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 [...]
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 [...]
When Doreen Tornabene of Manalapan began experiencing headaches and lightheadedness years ago, she attributed her symptoms to stress. But a visit to her physician revealed that she had high blood pressure, and she began taking medication to address it. Knowing that hypertension runs in her family, she recently started [...]
When Melody Blasenheim woke early in the morning and felt nauseous, she assumed she had food poisoning. She sat on the bathroom floor, waiting to vomit. But when she felt a sharp pain in her chest, she knew she had to seek emergency care. At the Emergency Department (ED) [...]
Helen Yorke’s life has been defined by her love of running. The Manalapan resident was the state champion in the 1960s in the half-mile and was a high school track coach for years. In fact, when she had a severe heart attack 10 years ago, her doctor said she [...]
