Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2012

629 Clifton Ave Clifton

973-777-7364459 Chestnut St U

nion

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Clifton Merchant March 2012 3

March 2012 Clifton Merchant4

Tables of Contents

Whats Inside?

18

24

34

44

49

53

Teacher of the MonthJohn Silva, keeping kids physically fit

The Invisible WoundChief Giardinas brush with death

Hi, I Have CancerJohn Nelson battles Chordoma

The Middle Class InfiltratorJohn Alexander on opiate addiction

2012 Police Unity TourHelp Clifton PBA 36 get to Washington

Training & Commerce at PCCCTraining in Emerging Careers

34

53

Page 10

49

Rosangela Tumminia

At 26, beatingThyroid Cancer


16,000 Magazines

are distributed tohundreds of Clifton

Merchants on the firstFriday of every month.

Subscribe Page 75

$27 per year $45 for 2 years

Call 973-253-4400

Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

Business ManagerCheryl Hawrylko

Graphic DesignerKen Peterson

Staff WriterJoe Hawrylko

Contributing WritersIrene Jarosewich, CarolLeonard, Rich DeLotto,Don Lotz, Jack DeVries 2012 Tomahawk Promotions

1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011

60

72

76

78

88

90

96

Home ImproversSpring is here...get started!

Clifton Milestones50 years of priesthood for Father Weber

Clifton MysteryWho is Joseph Bellanca?

Arts & Other EventsMusic, Arts & More

Student of the MonthCHS senior Rachel Ventrella

Clifton Family Super Bowl PartyPhotos from the Boys & Girls Club

Birthdays & CelebrationsWhich of your neighbors is celebrating?

76

96

Correction: In Assembly Speaker Oliver's ad on page 33 of the February magazine,the photo of the Clifton Police Honor Guard was selected by the publisher, and doesnot imply an endorsement or relationship between the Clifton Police Department,Clifton PBA 36 and the Assembly Speaker. We regret any confusion caused by this.


Help a Friend?

Six year old JosephDelliSanti was diagnosedwith Acute Lympoblastic

Leukemia (ALL) in February

2012,andfamilyfriendsfrom

Cliftonhavesteppedintohelp

out.

Lori Ann LoGioco Zayatz

and her friend, Jennifer

Winfield DelliSanti, grew up

inClifton together andgradu-

ated from CHS in 1991.

DelliSanti left Clifton in col-

lege to pursue a career in

nuclear medicine, and later

married Ron DelliSanti in

2003 and moved to South

Carolina, where they now

reside.

Theirson,Joseph,wasborn

inOctober2005,begantofeel

illaroundJanuary2012.After

being misdiagnosed with an

infection that wouldnt go

away, Jennifer demanded a

full-body scan for her son, which

revealedALL.

Joseph was admitted to

Greenville Health System

Childrens Hospital in Greenville,

SC, and will be on a three year

treatment plan to cure his disease.

His parents have taken up tempo-

rary residence in a nearby hotel,

andareintheprocessoffindinga

new home closer to the hospital.

Neitherparenthasworkedfulltime

sincethediagnosis.

Thankfully, Jennifers friends

from Clifton and others have

steppeduptotheplateandhelped.

Chelle Geden (formerly

MichelleSmolinsky)anotherCHS

1991 grad who also resides in

South Carolina, set up a charity

donation website to help raise

moneytopayforJosephsmedical

expenses, which can be found

online at www.wepay.com/dona-

tions/medical-expenses-for-joseph-

dellisanti.

Lori Ann LoGioco Zayatz has

been helping publicize the charity,

andisalsoorganizingamotorcycle

runandfundraiserforlaterthisyear.

Jennifer and I have been life-

long friends, having first met in

Grove Hill Nursery School and

goingallthroughschooltogether,

said Zayatz. I would love to be

able to help her andher family in

whatever way possible, especially

beinganOncologyRNmyself.

Lori Ann LoGioco Zayatz asks Clifton to Help an Old Friend

From left is Jennifer Winfield DelliSanti,

Lori Ann LoGioco Zayatz, her son James

Jenns son, Joe. At right is Joe.

Cliftonites & Charity


Moments of Grace

In the late summer of 1991, mywifeandIspenttwodaysatBeachHaven,NewJerseywiththreeothercou-

ples.Wehadplannedthisweekendwithourfriendsfor

threemonths.

Our three children stayed with my parents; the cat

was provided for. I was tired, disappointed about the

weakresponsetomynewbook,andoverwhelmedwith

thebeginningofanewteachingyear.Forthefirsttime

inmyfifteenyearsofteaching,Ididnotwanttobein

theclassroom.

To spend two days at the seashore seemed to be a

goodidea.Whenwearrived,thefirstthingIdidwasto

watchtheoceanwavescrashagainstthesand,thenJoe,

Greg,TomandI,likefourlittleboys,ranonthebeach

andthendoveintothecurlingwater.Ourwivessetup

thechairsandumbrellas.

Ihadneverbeenintheoceanbefore.Iwasstartledby

thetasteofsalt,thoughitwastobeexpected.WhatIdid-

ntexpectwasthesizeofthewaves.Youhavetodive

underthematjusttherightangleandtime,Tomwarned

aswebobbledupanddownwiththetide.

Whoosh!Itwasasthoughastaircaselidhadcrashed

down againstme, awet, heavy suitcase lid, for Iwas

quicklyindarkness,beingtossedaround.Afterastrange

ripplingmotionpassedovermybody,Iwasfinallyable

tostandup.

Ilikedthat!Icalledout.

Forthenexthour,wefourmendoveintothewaves,

jumpedoverthewhitefoam,talkedaboutourlives,our

sons and daughters, ourwives, andwe floated on our

backs like content sea otterswrapped inwarmkelp. I

didntknowthattwohoursinland,Carlywasdying.

IrememberthefirsttimeImetCarly.

Two years earlier a student popped intomy class-

roomjusttointroduceher.Eversince,Carlymadeita

partofherroutinetostopineverynowandthentosay

hi.Ifshemissedme,shewouldwriteasmallnotesay-

inghello,signingitwithhernameandasmileyface.I

tapedthesenotesonthewall.

During those years I realized that Carly made it a

pointtovisitmany,manyteachers,andtheprincipal,and

herfriendsinandoutofschool.

By Dr. Christopher de Vinck

The Triumph of a Modern Hero


Tosaythatshewasachildoflightwouldtrivialize

thetruecharacterofthisextraordinaryyoungwoman.I

sayshewasextraordinarybecauseofherintellect(she

was accepted at Holy Cross College in their premed

program). I say shewasextraordinarybecauseofher

beauty,herathleticability,hersenseofgoodnessand

funandseriousnessandfriendship.

Butthewayshedealtwiththecancerthatwasdis-

coveredinherseventeen-year-oldlegsandlungsequals

thetriumphofanyhistoricormodernhero.

AsCarlybegantoloseherhairbecauseofthemed-

icaltreatments,shewouldcometoschoolwithapink

bowtiedneatlyaroundtheverylaststrands.

CanyouimaginethecourageittookCarlytostand

before her bedroommirror alone in themorning and

watchthedailychangesinherbody?

Canyouimaginethecourageittooktoreachacross

herdresser, takethecombinherhand,slowlycollect

the thinbitsofhair thatwere left,and tie that ribbon

intoadelicatebow?

