Doug Brooks has struggled with his weight since high school, and it continued to climb through adulthood. Four years ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Howell resident to work from home, his weight spiked from 220 pounds to 300 pounds. Easily fatigued and experiencing excruciating hip and knee pain, [...]
Gary Triolo’s workday started like any other – going through paperwork, checking email and answering calls – until his world suddenly started spinning out of control. “I looked up and the room started to spin to the left in slow motion,” explains Gary, who serves as the director of Food [...]
When Cynthia James was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) – a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system – she could’ve scaled back her commitments while processing her new reality. Instead, she found ways to help others with the disease. Six years ago, with a career she loved, a [...]
After 18 years as a Staten Island bus driver, Middletown resident Chad Frontera finally had his work schedule align with one of the yearly free health screenings offered by the New York City Transit System union. “I never had an indication of any thyroid issues, and I had no [...]
Mohammed Chaudhry, 72, was in relatively good health, maintained an active lifestyle and proactively had regular cardiac stress tests. Then one morning, the Jackson resident experienced sudden chest pain, dizziness and numbness in his arms and hands. His wife, Musarat, took him to his nearby primary care doctor, who did [...]
When Maria Rotella felt a lump on the back of her left thigh, she was concerned about a blood clot and went to urgent care. The initial diagnosis was a lipoma, a harmless, fatty tumor. The 83-year-old Perth Amboy resident didn’t think much about it for several months – [...]
Gianna Lauria was surprised to learn she was pregnant with twin girls since multiple births don’t run in her family. Then, just 32 weeks into her pregnancy, the 24-year-old Howell resident was amazed to learn she was in early labor. “I was putting my toddler to bed and noticed [...]
Rutgers University wrestling coach Jordan Pagano, 27, was recently demonstrating simple wrestling moves with a student-athlete, something he does regularly. When he placed his hands on the mat to change positions, the unexpected happened: he ruptured a disc in his neck. The herniated disc pushed on Jordan’s spinal cord, [...]
When high school athlete Brian Kutney, 16, fractured his leg, he was committed to getting back onto the track as soon as possible. Cutting-edge physical therapy helped accelerate his recovery – and shave seconds off his time. Last summer, the Jackson resident and active sophomore fractured his tibia while [...]
When Rebecca Pauley learned she was pregnant, she envisioned a routine birthing experience. However, baby Rafael had his own plans. CentraState’s team in the delivery room helped her avoid a C-section and give birth to her baby boy safely. A Morganville resident born at CentraState, Rebecca discussed her birth [...]
