and Cancer Reconstruction Act, which made insurance coverage for breast reconstruction mandatory. In the 24 years since, surveys show less than 20% of women who undergo mastectomies for cancer have breast reconstruction.

In C l insuranc reconstr

In the 24 surveys of wom mastec b

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HealthyLivingbeginsathreemonthlookintoCrossFit,the latestandmostchallenging workoutcraze.

BODY

CROSSFIT CRAZE 40 SAVING THE SKIN YOU’RE IN 42

SHAPE

BODYSHAPE

CROSSFIT CRAZE

Some call it “the most challenging workout ever.” Others refer to it as “dangerous.” But this fitness fad seems here to stay.

most woorkout reefer But this ” fitness fad seems here

Why?

Because it is more than a trend: CrossFit is a way of life for tens of thousands of people across America. It utilizes body weight, high-intensity cardiovascular training and other gym equipment such as dumbbells, heavy ropes and kettle bells incorporated into a dynamic workout.

When done correctly, these exercises are very safe and effective.

The exercise demos presented will be based on some CrossFit samples. Technique is critical for safety and success, so be careful to do them with supervision.

WRITER: TRACY DRAPER

FOCUS ON END WAVE

ENGAGED CORE

FIRM GRIP

BENT LEGS STEADY STANCE

BATTLE ROPE

1. Grasp the end of the ropes, flex at the hip, keep back straight, pull abs in tightly.

2. Bend the knees and begin waving the rope up and down, alternating arms.

3. Start with 20 seconds and build from there.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Remember to breathe!

• Keep abs in to protect the lower back.

• Start with smaller, faster movements, then go slower and higher for a change-up.

CHALLENGE

Do jumping jacks while holding the ends of the rope. Of course you will have to go slower than usual so make sure when your feet are wide you throw a squat in for good measure!

MUSCLE GROUPS TARGETED: deltoids, core, traps

TRY TO KEEP CONSTANT STEADY WAVES

TRY TO KEEP CONSTANT STEADY WAVES

Ifyou’reafterahardcorecardioworkouttrythe1.5-inchdiameterbattle rope.Ifit’smassivemuscleyou’reaftertrythe2-inchdiameter.You onlyneedoneropeandifyouliketheoutdoorsropesmadefrom syntheticfiberslikepolypropylene,Dacron,andnylonarebest

c rsrope ron,andnylon

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BODY LOOK

SAVING THE SKIN YOU’RE IN

WRITER: RUTH ANN BYRD

Therapy following a diagnosis of cancer often includes radiation, chemotherapy or both.

Most people relate these therapies to nausea and hair loss, but don’t realize anticancer treatments can also affect the skin. They can cause skin rashes, dryness, itching and easy bruising.

Some patients also develop allergies to products they were able to use in the past. The fingernails may become inflamed, discolored, thin or brittle. Radiation therapy can cause burns on the skin that can lead to infections. Fortunately, these side effects can be minimized when addressed early on.

Avoid products with artificial fragrance and dyes. Use organic when possible. Look for gentle, fragrancefree cosmetics designed for sensitive skin. That includes cleansers, moisturizers,

laundry detergents, dish soaps, etc. Anything that comes into contact with your skin is a possible irritant. When outdoors, seek the shade. Increased sun sensitivity is a common side effect of anticancer treatments. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen for sensitive skin. Studies have shown skin cancers are more common in cancer survivors, especially those treated with radiation therapy. Have regular examinations by a dermatologist.

Avoid long, hot baths and saunas. Take quick showers instead. Don’t use scrubs or exfoliating cloths. Try soaking in a lukewarm bath with colloidal oatmeal to soothe irritated skin. Gently pat dry and apply an intense hydrator such as organic aloe, coconut oil or olive oil. Reapply moisturizers often to keep the skin moist.

Certain medications may

cause problems with fingernail discoloration or textural changes. Keep your fingernails trimmed but avoid professional manicures until your therapy is complete. Wear protective gloves when working with sharp objects and household cleaning products. Fingernail polish can be used, but avoid those with formaldehyde or other harsh chemicals.

If you undergo radiation therapy your physician will advise how to care for the treatment area. If you have radiation burns, keep the area clean and moist. Do not use heating pads, icepacks or bandages on the treatment area unless your physician advises. Avoid heavy oils in the area of radiation and do not apply anything to the

area immediately prior to radiation treatments as this could interfere with results. Wash gently and pat dry. No scrubbing or rubbing.