I didntwant to come to schoolwith awig, she

saidoneafternoon. I justwant tobeme,Carly, like

always.

As the year progressed,Carlywasmore andmore

unabletoattendschool.Shehadsurgeryonherleg.

Shebegantousecrutches,butonthedaysthatshe

wasinschool,shealwayssmiled,teasedyou,andcame

upwiththerightanswersinclass.

CarlywasCarly,likealways.

Ihadntseerherforanumberofweeks.Iwasinmy

literary class.Wewere readingOthellowhen, at one

point,thedoorswungopenandCarlywalkedin.

Shesaidhellotoeveryonewithherusualsmile,then

shestoodbesidemeandplacedapictureonmydesk.

Itwasaglossyphotograph.Totheleftwasoneofmy

formerstudentsinhisWestPointdressuniform.Tothe

rightwas another cadet in his crisp uniform. Standing

between these two handsome youngmen stoodCarly.

Sheworea longcamel-coloredwintercoat.Shehada

yellowblousebuttonedatherbeck.Herlonghairframed

herfacewithexquisitesimplicityandgrace.

Wasntmyhairbeautiful,Mr.deVinck?Carlysaid

asIlookedupfromthephotograph.

OnSundaymorninginBeachHaven,twofriendsin

ourgroupdecidedtowakeupearlyandwatchthesun

rise.Everyoneelsewasinvited,butweotherschoseto

sleepin.

At thebreakfast table,LindaandGregsaid,Chris,

wealmostcametowakeyouup.Aswewerewaitingfor

thesun,fiveorsixdolphinsleapedupintotheair,just

aboutinthesamesootwhereyouguyswereswimming

yesterday!

On Sunday, September 8, 1991, my young friend

Carlydiedathomeinher roomin thepresenceofher

familywholovedher,andthedolphinsleapedabovethe

wavesatBeachHaven,NewJersey.

This essay was excerpted from Dr.

Christopher de Vincks 1994 book

Songs of Innocence and Experience.

Chris is the Language Arts Supervisor

at CHS and the author of 13 books,

his best known work is The Power of

the Powerless a frank reflection on

the struggles and joys of loving his

severely disabled brother. To order

his most recent work, Moments of

Grace, call 1-800-218-1903 or look

for it in bookstores or online.


Medicine & Miracles

My ScarBy Joe Hawrylko


At just under four inches inlength, itstartsatthefrontofherneckandgentlycurvesaroundto

theright.Raisedanddarkerthan

theskinsurroundingit,thescaris

easily noticeableand thats just

how Rosangela Tumminia wants

ittobe.

To her, the mark on her neck

representsstrength;amemoryofa

darkertimeinAprilof2011when

Tumminiawasunexpectedlydiag-

nosedwithstagethreethyroidcan-

cerattheageof26.Now,aftera

year of treatment, the scar serves

asnotonlyasadailyreminderof

herown strugglewith cancer, but

as a tool to bring awareness to a

disease thatmore affectsmore than

50,000 a year in the United States

alone.

Tumminiastalebeganinherdoc-

torsofficeinMarsala,SicilyonFeb.

28,2011.

Iwasworriedabout rapidweight

loss and hair loss, way more than

youdlosenormally,sherecalled.Whileexplaining

mycomplaints,thedoctorwaslookingatmyneckand

suddenly stopped me from talking and asked me to

swallow.

The physician noticed a lump on her thyroid

known as a goiteron the right side of Tumminias

neck,roughlythesizeofahalfdollarcoin.

Right away, they rushed me for an ultrasound

immediately after that appointment, alongwithblood

work,sheadded.Thatwasfollowedupbyafinenee-

dle biopsy, inwhich a doctor uses a tool to extract a

sample from the mass on the neck. After a painful

experience the first time, twomore (and lesspainful)

oneswereadministered,oneinMarsalaandthenoneat

a specialist in Milan in mainland Italy, before

TumminiawasdiagnosedwiththyroidcancerinApril.

Iwas scared obviously, because of the diagnosis,

butmorebecause Iwas so faraway fromfamilyand

friends,saidTumminia.TheCliftonitewasbornand

raisedinPalermo,SicilyandhadbeenlivinginClifton

since1996priortomovingbacktoMarsalainFebruary

2010.

Ihaddonesomeresearchofthevastthyroiddisor-

ders there are, she recalled. I hadno ideawhat to

expect,noideathatmyoutcomewasgoingtobethy-

roidcancer.Theresnoonewiththyroidcancerorthy-

roiddiseaseinmyfamily.Thatsthelastthingyoud

getcheckedfor.

WhenIgotthediagnosisinMilan,therewerevery

thorough about the thyroid, surgery and treatment,

Tumminiasaid.Tryingtorememberatthetime,Iwas

sooutofit.Itwasjustashock.Allyouhearisjust,

blah,blah,blah...Cancer!Blahblahblah.

Theplanwasforatotalthyroidectomythecomplete

removalofthethyroid,anorganwhichisvitalinregu-

latinghormone levels. Tumminiasdoctorsalsodeter-

minedthatshewouldneedtohaveatleast20lymphn-

odesontherightsideofherneckremovedtomitigate

the further spread of the cancer. However, when the

operationtookplaceinMilaninMay,doctorsfoundthat

hercancerhadspreadfarmorethanexpected.

Rose and her father Natale in Milan, Italy in 2011.


Medicine & Miracles

There was supposed to be 20 lymphnodes taken

out,buttheywerecheckingasIwasopenedupandit

cameouttobeabout40lymphnodes,saidTumminia.

There are more than 200

lymphnodes in the neck

alone,andeachwasinspect-

ed by doctors during the

eighthoursurgery.

To gain entry into the

neck area, doctors had to

moveandpinbackhermas-

toid muscle, which left

Tumminiaunabletolifther

right arm at all. After

spendingaweekinthehos-

pital,shecontinuedontothe

nextphaseofherrecovery.

I found out over here,

theythrowyououtaftertwo

days. At two days, I was

stillsickandhavingfevers.

Butafterthat,Ifeltfine.I

just had muscle weakness,

but besides that Iwas fine,

especially compared to

other patients, recalled

Tumminia. They were

nauseous,throwingupandI

waseatingeverythinggiven

to me. One lady couldnt

eatbecauseshehadswollen

glands.Wehadtorinseout

ourmouthswithconcentrat-

edlemonjuice.Inthesup-

portgroup, therewerepeo-

plewholosttheirvoicefora

monthormore.

But although she physi-

cally felt fine, emotionally,

Tumminiawasstrugglingto

adapt to her thinning hair

andthefourinchscaracross

herneck.

Thehair,Ijusttriedtobe

positive. I knew it was a

temporarything,soIwasok

with it. Its weird... well, not weird, but uncomfort-

able, she explained. But the scar, Iwas scared at

firstwhentheytoldmethelengthofthescar...Butnow

Imcompletely comfort-

able. It reminds me

everydayofwhatIwent

throughandhowstrongI

reallyam.Ididntthink

I could have gone

throughit.

Withinafewweeksof

being discharged,

Tumminia slowly began

to warm up to the scar

thatshenowembraces.

