VSTYLE Magazine, May 2018

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F e at u r i n g

8 I am a veteran Three women who proudly served their country.

Plus

2 A balanced life Villager loves the healthy lifestyle.

4 stop and smell the flowers There’s a reason The Villages is so beautiful.

* MVESEtT yAlVeI L L A G E R

Finding balance in The Villages ‘I definitely feel younger being here, and I feel healthier.’

STORY: THERESA CAMPBELL // PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

W

orking on legal cases can result in stressful all-nighters, yet litigation attorney Freeda Louthan, 67, finds a perfect balance living in The Villages, where she cherishes the warmer climate, the people, and her community’s beauty and amenities.

“No one else has what The Villages has,” she says of the plethora of recreational, shopping, and dining opportunities.

“I don’t have great genes,” she adds. “By the time my mother, my grandmother, and great-grandmother were my age, they all had strokes.”

She wanted to avoid the risk, and was very thankful to be introduced to USANA, a science-based company developed by microbiologist Dr. Myron Wentz, who created products with optimal nutrition on the cellular level.

“Because of all of the people I have represented over the years, and I had health challenges myself, [these products] introduced me to thinking I had not been exposed to before, that you could get better,” she says. “Within three months, I got in control with asthma that I had since my mid-20s; it actually has gone away, and I don’t have it anymore.”

Also gone were allergies and frequent illnesses from viruses. And she no longer has right knee pain and is able to jog regularly.

“I don’t accept that when we become older we have to become arthritic, have to look old, and have heart problems,” says Freeda, who became an independent associate for USANA in 2003. “I want and expect to live to be at least 100 and healthy.”

She also sincerely believes living in The Villages makes a difference too.

“I definitely feel younger being here, and I feel healthier. I honestly believe because of the active environment and better climate that we live in, there is a good chance we may live longer and healthier,” says Freeda, who moved to The Villages in 2007 with her husband, Doug.

Law has been her career since 1976, and she’s working on a medical class-action case that ends next year for women to receive compensation for different conditions resulting from silicone gel breast implants.

Throughout her life, she has been determined to make the best of challenging situations.

She also believes stress plays a big role in aging, so Freeda makes an effort to exercise and take supplements for normal health maintenance.

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* IVNSTtHyE lV eI L L A G E S

Villages’ flowers need more than ‘April showers’ Landscapers’ loving care keeps the community beautiful.

STORY: JOE ANGIONE

T

*

Deciding on the proper year-round landscaping plan requires lots of handson knowledge of the maintenance needs of a wide range of plant varieties.

4

he old saying that “April showers bring May flowers” doesn’t tell the full story of why The Villages’ landscapes are blooming in such wonderful array and color this month. Mother Nature is only partly responsible.

The trees, shrubs, and flowers that decorate The Villages’ traffic circles, beautify our walkways and streets, and decorate other public areas are mainly the work of the District Property Management Landscape Department managed by Mike Harris and supported by more than 30 DPM staff and team members. In addition, Mike uses hundreds of contract personnel to handle the planting, pruning, weeding, and trimming work.

Deciding on the proper year-round landscaping plan requires lots of handson knowledge of the maintenance needs of a wide range of plant varieties. That maintenance includes when they should be planted, how best to feed and look after them, and when certain plants should be removed and replaced by other varieties.

Even in Florida’s flower-friendly climate, keeping landscapes bright and healthy is a big task for Mike’s crews that goes on without let-up all year long. For one thing, there are many plants that won’t stay strong and glorious in all seasons; some require more tender, loving care than others.

Mike explains that the beds are changed out a minimum of four times a year. “There are hundreds of species of flowers, trees, and shrubs displayed throughout The Villages,” he says. “Our goal is always to use material that is proven to be successful in this area.”

Mike has worked in The Villages since 1999, first with a landscape installation contractor until October 2015, when he accepted his current position with District Property Management. He manages all aspects of new construction and landscape maintenance operations for the developer as well as maintenance operations for District Property Management and Commercial Property Management.

“We install approximately 1.6 million plants each year,” he adds. An unofficial estimate of the size of The Villages’ landscaping budget, to include labor costs, puts it at many millions of dollars, and Mike’s responsibility also includes caring for the community’s 12 championship golf courses.

The beauty of The Villages’ landscaping is one of the prime attractions that brings new homeowners here in droves. Current sales data show that more than 20 people move into The Villages every day.

As a horticultural paradise, The Villages also is an inspiration to everyone living here, making them want their homesites to be part of the splendid landscapes that delight the eyes and enrich the soul everywhere you look in “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.”

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JAMES

CO

Women have a long but underappreciated history of military service.