Keep in mind that while skin rashes and other medication reactions can be very uncomfortable, they can also be a sign your medication is working properly. My suggestions are meant to be helpful and are not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss any skin concerns with your physician.

RUTH ANN BYRD, owner of Aesthetic Skin Solutions in The Villages, is a licensed aesthetician specializing in skin rejuvenation and clinical treatment of sun damage, rosacea and acne. She is also licensed in electrolysis, laser hair removal and permanent makeup. She can be contacted at 352.874.3653.

CANCER TREATMENT CAN BE HARSH, BUT YOUR COMPLEXION DOESN’T HAVE TO SUFFER

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Registration at 8:00 A.M. Walk begins at 9:00 A.M.

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Proceeds to benefit

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OVERSIGHT

HELP! MY KID’S ALWAYS ONLINE!

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PARENT IN TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD

Let’s discuss some caveats and concerns for parents in regard to supervision of activities in social media activities, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• But let’s also present a balanced picture and acknowledge some of the reported positives for social media technology:

• Increased criminal prosecution due to law enforcement agencies monitoring social media and tracking criminals foolish enough to brag about their crimes online.

• Countless people have reunited with long-lost friends and/or relatives.

• Evidence suggests some children perform better in school by discussing schoolwork and instructive topics through social media sites.

• Support groups on social media allow people to discuss health conditions, as well as share important information and resources relevant to their conditions.

• Job sourcing has gone modern thanks to social media. Sites such as LinkedIn

are a major resource for recruiters looking to hire potential employees.

• Now let’s examine the unfortunate downside to social media, particularly as it relates to young people:

• With the advent of the Web, numerous people have created websites and blogs. While most are just harmless rambling, many sites have evolved into rumor mills or misinformation sites that distort or misrepresent important current events. Sadly, many people tend who visit these sites believe what they read because “it’s on the Web.”

• Though some children who use moderation in social media do better in school, there is also evidence to suggest pupils who spend too much time on social media sites have lower academic grades. Statistics show pupils who use social media too often tend to have GPAs of 3.06, compared to GPAs of 3.82 for pupils who don’t use social media.

• Social media results in less face-to-face communication. A 2012 study revealed that 32 percent of survey participants were either

texting or logged onto social media sites when they could have been communicating with one another during family gatherings.

• Addiction is possible. There is also potential for children to become more introverted as they spend too much time alone, using social media as the only means of interacting with others. Personal, face-toface interaction is critical to developing social reasoning skills in young people.

• Perhaps the most serious threat to our children’s welfare is cyberbullying. Most tragically, cyberbullying has driven numerous young people to suicide. Even more prevalent is the danger of sexual predators lurking in cyberspace.

Neuroscience has made massive advances, and there is now evidence of continued brain development associated with social-emotional maturity, self-image and judgment that continues well into the early 20s.

With that in mind, parents should be vigilant in monitoring their children when it comes to social media. How? First,

maintain a close and open relationship with your child and be aware of changes in attitude and demeanor. Make sure privacy settings on your child’s social networking sites limit access of strangers or potential predators. Educate your child about the dangers of being online and talking to strangers. Make sure he or she knows to never meet with anyone they meet online, whether it’s another child or not.

Technology is here to stay. There are good and bad aspects of your child entering the virtual world. The best way to protect your child is to make yourself available to talk at all times. And stay up to date by conducting your own Internet research for helpful ideas to monitor and manage your child’s Internet use.

WRITER: ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S.; M.ED.

Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto

ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S.; M.ED. is in private practice, providing educational psychology/counseling services in Lake County. He can be reached at 352.217.0131 or humcollab.b@comcast.net. Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto

WELLNESS

CAN’T AFFORD A MAMMOGRAM?

Ever experienced another woman trying to push past you to get first dibs at the mammogram machine?

Me either.

How many women enjoy standing in a dimly lit room, holding onto an overhead bar, while one breast is kneaded like pizza dough until it sandwiches neatly between two cold pieces of steel? I doubt it’s the highlight of anyone’s week. And God forbid they find something or another. That happened to me a few years ago. With all the smooshing, mushing, poking and prodding by various medical personnel, I felt like I’d have been better off at Guantanamo Bay. Nevertheless, early detection saves lives.