I had a scarf on my

neck for a while, she

said. My neck was

actuallyreallywhitefora

whilebecauseIdalways

havea scarfof spf50on

because thesun is really

stronginSicily.

Far more stressful

werethephysicaltherapy

appointments, which

took place for one hour

every day for about two

months.

Therewas one exer-

cise I couldnt do and I

just had a breakdown,

she recalled. I was

expecting to get well

sooner than I had, and I

just had a breakdown

when I wasnt getting

there. But with the sup-

port of the therapists, I

realized I could do it.

Withinaweekorso,Iwas

finally able to and began

to really see changes. It

made me appreciate my

situation more because

there were people

According to theAmerican Cancer Society, there

willbeapproximately56,460newcasesofthyroid

cancer(43,210inwomen,and13,250inmen)inthe

USthisyear.Ofthatfigure,about1,780deathsare

expected to succumb to the disease. Common

symptoms include cough, difficulty swallowing,

enlargement of the thyroid (goiter), hoarseness,

neckswellingoralumponthethyroidorneck.

About80percentofpatientsareundertheageof

64atdiagnosis.Thenumberofpatientsdiagnosed

hasriseneachyear,mostlyduetoenhancementsin

detectionpractices. Generally, thedisease is very

treatable.Earlydetection(bystage2)forpapillary,

follicularandmedullarythyroidcancerscarryafive

yearsurvivalrateofnearly100percent.Anaplastic

thyroidcancersurvival ratesarearound7percent.

Regular neck examinations for lumps save lives.

Treatmenttypicallyinvolvesthecompleteremoval

of the thyroid, followed by radiation (either by

beam or radioactive iodine by mouth). Patients

must takehormonepills for the restof their lives.

Formoreinfo,visitwww.thyca.org.

Thyroid Cancer


There are about12,000 podiatristsin the UnitedStates, accordingto the Department

of Labor, and Clifton podiatristThomas Graziano is one of onlysix who hold both a Doctor ofPodiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) and aDoctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree.

As a foot and ankle specialist, my

main goal for all my patients is to

find caring solutions that last a

lifetime. I won't just treat the

symptom; I'll strive to correct the

problem... Permanently.

When you combine effective

treatments with my genuine

concern for your well-being,

that's a powerful combination.

-Thomas A. Graziano, MD, DPM,

FACFAS

GOUT TOEFeeling like your big toe is about toexplode? Gout can be an extremelyuncomfortable pain in the toe. Itmost often attacks the joint of theGreat Toe although other jointscould be affected. Photos here are ofa mass which Dr. Graziano removed,illustrating how the healing begins.Pre-operative Post-operative


HAVING SURGERY?You are not alone. Every day at our center,

dozens of your friends and neighbors have sur-gery.Mostoperationsarenotemergenciesandareconsideredelectivesurgery.

ThephysiciansatCliftonSurgeryCenterwantyou to learn about your operation and we alsowantyoutobeactive inyourhealthcare.Fromprocedures,toanesthesiatorecuperationandyourfollowup, even issues regarding insurances andpaymentdontbeafraidtoaskquestions!

OUR DOCTORS WELCOME QUESTIONSThatmeans having a conversation. If you do

not understand the answers, ask the doctor toexplain them clearly. Bring a friend or relativealong to help you with your questions andanswers. Webelieve thatpatientswhoarewellinformedabouttheirtreatmentaremoresatisfiedwiththeresults.

Ifyouare facingsurgery that isnotanemer-gency, we want to help you and your familyunderstandmoreaboutyoursurgery.Yourdoctoror nurse also can help you understand what isbeingdoneandwhy.

HOW LONG WILL RECOVERY BE?Ourstaffcantellyouhowyoumightfeeland

what youwill be able to door not doaftersurgery. Knowingwhat to expect canhelpyougetbetterfaster.Howlongitwillbebeforeyoucangobacktoworkorexerciseagain?Followyoursurgeonsadvice tomakesureyourecoverfullyassoonaspossible.

WHY CLIFTON SURGERY CENTER?Recently, the Accreditation Association for

AmbulatoryHealthCare(AAAHC/Accreditation

Association)distinguishedCliftonSurgeryCenter

for providing a safe work environment and the

highestqualityofcaretoitspatients.

AAAHC accreditation is recognized as a

symbolofqualitybythird-partypayers,medical

organizations, liability insurance companies,

stateandfederalagenciesandmostimportantly,

youour patientsneighbors and health care

professionals.

Status as an accredited organization means

CliftonSurgeryCenterhasmetnationally rec-

ognized standards for the provision of quality

healthcare.Itisastoryourstaffandphysicians

areproudtoshare.

Having Surgery? We Can Help.

Pain ManagementGeneral Surgery

Dr. Ramon Silen Dr. Kazimierz Szczech Dr. Jeffrey Miller, DPM Dr. Eugene A. Batelli, DPM

Podiatry Podiatry

Dr. Terry McSweeney Dr. Zi na Cappiello

PodiatryChiropractic


PODIATRYThomasGraziano,DPM,MD

1033Clifton,Ave.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-473-3344

JeffreyMiller,DPM

1117Route46East,2ndFloor

Clifton,NJ07013

973-365-2208

EugeneA.Batelli,DPM


Clifton,NJ07013

973-365-2208

ZinaCappiello,DPM

886PomptonAve,SuiteA-1

CedarGrove,NJ07009

973-857-1184

GlennHaber,DPM

140GrandAve.

Englewood,NJ07631

201-569-0212

JohnMcEvoy,DPM

152LakeviewAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-340-8970

KevinHealey,DPM

152LakeviewAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-340-8970

MatthewWelch,DPM

6506ParkAve.

WestNewYork,NJ07093

201-662-1122

AnasKhoury,DPM235MainAve.

Passaic,NJ07066

973-473-6665

PAIN MANAGEMENTLadislavHabina,MD


Clifton,NJ07013

973-357-8228

KazimierzSzczech,MD

1033CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-473-4400

BinodSinha,MD


Clifton,NJ07013

973-777-5444

ToddKoppel,MD

721CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-473-5752

ENDOSCOPYPiotrHuskowski,MD

1005CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-778-7882

CHIROPRACTICMichaelGaccione,DC

26ClintonSt.

Newark,NJ07012973-624-4000

TerryMcSweeney,DC

600MountProspectAve.

Newark,NJ07104

973-485-2332

ENTStephenAbrams,MD

1070CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-773-9880

ORTHOPEDICSKentLerner,MD

17JaunceyAve.

NorthArlington,NJ07031

201-991-9019

UROLOGYDanielRice,MD

1001Clifton,Ave.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-779-7231

OPHTHALMOLOGYCharlesCrowley,MD

1033CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-472-6405

GENERAL SURGERYKevinBuckley,MD

1100CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-778-0100

EdwinKane,MD

1100CliftonAve.

Clifton,NJ07013

973-778-0100

RamonSilen,MD

1117Route46East,Suite301

Clifton,NJ07013

973-779-4242

Call your physician about schedulingyour surgery at Clifton Surgery Center.

PodiatryGeneral Surgery

Dr. Kevin Buckley

Dr. Thomas Graziano,

DPM, MD Charles Crowley, MD Dr. Daniel Rice, MD

Ophthalmology Urology

Schedule your surgery at Clifton Surgery Center. We are athree room state of the art, nationally accredited, physicianowned facility. Smaller and more service oriented thanhospitals, patients and theirfamilies benefit from theconvenience and lower cost.