Their roles have evolved considerably. There was a time when women in the military were primarily cooks and nurses. Today, they patrol streets with machine guns, dispose of explosives, and drive trucks down bombridden roads.

They have a larger presence in the military than ever before.

In fact, women will comprise nearly 11 percent of the total veteran population by 2020, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Style recently sat down with three female veterans from The Villages and learned about their stories from years of military service.

BEDSIDE ON THE B AT T L E F I E L D

A

s a military doctor, Joan Sullivan saw it all.

Bodies from the fiery TWA Flight 800 crash. The hellish storm of smoke, shattered glass, and ashes at ground zero in New York City on 9/11. Bloodied U.S. soldiers who took enemy fire in Iraq and Afghanistan.

During her career with the Army Reserves and the New York Army National Guard, Joan provided medical expertise at battlefields and disaster zones across the globe.

“I feel lucky that I was able to use my God-given talent to make a difference,” she says.

Joan joined the U.S. Army Reserve in May 1977 and later completed medical school at the University of Tennessee. In 1991, she finished a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati, and three

years later enlisted in the New York Army National Guard.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki activated her unit to assist in the 1996 crash of Flight 800, which exploded shortly after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 passengers and crew members. Joan served as task force surgeon.

“I was in charge of all military medical assets at the site,” she says. “The bodies were hard to identify because they were bloated from being in the water so long.

There wasn’t enough room to put all the bodies in morgues, so a company let us put them in a refrigerator truck. I remember seeing men riding dune buggies through the sand and picking up body parts.”

Five years later, she returned to New York City and served in the same capacity following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She and her unit stayed at an armory on 5th Avenue, sleeping on military cots and covering themselves with old Army blankets.

“What struck me about being at ground zero most was the smell,” she

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recalls. “You had organic waste, construction waste, JP-8 jet fuel, and burning flesh. It was tough.

You didn’t work until 5pm or 6pm. You worked just until.”

Joan faced an equally challenging workload after being deployed to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2007. The demands of treating the many wounded in an environment of armed conflict puts added pressure on physicians and surgeons. Danger is everywhere.

“In Iraq, an enemy soldier we named Lunchtime Larry would fire mortars at our facility every day,” she says. “And whenever you traveled in either country, there were always gun trucks to accompany you. You couldn’t just get in a vehicle and go somewhere.”

A proud veteran, Joan is a member of American Legion Post 347, the Tri-County Women’s Veterans Association, and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 150.

A FEW GOOD WOMEN

T

he United States Marine Corps has a famous slogan: “The Few, The Proud.”

Carole Bruce was certainly one of the few. When she enlisted in 1975, there were fewer than 2,000 activeduty female service members in the Marines.

However, joining the most physically demanding branch of the U.S. military was a

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challenge the Pennsylvania native openly embraced.

“I wanted warmer weather and the ability to travel,” says Carole, who was taking business courses at the University of Pittsburgh when she enlisted. “I visited recruiters from all military branches and felt the Marine Corps suited me the best. It is an elite branch, and I wanted to do something challenging.”

She got her wish while transforming from civilian to Marine at the USMC’s 13-week boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. She remembers the countless hours of marching, traversing obstacle courses, and crawling over cargo nets. And she entered the dreaded gas chamber that makes even Marines cry.

“Your face is burning, your eyes are watering, and your nose is running,” she says. “At the end, you have to take your gas mask off and file out calmly.”

She discovered that shutting up and listening was the best way to survive the Marine Corps boot camp, famously depicted in the 1987 movie “Full Metal Jacket.”

“Do what you’re told to do, and everything falls into place,” she says. “I really got buffed in three months from all the running and exercising.”

Graduating boot camp marked the beginning of a 24-year military career. Carole spent five years as a court reporter before joining the officer ranks through the warrant officer program. As a chief warrant officer, she worked with various Marine units, handling a variety of administrative and legal duties.

“That was a very exciting job because each unit has an entirely different mission,” she says. “I moved 13 times in 24 years and lived in beautiful places such as Puerto Rico, San Diego, Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan.”

Although she retired in 1999 as chief warrant officer 4, she still wears the title of Marine with great pride. In fact, she gathers with other Marines each year to celebrate the Marine Corps’ birthday on Nov. 10.

“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” says Carole, who moved to The Villages in 2016. “We’re a small band of brothers… and sisters.”

MIDLIFE CALL OF DUTY

I

t’s a question military recruiters hear all the time.

“How old is too old to join?”

In the 1980s, the answer was 35.

Kathi Cahall barely beat the clock.

Kathi was 34 when she joined the U.S. Navy in 1987. At the time, she was enrolled in a college psychology course that focused on death.