Mammograms are necessary. Dammit.

They’re also expensive. But over the past decade, what began as a conversation over tea has grown into an endof-summer annual event that raises thousands of dollars and provides breast cancer

screenings for hundreds of Lake County women who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

The fundraiser evolved like a perfect storm. Margaret Andersen and her friend, Angela Estrada, were discussing a way to wind down the summer and celebrate Women’s Equality Day.

“It wasn’t anything at all,” says Andersen, “just the idea that nothing happened in Mount Dora in August.”

Part of that conversation included Estrada’s concern about her niece: She’d been diagnosed with cancer. Meanwhile, Andersen had learned there were no funds for north Lake County women to secure mammograms at a reasonable cost. That was 2004, and the dawning of “The Pink Tea.”

Andersen organized the first event and coined it the “Pink Tea,” after the pre19th Amendment era, when women couldn’t go out alone unchaperoned, except to tea with friends. In an effort to avoid reproach from husbands and parents, an invitation to

a “pink tea” became code for a suffrage meeting. The first Mount Dora Pink Tea echoed that theme when actress Margaret Kaler portrayed Susan B. Anthony. About 65 women attended and the affair brought in $800.

“When I stood at the podium,” Andersen says, “I realized this was going to be a whole lot bigger than I would be able to handle alone.”

She was right. According to Pink Tea treasurer Nancy Hurlbert, the organization works in conjunction with Physicians Imaging of Mount Dora to provide low-cost mammograms, ultrasounds and screenings.

“Physicians Imaging has provided a huge discount off the actual costs for most of the last 10 years,” Hurlbert says.

This year, the current committee, including Andersen, Hurlbert and Stephaine Haimes, the secretary, put on a “Great Gatsby”-themed affair. It was held at the First Baptist Church of Mount Dora, which donated the space. It turned

out to be a bipartisan who’swho of women helping women in Lake County. Among those in attendance were Mount Dora Mayor Cathy Hoescht, former state House candidate Belita Grassel, Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione, and Barbara Hill and Karen Salvat, secretary and treasurer of the Lake County chapter of NOW.

The afternoon was truly a community affair and included a costume contest and silent auction. Oh, and a raffle in which guests could purchase $5 worth of tickets measured around their waist. No, I did not win all the raffle prizes.

Volunteers — along with Andersen, Hurlburt and Haims — made finger sandwiches. Carolyn Green provided the scones. Cupcake Delights in Mount Dora and Tantalizing Teas also contributed to the menu. A few men from First Baptist parked their antique cars out front, kicking off the motif as soon as guests arrived. The Secret Garden, a downtown Mount

Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto Photos courtesy of brushstroke.com

WRITER: MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

PINK TEA LADIES HAVE YOUR “FRONT”

Dora clothing store, donated 20 percent of its proceeds for every Pink Tea attendee who purchased ’20s attire for the event.

The Gastbyesque tea raised $4,500. Along with Physicians Imaging discounts, that adds up to muy mammos for Lake County women.

SOURCE: www.cancer.org/research/infographicgallery/mammography-statistics-text-alternative

Oh, by the way, these days, many mammogram centers will provide you with disposable foam pads to cover the dreaded cold steel. The ordeal’s not so Guantanamo Bay anymore. So if you haven’t had your mammogram this year, it’s time. No excuses. If you can’t afford it, contact the Pink

Tea ladies by filling out a form and mailing it, or call Margaret Andersen at 352.360.9497. It may save your life.

Just sayin’…

You can follow the Pink Tea on the group’s Facebook page: facebook.com/thepinktea

MARY

is a freelance writer currently working on her second book. She teaches English at Mount Dora High School, is an adjunct English professor at Valencia College, and lives happily with her daughter Lexi; their two dogs, Maxine and Charlie; and two cats, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley.

ELLEN GRIFFITH

68 percent of uninsured women are not getting mammograms.

MEN

A TIME WHEN TIM MCGRAW, AND THE BIBLE, ARE OF HELP

How will you respond if a loved one receives the soul-crushing news they have an illness that may not be cured? Will you go into the rescue-savior mode and try to fix it? Will you go into depression and despair? Will you face that awful diagnosis with denial?

I have walked beside so many who have gotten a hard diagnosis and have responded in one of those ways. What we usually do is cycle through most of those responses. Over the years, I have found I learn best by watching what other people do. Let me share my experience as a man who’s walked through hard diagnoses with more than a few, and observed life. I want “to protect the innocent,” but this story is true.