Medicine & Miracles

whoweresolimitedandhereIwas,complainingwhere

Iwasat.

When I finallywas able to start doing the stuff I

normallydoatthegymlateron,thatwasprettycool,

Tumminiacontinued.Ilearneditsnotsobadafterall.

IthoughtitwouldbetwoweeksandIdgohomeand

befine.Idefinitelylearnedhowtobeverypatient.

Besidesthephysicaltherapy,themostarduouspart

of recoverywas the radiation therapy,whichcame in

the formof ahighlyconcentrated, singlepilldose so

strongthatTumminiawasrequiredtobeisolatedfrom

allothersfortwoweeks.

Theymakeyouclaspedyourhands andput them

out and they dump it right in with tongs, she said.

Thenhebackedaway,watchedmetakeitandleft.

For the next 14 days, Tumminia was permitted to

onehourofcontactwithothersperday.Ithoughtit

was funnyat first. They tellyou to flush the toileta

coupleoftimes,haveyourowntoiletries,yourownbed

sheetseverything,sheexplained.Iendedupstay-

ingatafriendshouseallbymyself.Ididntwantto

putmydog,Ares,orthepeopleIlivedwithatrisk.

After completing her treatment and therapy,

Tumminiareturned toCliftonat theendof2011,and

hasbeenseeingdoctorsforfollowups.Tumminiahas

become active with the Thyroid Cancer Survivors

Association (thyca.org)and ImTooYoungForThis!

CancerFoundation(stupidcancer.com).

From hearing other peoples stories, how they

foundoutaccidentally, Ive realized theresmore that

canbedonetobringawareness,sheexplained. By

participatinginthesegroups,itjustmakesmewantto

shareandtalkaboutitmore.Itmakesmecomfortable.

Im not the only one dealing with this and people

shouldknowthatthereareorganizationsoutthere.

Tumminia has been particularly involved with

StupidCancer,attendingkaraokefundraisersandplan-

ning to run in an upcomingmarathon. Talkingwith

othersfromthesegroupshasmotivedtheCliftoniteto

returntoschool.

Nursinghasalwaysbeenaninterestandthisispush-

ing me to learn more about my body, explained

Tumminia,whoworkedasaphlebotomistpriortobeing

diagnosed. Its definitely a push going through this

experience.Itshowedadifferentsideofme,howstrong

Icanbe.Ihadbeenputtingoffthenursingandnowits

timeformetogetthatgoing.IfIcanovercomethis,Ican

definitelypushmyselfbackintoschool.

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, DPM, FACFAS Dr. Eugene Batelli, DPM, FACFAS

Ever Hear of a Diabetic Foot?Your health is our concernDiabetes is a metabolic disordercharacterized by irregular bloodsugar (glucose) levels, whichdamage the nerves, affects thecirculation and bodys ability toheal, stiffens the joints and causesfoot ulcers, which makes patients more prone to infection.

Affiliated Foot and Ankle Specialists invite you tocome in for a consultation and discuss your path tofreedom and mobility.

Clifton Office1117 Rt. 46 East973.365.2208

Teaneck Office751 Teaneck Rd.201.238.1595

Sayreville/Parlin Office2909 Washington Rd.732.727.5502

Visit our patient education center online & make your appointment today!

www.ipodiatry.com

We now have three convenient locations:


Teacher of the Month

During his four years as an exercise instructor for acorporate wellness program, School 5 physical educa-

tion and health teacher John Silva worked with his

share of out-of-shape and overweight adults, many with

elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and other

markers of deteriorating health.

When he decided to make a career change into

teaching, Silva said he was motivated by the opportuni-

ty to have an earlier impact on the lives of kids, includ-

ing the importance of setting fitness goals that he hopes

they will follow for life.

A Clifton native, Silva attended School 1 and what

was then Christopher Columbus Junior High. He went

on to Clifton High School, where he was an All-County

Mustang football player and Record newspaper Athlete

of the Week. He graduated from CHS in 1987 and

enrolled as an exercise science major at William

Paterson University.

Although his father had been a teacher in Clifton for

34 years, teaching math and serving as the AVA (audio-

visual aides) supervisor at Christopher Columbus, the

younger Silva initially didnt plan to get a teaching cer-

tificate. I was more interested in working with adults

at the time, he said.

After completing his degree, Silva was hired by

American Corporate Health Programs, a firm that con-

tracted with businesses to run onsite fitness centers. He

served as an exercise instructor at a site in Clifton spon-

sored by PSE&G for its employees, and later as a coor-

dinator for several sites that the company ran.

PE Teacher John Silva presenting a Thumbs Up Award to Emily Majowicz at School 5 on Valley Rd.

Teacher John Silva Aims toKeep Kids Physically Fit

Beyond the Three Rs

Photos and Story by Carol Leonard



When he decided to make the switch into education,

Silva enrolled in an alternate route program to get his

teacher certification. He worked for two-and-a-half

years in the Newark Public Schools under the supervi-

sion of a mentor, while completing the additional

coursework and passing the Praxis exam required by

the state.

It was a very tough, but I thought it was fantastic

experience, Silva said of his time in Newark. The cir-

cumstances required you to be very creative at times.

Some schools didnt have a gym, so we had to use

whatever space was available. I even taught deaf kids.

While still working in Newark, Silva served as a vol-

unteer coach with the CHS football team and, in the fall

of 1997, he was hired for a physical education opening

at School 13, where he spent more than 10 years. He

also taught briefly at School 14 and has been at School

5 for the past three years.

Silva is very passionate about the value of what he

teaches. He views physical education class as more

than just a time for playing basketball, volleyball or

other traditional sports. Instead, he tries to engage his

students in a variety of activities that he hopes will peak

their interest in something that will keep them physical-

ly active for life.

Staying fit isnt just about athletics, he said. You

dont have to be a star athlete or even involved in a

sport to stay physically fit.

To help his students become aware of their fitness

levels and to motivate them to do better, about 10 years

ago, Silva initiated the use of a computer software pro-

gram at School 13 known as FitnessGram. The pro-

gram has since been adopted by all the schools in the

district.

FitnessGram enables physical education teachers to

measure the levels of their students in several areas of

fitness, including aerobic capacity, muscular strength

and endurance, and flexibility, and it can also calculate

body mass index, another important health marker.

After performing a series of fitness tests, such as

push-ups, abdominal curl-ups, trunk-lifts and others

challenges, the students results are input into the com-

puter. The program then provides a report for each stu-

dent comparing his or her results to what are called

Healthy Fitness Zones. The research-based standards

are set for boys and girls of various ages to reflect the

levels of fitness needed for good health.

Silva uses FitnessGram to assess each of his students


in grades three through

five at the beginning of

the school year and

repeats the tests again

in the spring to see

what progress has been

made by each child.

We spend time

going over the report

so they understand

what it means, he

said. Then we set

goals for how they can

improve their results

when we retest. It

helps them know what

areas they need to

work on.

Silva takes every

opportunity he can

during his physical

education and health

classes to explain to

his students how tak-

ing care of their bodies

by keeping physically

active can help them to not only stay healthy but also

perform better in the classroom. I always tell them,

your brain needs a healthy place to live, he said.