“I realized then that when I die, I want my family to say I had a great life,” she says. “Joining the military was something I always thought about doing. I was only one month away from turning 35 so I decided to join.”

Kathi spent the first 13 years of her career in the Navy Reserve before enlisting as an activeduty service member in 2000.

She fondly remembers serving on the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee for the inauguration of President George W. Bush.

“The committee starts preparing one year in advance,” she says. “We were in charge of security, staging, VIP escorts, and transporting food. I was truly amazed by all the detail that goes into it.”

During her career, Kathi had unique opportunities to work for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, sail aboard the USS

WHEN T A H T N ED THE MILY TO SAY I Z I L A E R “I NT MY FA AT LIFE.” E A I DIE, I W HAD A —GKRA T H I C A H A L L

Constitution, and travel to faraway places such as Spain and Italy.

But one of the more memorable assignments involved a threeweek stay at the Arctic Circle. She was part of a team that installed sonobuoy software on planes to detect underwater sounds and locate Russian submarines.

“I went in April, and there was white permafrost, or frozen soil,” she recalls. “There were snowstorms, and I saw beautiful white foxes. The barracks that I stayed in had big, thick doors like you’d see in a meat locker.”

For Kathi, there were difficult moments as well. When serving on the chief of naval operations staff, she looked out her office window and saw the Pentagon ablaze in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“It was horrifying. There was no Internet or cellphone service.

Communications were wrecked.

The Navy Yard was closed, and streets were blocked off. You couldn’t go anywhere,” she says. “In the weeks following the attacks, I remember seeing surface-to-air missiles on top of parking garages.”

Kathi retired in 2009, earning the Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Naval Enlisted Reserve Association’s 1776 award.

Her only regret is not joining the U.S. Navy out of high school.

“I could’ve traveled and done more,” she says. “I think everybody should be required to join the military for at least two years after high school. It teaches you discipline, responsibility, and respect.”

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* LVI VSItNyG lHeE A L T H Y

But you don’t look sick!

There’s nothing fake about arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

STORY: JAMES COMBS // PHOTO: FRED LOPEZ

O

utwardly, Karen Marshall of The Villages looks perfectly healthy. She does not rely on a wheelchair, cane, or walker for mobility. She has no surgical scars or missing limbs.

Inwardly, she copes with an “invisible” illness called Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that leaves her battling dry mouth, dry eyes, and chronic fatigue.

Some fail to acknowledge her disease. In fact, cynical looks and raised eyebrows are common after telling a friend she is not feeling well enough to go shopping or participate in an activity.

Such is life for the 46 million people who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suffer from arthritis and other rheumatic conditions like Sjogren’s syndrome. Rheumatic diseases cause inflammation to the body’s supporting structures: tendons, ligaments, bones, and muscles.

For sufferers like Karen, invisible illnesses can result in invisible friends.

“I’ve lost friends simply because I didn’t feel well enough to do something with them,” Karen says.

There is hope

Karen Mashall

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the country, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

“Arthritis is not just one entity or disease state,” says Dr. Kenneth Stark, a rheumatologist who opened his Tavares-based practice in 1989. “There are more than 100 types of rheumatic diseases. It is important for patients to see a doctor who can distinguish what type of arthritis they have because they are all treated differently.”

Dr. Stark has treated many types of rheumatic conditions, including Sjogren’s syndrome, gout, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma.

Two of the more common forms are osteoarthritis, caused by wear and tear on the

joints, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder where the body’s own immune system attacks joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint disfigurement and make a mundane task like turning a doorknob impossible.

However, treatment for rheumatoid arthritis has progressed significantly, Dr. Stark says. At his practice, he uses drugs such as lowdose methotrexate, which reduces inflammation and slows the progression of joint damage. One of the latest treatment advancements is biologics, or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, which specifically target blood proteins responsible for inflammation. The medication can be administered intravenously or through self-injection.

“We’ve come such a long way in the last 30 years in improving quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis patients,” he says.

“I’d say the quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis patients has improved by 90 percent. I see fewer patients in wheelchairs or with hand deformities.

I see fewer patients who have trouble holding a fork.

We prevent patients from becoming totally disabled.

We want them to continue working their full-time job or continue enjoying activities such as golf and pickleball.”

In addition to seeking medical treatment, patients with arthritis

and rheumatoid disease also can perform gentle exercises at home for pain relief. Dr. Stark cites research conducted by the American College of Rheumatology touting the benefits of tai chi, a mind-body practice that originated in China. He also says that the overthe-counter supplement glucosamine may ease pain for mild arthritis sufferers.

“But before anyone begins an exercise regimen or taking supplements, I strongly recommend that they consult their doctor first,” he says.