I have a friend diagnosed with a disease that almost everyone we know said she was far too young to have. She was in the early years of her career, busy with work, enjoying life and marriage. But her friends started to notice “something just wasn’t right.”

Her husband couldn’t see it at first, or at least didn’t want to think about it, but after lots of urging to go to the doctor, my friend went. The diagnosis was not good.

Now life became a blur of doctors, labs and technicians, medications and genuine physical struggle. And, of course, insurance paperwork. In the middle of

that were the dynamics of a couple in love trying to make the marriage work.

How would they keep their relationship alive and cope with this unwanted guest that now lived in their midst? I will tell you it has not been without struggle. But they have made it work. It is still “a work in progress,” but they are stronger and more in love now than they were five years ago.

One of the keys for them has been their faith. They look to Christ for the strength and encouragement to press on. They also have a deep commitment to “seeing this through together.” Because they are married, they no longer think as individuals; they think as one. If life continues for both of them, they will do whatever it takes to finish well together.

They have stopped thinking about the disease as something that will take her life early, or a mistake, or even as “God somehow being unfair.” They have committed to seeing this as an opportunity to trust God and one another in new and deeper ways. They have actually found they have more deeply cherished hours together because they have realized life is like a vapor.

I actually believe the Tim McGraw song, “Live Like You Were Dying,” has something wonderfully important for us to learn. You’ve probably heard that song. It tells the story of a man who gets the

news his father has a life-threatening illness. The wisdom of the dad to his son is live life to the fullest and do things he had always wanted to do: skydiving, mountain climbing, fishing, bull riding. The dad also says he became a better husband and friend.

In the middle of the song, McGraw then switches perspective to himself, talking about how going fishing with his dad stopped being an imposition and how he finally, after reading the Bible, took a long hard look back over his life and took his father’s advice.

At times it’s the hard things in life that help us see what really matters. Sometimes in life, we, as husbands, must lay ourselves aside, support our wives and invest deeply in our relationships.

I would, however, change a few lines in McGraw’s song. I think reading the Bible is a good place to begin. We need to keep reading the Bible repeatedly and get God’s perspective on our lives. Secondly, I really don’t believe I would want to admit to jumping out of a perfectly good airplane!

RICHARD BURGUET, B.A., M-Div., has been ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America for more than 30 years. He has served churches in South Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, and Georgia. Richard is pastor of New Hope Presbyterian in Eustis and is co-author of Covenants Disciples Workbook. New Hope is at 19535 Eustis Airport Road and on the web at www. newhopepca.com.

WRITER: RICHARD BURGUET, B.A., M-DIV.

Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto

High-Tech Health Care

A group of trained surgeons performing minimally invasive surgeries with the use of robotic technologies.

Da Vinci robot features a magnifi ed 3D HD vision system and special instruments that bend and rotate equal to the human wrist. The features enable our surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control, through a minimally invasive incision.

One of the many procedures performed is the treatment for GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). The most common signs and symptoms of GERD are frequent acid reflux and heartburn.

For more information regarding this minimally invasive procedure, along with other surgical procedures performed by the group, please visit our website www.MidFloridaSurgical.com

Clermont

1804 Oakley Seaver Dr. Suite A

Clermont, FL 34711

352.243.2622

10000 W. Colonial Dr. Suite 288

Ocoee, FL 34761 407.521.3600

PREPARATION

PLAN FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES BEFORE THEY HIT

WRITERS: THOMAS FROSS AND ROBERT FROSS

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES CAN HELP YOU BE PREPARED

In honor of patients and their families during, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to talk about planning ahead for unexpected events such as a serious illness.

This is a major topic we address with our clients so they have a game plan in place and know what to do when someone becomes ill. Millions of American families deal with a serious illness and often struggle to handle the financial fallout while arranging care and managing the household.

Our goal is to move our clients away from crisis management and help them create strategies for future emergencies. Being prepared for the unexpected goes beyond having adequate savings or health insurance; it requires having thought about the potential financial, physical and emotional impact of a disease diagnosis.

DO YOU HAVE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES AND OTHER LEGAL DOCUMENTS IN PLACE?