He also rewards them with certificates for their

progress throughout the year in meeting certain bench-

marks, and periodically gives out a Thumbs Up Award

to a student for good effort during an activity and posi-

tive behavior in class.

Since he only sees each class two days a week, Silva

reminds his young charges that he expects them to con-

tinue to engage in some kind of physical activity every

day at home. Over the recent February vacation week,

he provided each of them with a log sheet to record

what they did every day to stay physically active for at

least 60 minutes.

Aside from his goal of keeping kids physically fit,

Silva also views his classes as a time to instill in his stu-

dents what he calls the six pillars of character: caring,

responsibility, trustworthiness, citizenship, respect and

fairness. He takes the time at the end of each class to

review with the children how their actions in class,

such as following the rules of a game or exhibiting

good teamwork, are related to these character traits.

Hes a great role model, School 5 Principal Dr.

Fran Parker said of Silva. With the distraction of com-

puters and video games, its important for kids to learn

the importance of physical activity. He provides them

with the skills and values that they dont always get

outside of school.

When Silva leaves School 5 at the end of the school

day, he puts on his other hat and travels to Clifton High

School where he serves as supervisor of the weight

room. He runs an organized strength and conditioning

program five days a week for CHS athletes as well as

students who just want to work out and stay in shape. He

holds certification as a strength and conditioning special-

ist from the National Strength & Conditioning

Association.

At home, Silva and his wife Michele, who teaches

middle school art in Montville, are involved with the

activities of teenage daughters Heather, Amber and

Jenny.

Third graders with School 5 PE teacher John Silva



He also enjoys getting

together with his parents,

Joe and Joan, as well as

with his sister, JoAnn, and

brother, Joe, and their fam-

ilies.

Many in town may

remember the elder Joe

Silva as the Eyes of the

Clifton Mustangs during

the days when he would

videotape all the football

games at Clifton Stadium.

Joan was also well

known in town, serving for

many years as director of

the Senior Citizen

Outreach Center.

John and Michele Silvawith Jennifer, Heather andAmber with grandparents

mom Joan and Joe.

Dr. Michael Basista, Medical Director of Immedicenter

Immedicenter1355 Broad St. Clifton 973-778-5566www.immedicenter.com

To More Serious AilmentsWe at Immedicenter are here for you, 365 days per year

Monday - Friday 8am to 9pm

Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm

Walk-in Medical Care

Weekday Appointments Available

From Aches & Pains...


Medicine & Miracles

The Invisible WoundInvisibleHow a near fatal accident led Chief Gary Giardina to

become an advocate for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.By Joe Hawrylko


On March 10, 1984, just past 3 am, Police OfficerGary Giardina responded to a call about an altercation

involving occupants from two vehicles. He stopping

both cars on Route 3 East near what is now Clifton

Commons. Officer Carl Zoecklein arrived as backup.

Routine stop. Standard procedure.

But as any officer knows, even the seemingly nor-

mal scenes can quickly turn deadly.

Do you remember the Batman series on TV, when

the lights spin when someone got hit? laughed

Giardina. Thats all I remember from getting hit, just

lights spinning around. The next thing I know, Im

lying on the ground, looking up.

Giardina, who was at the driverside door of the

vehicle he pulled over, turned around to the lights of a

speeding sports bearing down on him. He was clipped

in the right leg, thrown violently into his partners

cruiser before smashing into the pavement. Paul

Ogden, patrolling nearby on Passaic Ave., was the first

to respond after hearing Zoeckleins frantic officer

down call blast over the radio.

I knew I was going into shock. I felt my body

slowing down. Then (Ogden) covered me with a blan-

ket and stayed with me there, recalled Giardina. I

remember lying on the highway and I knew something

was wrong with my arm. It was lying there like this

across my chest and it was comfortable... except when

I look down at my hand it was palm up.

The driver, who never stopped, hit Giardina with

such force that he spun around and smashed his arm on

fellow officer Carl Zoeckleins cruiser, shattering his

right elbow. Giardinas right leg, which took the brunt

of the collision in the thigh, did not suffer any breaks,

but deep internal bleeding caused it to swell to more

than twice the normal size.

Once admitted to St. Joes, doctors were immediate-

ly concerned with the injury to the leg. To reduce pres-

sure, it was popped with an incision, spraying blood

everywhere just moments before Giardinas wife,

Cindy, rushed into the ER.

I had just gotten married. Just under a year mar-

ried and the phone rings at 3 am, he recalled. To tell

you the truth, I dont really remember any specific

thoughts because the pain was so intense every time

they moved me. I dont think I had any thought that I

was dying. I was alert, I was young. When

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Medicine & Miracles

youre young like that, mortality doesnt come into

play.

With the swelling subsid-

ing, Giardina was prepped for

reconstructive surgery on his

elbow, which took place later

that morning. Surgeons insert-

ed a large screw to allow the

bone to heal, and placed him in

a cast for six to eight weeks.

Giardina spend the next week

under observation in the hospi-

tal to make sure there was no

further injuries or complica-

tions. A few days into recov-

ery, another serious wound

was discovered.

They were giving me a

sponge bath and my wife is in

the room and just yells, Oh

my God, what is that? he

recalled. On his buttock was a

large red mark that a doctor mis-

takenly diagnosed as a

staph infection.

The pain was so

intense there it brought me

to tears, said Giardina.

When it became worse

after discharge, he went to

his wifes physician and

learned that it was actually

a third degree burn. At the

time of the accident,

Giardina had a can of mace

on his belt, which exploded

when he hit the ground.

The remnants of the mace

and can shards created a

third degree chemical burn

that was made worse by the

cream prescribed by the

hospital physicians.

But as intense as the

pain was from the burn and

the surgery, the most ago-

nizing experience was the rehab that took place fol-

lowing the removal of Giardinas cast two months

later.

I was living in an apartment

at the time and I did a lot of

rehabbing on my own, he

recalled. For one exercise, Im

lying on the floor in the living

room and my wife, she actually

had to sit on my chest to hold

me down for this. I had a can of

soup or peas or something, and

Im on my back trying to curl it

and the pain was so intense that

I kept trying to cheat and pull

my body up.

Today, the only visible rem-

nants of the injury is a circular

scar on his thigh, a linear scar

stretching a couple inches on the

elbow, and a slight bend in the

arm which creates a very minor

loss in the range of motion.

In total, the surgery, and

the painful rehab exercises

that Giardina did from

home kept him out of work

for six months, and the

pain lingered for a couple

years after returning to the

job. But the accident also

left him with wounds that

were not of the physical

variety.

Years later, I was diag-

nosed with Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder (PTSD),

Giardina recalled. The

Chief estimates that he was

diagnosed between three

and five years after the acci-

dent. Many times, people

dont realize they have it.

The way I was diagnosed

was because my wife had it.

At the time, I under-

On previous page is a photo of Gary Giardina(center) in the hospital with his wife, Cindy,

and cousin, Mark.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is severe

anxiety that can develop after experiencing or wit-

nessing a near-death injury or other traumatic event

such as assault, domestic abuse, rape or war. PTSD

can occur at any age in both genders.