Making an invisible illness visible Karen, who was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2004, serves as support group leader of The Villages Arthritis Support Group. For her, it is disappointing that arthritis, one of the country’s leading sources of pain, often is dismissed as “an old person’s disease.”

“Some medical conditions attract the public’s attention and gain their sympathy,” she says. “Arthritis is not one of them. My goal is to educate people that just because someone looks healthy does not mean they feel well. The more information I can get out to the public, the more they will understand.”

Her support group meets on the fourth Friday

at 10am at La Hacienda Recreation Center, 1200 Avenida Central, The Villages. Guest speakers such as rheumatologists, yoga instructors, and nutritionists have provided educational and informative talks.

For members such as Jan Bartok, learning new and effective pain management techniques is invaluable.

She suffers from arthritis, secondary Sjogren’s syndrome, and lupus.

“If I go to the grocery store I have to wear gloves because I cannot pick up anything cold,” says Jan, a resident of The Villages. “If I touch anything cold, my fingers turn red then purple and go completely numb. I have chronic fatigue. One activity can completely wipe me out. That’s why I only plan one activity a day. Sometimes I do two but pay for it afterward.”

Attending the monthly support group meeting is one activity she rarely misses. After all, it’s a safe place where she finds strength, friendship, and hope.

“Being around others going through the same thing as me is comforting because we can share advice and ideas and be there for one another,” Jan says. “When you see other people going through the same thing, it reminds me that I’m not crazy. Nobody here judges one another.”

That’s because they know invisible illnesses are indeed very real.

There are more than 100 types of rheumatic diseases. It is important for patients to see a doctor who can distinguish what type of arthritis they have because they are all treated differently.”

—DR. KENNETH STARK

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* BVOSOtK yR lE VeI E W

‘A Piece of the World’

By Christina Baker Kline. A young girl whose world is a simple family farm comes to life in a famous painting and now in a novel.

STORY: DIANE DEAN

“A *

" This novel is about an artist, a strong-spirited woman, and the small town in Maine that contained their relationship."

—BARBARA FISHER

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Piece of the World” by Christina Baker Kline brought life to a well-known painting by Andrew Wyeth entitled, “Christina’s World.”

Those attending the Bookworm Book Club had a variety of opinions and impressions of the book, the characters, the author, and the artist.

“This novel is about an artist, a strongspirited woman, and the small town in Maine that contained their relationship.

Christina’s world was limited; Andrew Wyeth opened it to the world,” says Barbara Fisler of the Village of Amelia.

Shari Griefner and I were facilitators, presenting background of the Wyeth family, the Christina Olson home, now a historic landmark, the Farnsworth Art Museum of Wyeth art, and the culture of a sparse Maine existence. Shari portrayed the author being interviewed, offering explanations of her interest in Maine, the painting, and her life.

“It is a story of struggle and pain for a woman overcoming great odds to live her life the way she wanted to live it,” says Dorothy Green, Village of Sunset Pointe.

Shari then took the role of Christina Olson and offered the main character’s thoughts on circumstances and choices in the book.

“This book is a fascinating look at Christina Olson, the woman portrayed in Andrew Wyeth’s painting.” says Betty Eich, Village

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of Mira Mesa. “Why did she live in that house without modern conveniences her whole life? Was the house her haven or her prison? The book also gives insight into Wyeth, the nature and purpose of his art. I highly recommend it.”

Christina’s education ended at age 12 when her father insisted she tend to housekeeping duties for the family.

Her infirmity from Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, a degenerative condition that damages nerves in the arms and legs and has no cure, made it difficult.

Sharon McHenry, Village of Summerhill, says: “This story is a reminder to us all that there are those who struggle with great mental and physical challenges. They manage to not only persevere, but to live with strength and grace.”

“I felt sorry for Christina and all the sacrifices she made for her family despite her infirmity,” says Mary Jo Johnson, Village of Ashland.

Appreciation of poetry was an element in the book. Betty recited Emily Dickinson’s poems “I’m Nobody, Who Are You” and “My Letter to the World that Never Wrote to Me.” Those, along with Oliver Wendell Holmes’ “Chambered Nautilus,” illustrated the confines of Christina’s world, allowing the group to consider “the labels we put on people, the life choices we make, and the decisions everybody faces in life,” says Linda Evans, Village of Chatham.

The now-famous painting, an inspiration for the story, allowed readers to see the world of Christina Olson. The book concludes, “She wanted to be seen, and she is.”

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832 Lake Sumter Landing The Villages, FL 32162 352-751-7845 • 800-447-6036 fa.morganstanley.com/lakesumter Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.

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