One of the first things we cover with our clients is the importance of having proper legal documents. We advise including a power of attorney that empowers someone to conduct financial transactions on your behalf when you are unable to, a health care power of attorney

that names agents who can make medical decisions for you (and your spouse in case you are both incapacitated), and advanced directives that communicate your wishes for end-of-life care.

We strongly recommend you consult a qualified attorney familiar with Florida laws when developing legal documents. We work closely with a number of excellent attorneys and can provide recommendations if you don’t currently work with one.

ARE YOU PREDISPOSED TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS OR HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF DISEASE?

We can never predict the future, but many of us have family histories or risk factors that may leave us at greater risk of developing a disease. Knowing about these contributing factors can help you plan more effectively for the future.

HOW WILL YOU COVER REGULAR HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES DURING AN ILLNESS?

An unexpected illness often means time off work for patient and caregivers. It’s critical to prepare for the financial consequences of a loss in wages. We work with our clients to help ensure they are covered for unexpected emergencies

through a combination of emergency cash reserves and other sources of income.

HOW WILL YOU PAY MEDICAL BILLS?

Medical bills can be staggeringly expensive. The average lifetime cost of a stroke is $100,000 for a survivor, and the mean lifetime cost of breast cancer treatment is over $128,000. Worse, a 2007 study found that 62.1 percent of bankruptcies in the U.S. were linked to medical bills. Thinking about how you will cover potential medical bills can help your family avoid becoming a statistic.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR A LONGTERM ILLNESS?

Chronic or severe illnesses often require changes to your lifestyle and living arrangements. Financially, it’s essential to have contingencies in place to pay for long-term care, whether it’s help at home or nursing home care. AARP found a part-time home health aide cost about $22,000 per year in 2012, while full-time nursing home care averaged over $90,000 per year. Even if you have Medicare, it may not cover everything, and advanced preparation can help protect your family from ugly financial surprises.

HOW WILL YOU ENSURE YOU HAVE THE EMOTIONAL AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT YOU NEED?

Dealing with a serious illness is emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting and you will need support. Your family, friends and community will want to pitch in, and it’s wise to think in advance about how your loved ones can help.

One of the most important ways a financial professional can support you is by helping you prepare for the unexpected. If you already work with a financial professional, we urge you to keep him or her posted on your family’s health so that he or she is aware of any issues that could substantially affect your life or leave you exposed to financial risk. This way, if a life-changing event takes place, you are ready to move forward during a crisis.

ROBERT AND THOMAS FROSS founded Fross & Fross Wealth Management with the shared vision of creating a truly world-class experience for their clients. Specializing in offering comprehensive financial planning to high net-worth retirees, Fross & Fross manages over $300 million in assets and maintains a stellar reputation of professionalism and experience throughout The Villages.

Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto

Is Your SPECIALIST… REALLY A SPECIALIST?

Dr. Tankson is the ONLY board-certified, orthopaedic surgeon fellowship trained in foot and ankle surgery, serving the tri-county area.

As the first surgeon to perform ankle replacement surgery in Lake County, he is also the only surgeon in a three-county area with the experience, skill and training to perform highly-advanced ankle replacement surgery. Dr. Tankson receives referrals from physicians across the state who want to ensure the best options are available to their patients.

From conservative care for ankle injuries to complex care for foot and ankle trauma; arthroscopic surgery of the foot and ankle to ankle and foot fusion surgery to alleviate pain and instability; from joint replacements of the foot to total ankle replacement, trust the foot and ankle specialist other physicians trust. WHEN EXPERTISE MATTERS.

Diagnosis and Treatment (Medical and Surgical) for:

• Routine and Complex Fractures of the Foot and Ankle

• Advanced Treatment for Arthritis of the Foot and Ankle

• Symptomatic Adult Flat Foot

• Achilles Tendon Disorders

• Bunions, Claw Toes, Hammer Toes

• Revision Surgery

Call today for an appointment. Compassionate Specialized Care by Board Certified Fellowship-Trained Surgeons

ORTHOPAEDICS

Center for Advanced Foot & Ankle Surgery

701 Medical Plaza Dr., Leesburg • 326-8115

Summit Medical Park, 765 Highway 466, Lady Lake

• 753-9105

J. Mandume Kerina, MD

J. M Ke

Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Advanced Joint Replacement Surgery of the Knee and Hip

Isaac L. Mitchell, MD

Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Shoulder/Upper Extremity & Sports Medicine

Claudia L. Thomas, MD

Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Orthopaedic Trauma, General Orthopaedics

Alfred J. Cook, Jr., MD

Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Sports Medicine and Cartilage Rejuvenation

John T. Williams, Jr., MD

Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Advanced Joint Replacement Surgery of the Hip

Cedric J. Tankson, MD

Foot and Ankle Specialist Joint Replacement of the Ankle

Cedric J. Ta k nksonn, MD

F d A kl Si li

IT’SBEENA9REATYEAR!