PTSD symptoms fall into three categories: reliv-

ing the event (flashbacks and nightmares), avoid-

ance (emotional numbing or feeling detached) and

arousal (difficulty concentrating or anger manage-

ment issues). For near-death experiences like

September 11, survivor guilt is common. Those

who suffer from PTSD may also have issues with

alcohol or dug abuse, depression or other medical

issues.

Diagnosis is done by a psychiatrist who looks for

certain symptoms. In PTSD, these are present for at

least 30 days. Strong support from family and friends

and trained professionals can help defeat PTSD.

What is PTSD?


Medicine & Miracles

stood she was going through some-

thing, but I didnt understand what.

People dont realize that trau-

matic injuries not only affect the

injured person, but the immediate

family as well. Thirty years ago,

no one spoke of PTSD. It was real-

ly an untalked about issue, he

continued. I was talking to the

psychiatrist that my wife was see-

ing, and she was asking me ques-

tions about the accident... shed

ask me, what are your feelings

about this, are you having any

nightmares? I remember in the

beginning, I had a few, but really

nothing other than that. In other

words, I was in denial. Years later,

the doctor said to me my answers

to these questions, not having any

stress about it, these were all red

flags indicating to her that I was

indeed suffering from PTSD.

In retrospect, Giardina said the

symptoms are now obvious: angry

outbursts, decreased patience level

and other sudden changes.

Someone on the outside can

recognize something faster than

the person going through it, he

said. Its mood swings, anger

issues... things would stress me out

that would not normally do so.

Professionally and at home. This

whole job is nothing but control.

You have to control emotions when

youre responding to a scene. If

youre emotions get out of whack,

thats an indicator of PTSD.

Initially reluctant, Giardina

began attending sessions with the

same psychiatrist, and began see-

ing results after opening up.

Its very difficult (speaking

with a psychiatrist). We hide a lot

of ourselves behind doors, he

said. When trying to deal with

this, in your mind its difficult to

open these doors to get in touch

with your emotions associated with

the trauma. We try to protect our-

selves, but we actually hurt our-

selves.

Back then, I didnt tell any-

body about it. I didnt tell the

department and I paid for all the

treatments by myself, the Chief

continued. Back then, you didnt

talk about that. So really, I went

through it with my family alone.

Back then, you didnt want to risk

losing your job.

Privately, some of his col-

leagues knew of his battle, but

Giardina mostly kept to himself.

He became a vocal advocate for

awareness about PTSD after


watching a fellow cop struggle

with it later in his career.

Probably about 10 years ago, an

officer in Clifton was involved in a

shooting, explained Giardina. I

recognized he was having difficul-

ty processing. PTSD can some-

times take years to manifest. Its

like a pot with water, and it keeps

boiling until it boils over.

At that point, Giardina was

already in adminstration, and due

to increased awareness about

PTSD on a national level and abil-

ity to influence change, he set out

to install programs to address the

issue in the CPD.

In the beginning, I think I was

looked at skeptically by some peo-

ple when I first started to bring

this up, recalled Giardina.

Having the military recognize it

helps. Congressman Bill Pascrell

calls it the closed wound or the

invisible wound. He talks about it

all the time.

I was very hesitant going in,

he continued. It was painful, Ill

tell you that having gone through

it, but it was definitely well worth

it. I used to tell people who were

hesitant that no one goes in and

comes out worse. You go in and

come out better. Its a long, slow

process, especially for police offi-

cers who by nature are skeptical.

You have to create a trust with the

person youre dealing with to

touch on these issues.

The Chief said that strides in

awareness, both locally and on a

larger scale, have brought attention

to a very real problem for cops.

A normal person is going to be

so enraged, so disgusted with

some of the things we see, but a

police officer has to contain that

while theyre dealing with it,

explained Giardina, who was

appointed Chief on March 1, 2010.

What happens is that contained

emotion over time is the problem.

That part, everyone has to be cog-

nizant of.

Life or death situations, super

traumatic scenes like the death of a

child... anything like that can set it

off, he said. I was very instru-

mental in trying to bring it to the

forefront in our department. But a

problem has developedand this

is in my opinionthat some peo-

ple are using this now to take

advantage of pensions.

Im a firm believer, being that

it happened to me, that it is treat-

able if you want to be treat-


Medicine & Miracles

ed and cured. And it is very real, he said. There are

cases where someone is so traumatized that they can-

not return to the service. That goes for military, fire-

men, EMT, police. People are

so traumatized by certain cir-

cumstances and its real, they

will never be able to return to

the service and I understand

that. Its a known fact. What

I am saying is that there is

another small percentage that

are using it as a golden para-

chute.

The Chief gave examples

of egregious claims from

across the state: an officer

who filed after accidently sta-

pling his finger at a firing

range, a cop falling out of a

chair and a fireman falling out

of bed at a firehouse.

You no longer need a trau-

matic event, said Giardina,

explaining that a ruling a few years ago changed the

pension process. Giardina said his goals are to create

awareness, see that proper channels and resources are

available to those suffering

from PTSD, and to push for

legislation to restore balance

to the pension plan laws and

punish those who take advan-

tage of the system.

If anybody reads this and

recognizes themselves in this

story, then they need to get the

help they need and deserve,

explained Chief. They need

to not be afraid. On the flip

side, I dont want it to be

abused either. My experience

and 33 years in law enforce-

ment has assisted me in deal-

ing with people, and assisted

me to do this. Because of my

position, I have a bigger plat-

form to get this out there.


Our staff: Alicia, Juan, Anna Lee.

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Old memories of The Carousel Caf? Forget them. Long gone. New owner

and chef Paulyne Wang brings to MarketSt. a new eatery, from menu to decor.

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She honed her skills at the noted La Grenouille onEast 52nd St. in NYC preparing classic French cui-sine and making spontaneous creations.

Cliftonites who enjoy fresh food, flavors and flairin their meals will savor her new menu.

Restaurant quality food is at the heart of what wedo. We have traditional burgers... but Ive addedAngus beef, serve it with fresh guacamole andsalsa... Want hearty? Try our new turkey meatloaf... Ido a lot of Chinatown style food. It offers great valueand it is so healthy!

Those looking for some simple morning fareeggs,pancakes and more or an afternoon lunch that iseither healthy or heartysometimes both! will stillfind that at The Carousel Caf.

But with a smile and a hearty laugh, Paulyne wantspeople to know that The Carousel Caf offers muchmore than breakfast and lunch.

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See complete menu on facebookwww.facebook.com/CarouselCafe


ur

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pesto: basil, olive oil roasted garlic, parmesancheese and pine nuts. $7.25

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Roast Pork or Roast Chicken Noodle Soupchoice of chinese roast pork or roast chicken $6.95 add wontons-$7.95


Medical Miracles

At the age of 19 years old, the doctors diagnosis waslike a death sentence. Sitting nervously with his par-

ents, John Nelson watched as the doctor walked into the

room, slapped an MRI on the board, pointed to a white

blob and coldly remarked, Theres a mass in your head,

and it needs to come out.

On that afternoon in February of 2004, John Nelson,

average college student, turned into John Nelson, cancer

patient. He promptly dropped out of the University of

Maryland, and returned home to Clifton wait out the

next four weeks until his surgery date and ponder his

fate. Doctors explained that the mass could not be iden-

tified until it was extracted, but Nelson had done enough

amateur research of his own to worry himself sick for

entirety of the month of uncertainty.

