HEALTHY DIRECTIONS
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When pediatrician Ramarao Gajula, MD, sought a permanent solution to his ongoing back pain, he turned to CentraState colleague Mark McLaughlin, MD. Dr. Gajula, 67, spent a decade in pain. He suffered from lower back pain, tingling, and numbness nearly every day. While walking, he often had to sit [...]
Fitness in the Family After completing CentraState’s cardiac rehabilitation program to address a heart condition, 84-year-old Galina Balsirow often depended on a walker to remain mobile. To continue improving her heart health and gain balance and strength, she and her daughter, Emily, joined CentraState Fitness & Wellness Center with [...]
On October 4, Spencer Halper spent his birthday a little differently than most people turning 85. He pedaled 85 miles with companions from his local bike club, the 600-member Princeton Free Wheelers, traveling one mile for every year of his life. He began this annual tradition at age 80 [...]
Francis Schultz is well-versed in remaining calm during stressful situations. The 64-year-old Jackson resident has volunteered as a first responder for more than four decades, most recently in the role of directing traffic and keeping people safe when fire or police services respond to a call. When Francis experienced [...]
East Brunswick resident Natalia Bogataia loves to travel but has been grounded for the last few years by urinary incontinence. Now, after surgery, she’s looking forward to a vacation to her native Moldova and many more adventures. Natalia, 50, began experiencing pelvic pain and urinary leakage five years ago. [...]
When Mildred Grace, 72, had an EKG as a safeguard before a scheduled surgery, it signaled that she may have a cardiac issue. At the advice of a friend, she contacted the Gloria Saker Women’s Heart Program at CentraState—where she learned that despite not having any symptoms, she had [...]
When 2019 began, Freehold resident Ernesto Hulipas was taking medication to manage his cholesterol and blood pressure. He drank soda every day and often felt tired. When he learned that CentraState, his employer, offered a Diabetes Prevention Program, he dove right in and took advantage of the opportunity to [...]
Monroe High School senior Sami Hughes, 16, was diagnosed with scoliosis during a routine screening in elementary school. She wore a series of back braces for three years to correct the curvature in her spine, but the treatment wasn’t a permanent fix. When back pain threatened to sideline her [...]
As someone with diabetes, Theresa Falcicchio knew to track her blood sugar, take her medication, and check her feet for sores. However, it didn’t take long for a seemingly minor blister to snowball into a serious condition that threatened to take her leg. On a warm fall day at [...]
Joe Holden isn’t a quitter. After six spine surgeries and countless hours of traditional physical therapy in eight years, the Manalapan resident still needed a wheelchair to get around. For Joe, that wasn’t living. Joe suffers from spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on [...]