RECENTLYRECOGNIZEDWITHNINEAWARDSFOREDITORIALANDDESIGNEXCELLENCE RECENT

Calendar

OCTOBER 2

Cancer Support Group

Diagnosis and treatment of and recovery from cancer can be eased with the support of others. 1:30–3p.m. Florida Hospital Waterman Cancer Institute, Conference Room 1000 Waterman Way, Tavares.

FOOT AND ANKLE CARE

Board-certified foot surgeons Dr. Michele McGowan and Dr. Timothy Henne offer a number of foot and ankle services for comprehensive foot care and ankle disorders. They are trained to handle problems as small as ingrown toenails and warts to as large and complex as bunions, hammertoes and heel pain.

OCTOBER 2

Stroke Support Group

Helps members find local resources and provides education, self-help info, group therapy and more. 10:30a.m. –noon. Leesburg Regional Medical Center, North Campus Conference Room. Information: RoMiller@CFHAlliance.org

OCTOBER 6

Zumba Gold Workout

A fun-filled fitness party that will get your feet moving, your heart pumping and your spirits soaring. No dance experience necessary. Mondays 6–7p.m. Wildwood Community Center, 6500 Powell Road, Wildwood. Information: zumbawildwood@ facebook.com

OCTOBER 10-12

Mount Dora Bicycle Festival

Celebrate 40 years of cycling

in Mount Dora. New routes and tweaks to some of the oldtime favorite routes will also add special flare to the three days of cycling. Information: mountdorabicyclefestival.com

OCTOBER 11

Miles for Meals 8k/5k

A fun walk/run on a flat course on South Lake Trail on Lake Minneola that benefits Buses ’n’ Backpacks. Postrace activities at Clermont Waterfront Park. 7:30–9:30a.m. Packet pickup 6a.m. 8k $35, $40 day of event; 5k $30, $35 day of event. Information: active.com/Clermont-fl

OCTOBER 14

Mended Hearts Support Group

Mended Hearts offers hope to heart patients, their families and caregivers. Noon–1p.m. Florida Hospital Waterman, 1000 Waterman Way, Tavares.

OCTOBER 15

Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon

Ladies in Philanthropy and Leesburg Regional Medical Center event includes meal, door prizes and guest speaker Betsy Applebaum. 11a.m. –1p.m. $25 members, $30

nonmembers. Registration required. Proceeds benefit LMRC Mammography Voucher Program. Information: stor@CFHAlliance.org

OCTOBER 18

Great Floridian Endurance Festival

Events include 5k, 15k, Ultra, TriAmerica and sprint runs, open-water 2k and aqua bike 2.4-mile swim, and 112 bike/2k swim and 62k. $28-$525. 7a.m., Waterfront Park, 330 Third St., Clermont. Information: info@sommersports.com

OCTOBER 18

Paddling on Crooked River Preserve

Use one of our canoes or kayaks to explore the Crooked River Preserve with Lake County Parks and Trails park rangers and staff from Lake County Water Authority. All experience levels are welcome. 9a.m. –1p.m. Crooked River Preserve, 11121 Lake Louisa Rd, Clermont. Information: gailg@lcwa.org

OCTOBER 18

Wag n Walk

Two- and four-legged walkers benefit Pet Peace of Mind, which helps keep patients and families in hospice care together with their pets. Free. Eustis Historical Museum, 536 N. Bay St. Information: kmurtz@cshospice.org

OCTOBER 27

Amputee Support Group “W.A.L.K”

Waterman Amputee & Limb Loss Konnections. 6-7p.m. Mattison Conference Room B, Florida Hospital Waterman, 1000 Waterman Way, Tavares.

OCTOBER 28

Breastfeeding Support Group

Designed to educate new or existing parents about how to get started with breastfeeding, including positioning, maintaining a milk supply, working while breastfeeding and any other areas of concern.