Would doctors be able to reach the mass? Would he

awake with brain damage? Would he awake at all?

After a successful but painful surgery, his worst fears

were realized: the mass was diagnosed as Chordoma, a

slow growing but resilient form of brain cancer that car-

ries a high rate of reoccurrence. A strikingly high num-

ber of patients suffer a relapse within 18 months. The

average life expectancy is seven years.

Nelson is now in year eight of being cancer free.

But while no longer present, the prospect of reoccur-

rence weighed heavily on Nelson for many years.

Chordoma survivors, we basically live in six month

increments, he said. We live MRI to MRI. The aver-

age life expectance was seven years, so I started to plan

around those statistics.

By Joe Hawrylko


Well Mail Your Easter Order!

We now bake Homemade Hungarian RtesRtes, or Strudel,

is one of Hungarys mostrenowned dishes. We bakeit like in the old days andoffer it to you in Lekvar,Poppyseed, Sour Cherry,Apple. Apricot or Cheese.

Our cases are filled withfresh Poppyseed, Lekvar,

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The Jozsa Family, now in our second generation...

Holiday Hams & otherTraditional Easter Foods

Pork, Beef, Cheese & Meat Products

Home Style Smoked Bacon& Smoked Sausages

We make our own Salami & offer many fine Imports


Medical Miracles

Varieties Potatoes & Cheese Potato Sauerkraut Pot Cheese Mushroom Pot Cheese & Potato Broccoli Spinach Pizza Apple Prune Cabbage Apricot & Cheese Broccoli & Spinach

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NEW! Great for Parties... Hot, Homemade Empanadas!

Delicious Pirogies just like Mom used to make!

Determined to remain stoic instead of being con-

trolled by his emotions, Nelson adhered to this mantra

until he passed the seven year benchmark in February

2011. Around that time, he had an epiphany: he was

thus far victorious in the physical battle on his body, but

cancer was winning the war on his mind.

I realized I had lived differently because of

Chordoma. Everyone always says, Dont let cancer

define you, and that always pisses me off. Its nice, but

it does drastically change your life, he said.

Meanwhile, its been seven and a half years and Ive

not even had a reoccurrence. You dont know whats

going to happen and to change your plans... I really

thought I was doing the rational thing, but I spent seven

years of my life planning or waiting for something that

didnt happen. I did live as if it defined me.

The first indication that something was wrong was in

February 2003, when Nelson, when a senior at Clifton

High, was walking home from school.

It was actually close to winter break and my eye was

acting weird, though I thought I just needed glasses or

something like that, he said. It felt like I had double

vision out of the corner of my right eye.

However, after undergoing a battery of tests at Clara

Mass Hospital, doctors determinedincorrectlythat

he was suffering from mononucleosis and a sinus infec-

tion, and he was given steroids. When the symptoms

returned about one year later, Nelson realized that the

doctors had not only misdiagnosed him, but incorrectly

recorded answers regarding his medical history.

It was bad enough that when I got the medical

records back, it said I had blurry vision, not double

vision, he said. And, according to them, I smoked

a pack of cigarettes a day and never drank alcohol. I

never smoked, and would sometimes drink on the

weekends.

Nelson was once again put through a battery of tests.

Doctors originally suspected multiple sclerosis before

noticing a small mass, roughly the size of a walnut, near

the base of his brain.

When they told me I had something that had to

come out, I was relieved, said Nelson. When youve

been misdiagnosed for so long, youre just happy that

they get it right. But they also didnt project the sever-

ity of it. Generally, saying it has to come out is not a

good explanation because it makes it seem like its a

straight forward operation. But as you get more second

opinions, it becomes a lot worse experience.

At the time, there was a lot of new techniques, he

continued. Not everyone had the same thing. Of the

four doctors I went, they each had four entirely different

opinions on the correct technique.

Each of the proposed surgeries carried great risk and

lasting consequences: One, the surgeon would enter

through the top of the head, with great potential for

brain damage. Another wanted to go behind the ear,

with a 10 percent chance of total hearing loss. A third

doctor wanted to remove his cheekbones to enter

through the sinuses, a procedure that would allow for

much greater field of vision, at the cost of Nelsons

sense of smell and tastepermanently.


Medical Miracles

3

!

W

Ultimately, Nelson chose the surgeon who offered a

transsphenoidal surgery. They basically cut through my

mouth in front of my teethcanine to caine basically

then go into the

sinuses the

back through the

clivus, he

explained. My

tumor was in the

clivus. The only

thing that was

physically differ-

ent after the sur-

gery my smile. It

changed a bit

because of the

scar tissue under

my lip and the

fact that they cut

some of the mus-

cle.

Its weird.

You kind of

detach yourself a

lot. The first guy

said its got to

come out and its clear that all the things it can be are all

really bad, Nelson continued. My way of handling it

was to find the best surgeon and get through that part.

But then suddenly it becomes much more real when

youve picked and they set a surgery datethis is actu-

ally happening. Those four weeks were basically a black

hole. People tried to take me out and all that, but I kind

of wasnt there.

The day before the surgery, Nelson went to Columbia

Presbyterian Hospital for tests and prep work. Fiduciary

markers were glued onto his head so doctors could gen-

erate a 3D image of the brain to guide surgeons the fol-

lowing morning.

I slept like a baby the day before. I have no idea

why, he said. At 5 am, my parents and I left for New

York. It was a very quiet car ride.

It was a bad way that I approached it. I just figured

that if something went really wrong that I obviously

wouldnt have to deal with it. Thats the way I was

thinking, Nelson added. Its just that having no con-

trol really sucks. That part just scared me. The surgeon

is there to do his job and this is my job to just show up.

Spending four weeks at age 19 thinking I could die is

pretty awful.

There really is no

other emotional

memory of the

experience.

When you get

there, its actually

not a waiting room

but a staging area,

where the other

people having

neurosurgery are,

he said. Theres

little dividers and

whenever it is time

to have surgery,

you walk with

them. It gives the

very distinct feel-

ing of walking to

the guillotine.

They have you lay

on the table. I

remember them saying, ok, were going to knock you

out, and I said OK, do a good job.

Four hours later, surgeons completed the job and

Nelson was wheeled to the recovery room, coming to in

a groggy haze.

I remember waking up, not in that much pain and just

thinking, ok, I made it. Then three hours later, the anes-

thesia wore off and I was in an insane amount of pain, and

my face really, really hurt, he recalled. I looked like

Shrek. I had nasal backing, probably about six inches of

gauze back in my nose. There was a lot of cutting in the

sinuses, so they did it so it can heal closed.

Most painful of all was the spinal drain that was

placed in between two vertebrae at the base of his back.

Part of the Chordoma was close enough to the

spine that surgeons breached the dura, which

Chordoma is an extremely rare and aggressive type of cancer that is

thought to form from the remnants of the notochord, which becomes the

spinal cord at birth. Chordoma can be found in the skull base or any-

where in the spine.

It is extremely rare, with only 300 people being diagnosed each year in

the United States, meaning research is limited. There are no approved

drugs for Chordoma, but new studies are under way. The typical treatment

is surgery. Radiation is an option, but due to the proximity of vital process-

es in the brain, surgery is generally prefered. Radiation treatment on the

brain greatly increases the chance of other cancers later on in life.

