In 1993, Elizabeth Losardo, then 64, and her husband Michael, had just retired from Brooklyn to Monroe Township and were ready to start living the good life—including wintering in Florida. As Elizabeth recalls, it was a normal day. She woke up and merely had an innocent yawn. The next [...]
Dee Nemeth had rarely been sick in his life, so it was unusual when the 75-year-old Freehold resident began experiencing bloating last fall. After seeking care at a health clinic, he was sent to CentraState’s Emergency Department for a potential gall bladder issue. There, he was diagnosed with a [...]
After 52-year-old Melissa Rizzitello of Lakewood spoke with a colleague who’d undergone bariatric surgery, she decided it was time to set up an appointment. After a careful evaluation, Ragui Sadek, MD, FACS, recommended gastric sleeve surgery. Melissa had considered bariatric surgery for several years. Having worked as a counselor [...]
At only 22 years old, Mariah Rodriguez’s lifelong battle with her weight had come to this: She struggled to walk from her car up to her attic bedroom, she was uncomfortable going out with friends, and she was on the verge of developing diabetes. Having had [...]
Old Bridge residents Betty and Bob Peterson, both 53, had spent their 35-year marriage doing virtually everything together. For many years, that included eating poorly, becoming obese, and developing significant health problems that often accompany excessive weight, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. “After years of putting our [...]
For decades, Dr. Kohlberg had exercised regularly on a treadmill so he could stay fit for weekly tennis matches and annual ski trips with fellow CentraState physicians. But over the past year, worsening pain in his right knee prevented him from enjoying the sports he loved. Eventually, the pain [...]
As a longtime player and manager in the Monmouth county senior softball league, Emil “coach” Jennette is always evaluating his teammates and opponents. He recalls a game when he closely studied outfielder Bobby Duncan as he ran the bases during a game. “I was watching how he performed, and [...]
Though Jersey City native Thomas Ryan, 58, had been living with diabetes for 30 years, he was faced with yet another health-related obstacle when he had to undergo amputation of four of the toes on his left foot at a hospital in Hoboken. A common side effect of diabetes, poor [...]
It was at the repeated urging of her primary care doctor that Loretta Nunez of Manalapan finally arranged to have a lung cancer screening. As a smoker over the age of 55, Loretta was at risk for lung cancer. She underwent a low dose screening CT scan that detected [...]