10–11a.m. WIC Office, 249 E. Collins St., Umatilla Information: 352.771.5563

PLAY BALL!

Stephen and Robbie Keszey of the Discovery Channel’s “Swamp Brothers” were among local celebrities who participated in the third annual Celebrity Softball Game. The game, held at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont, raised money for New Beginnings, a nonprofit organization that assists people facing economic struggles. Local police officers, firefighters and politicians also competed in the game.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN ELLIS

1. Sean Parks

2. Tim Bates and Larry Metz

3. Tim Smith, Aaron Nickersan, Carl Bishop, Jon Hanlon, Tim Massicotte, Jeremiah Plasters and Michell Rogers

4. Jason Sayre, Sheriff Gary Borders, Chuck Broadway and Rob Casaburi

5. Jackie Suttles, Rob Casaburi and Dan Roman

6. Stefan Drach, Wilson Delgado, Andy Niederdorfer and Drew Evans

7. Sean Parks and Retired Col. Danny McKnight

8. Robbie Keszey, Nathan Sweeting and Stephen Keszey

A STRIKE AGAINST BLINDNESS

The inaugural Eye Bowl was held at Break Point Bowling Alley in Tavares. Sixty-eight bowlers competed and raised more than $2,000 for New Vision for Independence, which provides services for locals with low vision or blindness. The Mount Dorabased Mid Florida Eye Center team emerged victorious.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MATTHEW GAULIN

1. Jami Gaines, Shelia Middleton and Sherry Mandel

2. Tricia Atkinson and Debbie Sturgill

3. Amy Grimaldi

4. Stephanie Somerville and Lener Williams

5. Greg Panzo, Michael Bommarito, Nick Panzo and John Panzo

6. David Wargo

7. Michaelle Scott and Jenn Nielson

8. Angelo Perciballi and Randy Elwood

9. Betsy Wolfer, Carolyn Smith, Rhonda Magamoll and Kathy Cage

Exclusively offering pulmonary rehab with an experienced respiratory therapist. Specializing in pulmonary and critical care.

• INTENSIVE AND ICU MANAGEMENT

• COPD • ASTHMA

• DISEASES OF THE LUNGS

• SLEEP DISORDERS

• NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

• MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED

DR. MARJERY LOPEZ Board-Certified in Internal and Pulmonary Medicine. Privileges at LRMC, The Villages Regional Hospital and Promise Hospital.

DR. JOSÉ DIAZ Board-Certified in Internal and Pulmonary Medicine. Privileges at LRMC, The Villages Regional Hospital and Promise Hospital.

MARIA BYRD, ARNP Certified in adult health, specializing in Pulmonary Medicine. Privileges at LRMC and Promise Hospital.

PILAR SMITH, ARNP Certified in adult health, specializing in Pulmonary Medicine. Privileges at Promise Hospital.

FORE A GOOD CAUSE

About 85 golfers gathered at Tierra Del Sol in The Villages for the first Chiromission Golf Tournament. The 18-hole scramble raised funds for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic organized by Dr. John Theeck of Legacy Clinic of Chiropractic. Theeck and several employees provided chiropractic care to children, adults and elderly people living in poor villages. The mission trip lasted five days.

1. Morgan, Dawn and Erin Cary

4. Brad Russ, John Temple, Robbie Shoemaker and Aaron Rosswog

5. David and Cynthia Clattey

6. John Leone and Cindy Rutgers with Pat and Ed Kordus

7. Doreen and Rick Jaberg

8. Nancy Theeck, Danielle Ramesar, Louise Palagano, Diana Dumbadse, Jaclyn Theeck and Lacee Gerald

PHOTOGRAPHER: MATTHEW GAULIN

2. Terry and Ted Orphanos

3. Roger and Sue Bokholdt

Tri-County Podiatry welcomed Dr. Daniel Wassell to the practice in September of 2014. As a 2011 graduate of the California School of Podiatric Medicine, Dr. Wassell completed his surgical residency at the Veterans A airs Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which included a one-year a liation with Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, California.

“I feel honored to become part of such a successful and innovative practice like Tri-County Podiatry,” says Dr. Wassell, “I have enjoyed getting to know the doctors and sta . Everyone is extremely nice. Tri-County Podiatry creates a great atmosphere for their patients. I am excited to be a part of the team.”

Dr. Wassell’s extensive training in trauma and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery adds a new dimension to Tri-County Podiatry. Educated in both the surgical and conservative treatment of various foot and ankle pathology, Dr. Wassell treats everything from tendon ruptures and fractures to common foot problems, such as bunions, hammertoes and ingrown toenails.

“I am excited about getting to know residents of e Villages because they are very active and are looking to continue activities without discomfort,” says Dr. Wassell.

Things you should know… LOCAL HODGEPODGE

WRITER: GARY CORSAIR // ILLUSTRATOR: ANTHONY CASTO

Bargains are everywhere if you know where to search. There are numerous opportunities to “steal the deal” in your backyard. Here are a few places to look you may have missed:

• NO NEED TO DRIVE all over in search of bargains. Now you can yard sale from the privacy of your living room. Thousands of Lake and Sumter residents are cleaning out closets and finding big-time bargains at virtual yard sales on Facebook.

“I wanted to create a group that was made with friendliness and a nice environment where we all can have our own say, rather than have a million rules,” says Heather Neumann, founder of the Lake County FL Yard Sale.

“It’s my way of helping out our community.” Neumann’s group has grown to 6,628 bargain hunters since she formed it a year and a half ago. And Lake County FL Yard Sale isn’t the largest online sale. The Sumter County Virtual Sale has — hold onto your push cart — 10,401 members. There are at least five other virtual yard sale pages for our area on Facebook. Log on to Facebook and type in your county and “yard sale” in the search field at the top of your Facebook page.

• YOU HAVE UNTIL OCT. 10 TO SCORE A FREE Starbucks drink. Here’s how the promotion works: Join My Starbucks Rewards, purchase two specially marked packages of Starbucks coffee from a grocery, redeem Star codes and receive a coupon for a free drink (excludes bottled beverages) at a Starbucks store. Start here: starbucks. com/card/rewards

• DON’T TAKE YOUR TRASH TO THE CURB just yet. Kids 8–19 can win cash prizes in the Lake County Library System’s annual Trash to Fashion Show Contest. This year’s recycled fashion show contest will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, at W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora. Pick up an entry form at any public library in Lake County or download the form at mylakelibrary.org.

• DID YOU KNOW YOUR CAR HAS A CABIN AIR FILTER? Many drivers who religiously change oil and air filters are unaware there’s a hidden filter — behind the glove compartment or in the dashboard — that catches pollutants you’d otherwise breathe. You might want to

find it if your car is more than 2 years old and you’ve been coughing and sneezing, had headaches, or noticed an unpleasant odor while you drive. Check your owner’s manual or visit your favorite auto parts store.

• BEAT THE HEAT at the Fruitland Park pool at Gardenia Park. The never-crowded pool is open from 11a.m. seven days a week. The pool closes at 5p.m. during the week and at 6p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Fruitland Park residents can get wet for $2.50. Nonresident? Add a buck.

• CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION to the Leesburg High School band, which needs money to repair the large, more expensive instruments the school purchases because they are too expensive for students to purchase. The band also needs funds to pay for transportation to various sporting events, competitions and national parades. The band does several fundraisers, but it’s never enough to fund all its expenses. Donations to the not-for-profit Band Parents Association of Leesburg High School Inc. are tax-deductible. Call or text 352.459.4050 to support the LHS Swarm of Sound.

WE CAN DO IT!

DECLARE WAR ON BREAST CANCER.

OCTOBER EVENTS

PINK IT UP CELEBRATION

 Thursday, October 9

 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

 Florida Hospital Waterman

 Help us kick-off breast cancer awareness month with a community celebration. Bring a bra! For each bra donated receive a chance to win one of our grand prizes

PINK IT UP PILATES IN THE PARK

 Thursday, October 16

 5:30 – 6:30 p.m

 Wooton Park, Tavares

 Get fit for the cause. Join us for a fun, free and relaxing exercise by the lake

PINK IT UP PINK ARMY 5K RUN/WALK

 Sunday, October 19

 Race stats: 7:30 a.m.

 Wooton Park, Tavares

 Support the Pink Army by putting your foot down in our certified 5k run/walk

BREAST CANCER

AWARENESS LUNCHEON

 Friday, October 24

 12 – 1 p.m

 Tavares Pavilion on the Lake

 Featuring guest speakers Borys Mascarenhas, MD, and Peter Marzek, MD

Sponsored by