The age at diagnosis can vary, but patients who suffer from a skull

base Chordoma are typically aged 49; spine Chordoma patients are usu-

ally 69. Following surgery, there is a high chance of reoccurrence with-

in 18 months. The average survival rate following diagnosis is seven

yearsa number that is greatly enhanced if the patient is young, healthy

and has a successful surgery.

The Chordoma Foundation is the foremost authority for information,

awareness and fundraising. Visit www.chordomafoundation.org.

What is Chordoma?


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Medical Miracles

encases the highly toxic spinal fluid, and the drain was

put in place to relieve pressure.

Every minor moment in my back sent pressure

waves to my head, explained Nelson. I had that in my

back, draining for the whole week that I was there. You

get the worst headache from it.

Towards the end of his stay in the hospital, doctors

performed another MRI to see if the surgery was a suc-

cess. However, due to swelling and the aggressive

nature of the disease, a proper diagnosis could not be

achieved for another 12 weeks.

I started to feel better, but then I think, three months

from now Ive got to get another MRI to see if they got

all of it, he recalled. That was probably the hardest

thing. That was the most painful thing Ive ever gone

though, and I knowing that you have to get another MRI

and if its not clean, you have to deal with all of this

again... its insanely hard to deal with.

There is an additional one week wait for the results

still a major source of stress for Nelson even after eight

years and 35 MRIs.

That first three month one, that was the only one that

I had to go into the office for the results. That was anoth-

er trip where we are not saying much in the car,

The Nelsons. Top left, clockwise: Lynnette, Bruce,

Liz and John. Bruce is a board member of the

Chordoma Foundation.

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he recalled. The surgeon comes in

and just starts putting up the slides.

He says that looks like scar tissue

and it does look like we got it all.

That was honestly the first time my

parents and I relaxed in five

months.

While at home recovering, Nelson

began looking up support groups and

research funding for Chordoma, and

was surprised to find that there was

little information or awareness

beyond some online communities.

I made a website about my expe-

rience with Chordoma and listed

ideas we needed for a foundation,

explained Nelson, who has back-

ground in programming. Soon, his

site was the top search engine listing

for the disease. Four months after

surgery, I was getting calls from one

or two people a day. It became clear

that there was an obvious need.

After laying the ground work,

Nelson got his parents, Bruce and

Lynnette, to help him set up a foun-

dation and raised a significant

amount of funding for Chordoma

research. In 2005, Nelson met a fel-

low survivor, Josh Sommer, through

one of his support groups, and the

foundation began to grow.

Joshs mother is a general practi-

tioner, he explained. At that point,

Nelson had returned to school and

began to focus more on his studies.

A MD is a huge advantage in getting

to see researchers. After a few

months and some conversations, I

just said, you guys take over every-

thing and start a new foundation.

In 2006, Nelson transfered all of

his funding to the Chordoma

Foundation, where he remains

involved to this day. The following

year, he graduated from the

University of Maryland with a

degree in finance. But even after

overcoming cancer and receiving his

diploma, Nelson continued to living

in six months increments. Mentally,

he was bound to the statistics that

surgeons dictated to him.

If someone asked, Were you

depressed? I would say no, not at

all. Generally, I have a very stoic

approach to this thing. I actually

think it was wrong of me to do, but

I did it up until a year or two ago,

he explained. I started my founda-

tion and wanted to change this out-

come, but chose to not engage it

emotionally as much as possible. I

didnt approach things positively or

negatively. I approached it as an

engineering problem. It worked for

a while, but then it didnt.

There really was no point that I

was telling anyone that I was

scared or anything like that. I just

thought, this has to happen, why

worry about it, Nelson continued.

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Medical Miracles


Its actually an emotional coping

mechanism, just not one that I was

recognizing at the time. Its called

denial actually.

In February of 2011the seven

year anniversary of his surgery

Nelson had his regular MRI and

waited. After an agonizing week, he

was confirmed as cancer free.

Im way past the averages now,

he said. The longer you go without

having a reoccurrence, the higher

probability you wont have another.

In the best shape of his life due to

exercise, a good diet and intermit-

tent fasting, he began to reflect on

his life since surgery.

I realized there are a few really

big opportunities that I passed up,

and it all basically dawned on me at

that point, Nelson recalled. I basi-

cally wasted seven years of my life

in a way. I would have done things

very differently. I regret the way I

had acted.

What stood out most of all was a

relationship with a girl at graduate

school. Basically, I avoided dating

since surgery, because it makes

things harder. The idea of getting

sick again is bad enough, but the

idea of getting sick again with

someone who really cares about me

watching is pretty terrible. Its hard

enough knowing my family and

friends have to deal with it,

explained Nelson. I had a really

bizarre relationship with Kate, but I

still pushed her away and rejected

the idea of dating her until she final-

ly gave up. It took a long time, but I

really regretted that, and it caused

me to rethink a lot of things.

Following his epiphany, Nelson,

who has been living in Washington,

D.C. since 2008, rededicated himself

to his studies. In the Fall of 2010, he

enrolled in a course in Computational

Social Science at George Mason

Universitya six month program.

However, after receiving the clean

MRI in February 2011, Nelson

applied and was accepted to the

schools CSS PhD program.

Originally, I was doing it

because I thought it was an interest-

ing program and I thought it would

help me find people interested in the

same thing for projects to work on,

he said. It was not a long term

thing at all. I was still thinking that I

should not live another six months.

But I like this school. The stuff

I have been building, thats exactly

what this is, continued Nelson. It

will take at least three or four years,

which is well beyond that window

of comfort. But you know what?

Im enjoying what I am doing.


Medicine & Miracles

Heroin addiction is a problem that is often associatedwith the more urban cities in Northern New Jersey. But

according to John Alexander, its a very real issue in mid-

dle class communitiesincluding Clifton. The gateway

to this drug epidemic might just start in your medicine

cabinet.

Oxycodone and OxyContin (the brand name for oxy-

codone), theyre basically the most popular street drugs

out there, explained Alexander, a Licensed Clinical

Social Worker (LCSW) and certified drug and alcohol

counselor who primarily deals with individuals aged 18

to 27.

Street pharmaceuticals are very accessible, and its

easy and very conducive to addiction, he continued. In

other words, its not a socioeconomic deal. Its not like

one kid growing up in a school yard in poverty using

drugs. A lot of times we associate drug addiction with

the inner city. This is infiltrating middle class families

with a history of addiction.

Medicinally, these synthetic opioids are used as robust

pain killers.

However, recreational users prize this pill for its

potency, and the lack of social stigma that comes with

heroin and morphinetwo powerful opioidsor other

strong drugs that must be injected, snorted or smoked.

And unlike other street drugs that are diluted with chem-

icals can dull a high or be fatal, oxycodone tablets are

pure and each dosage is labeled.

If I give you a pill at a party, its a lot easier than

going into the ghetto and saying, Heres a needle, heres

a match book, said Alexander, who received his LCSW

Masters from Rutgers New Brunswick, and has been

practicing for two decades. Ironically, thats where

many end up.

But just like heroin, oxycodone carries life-altering

side effects: crippling addiction, sickening withdrawals

and a physical dependency that can influence the user to

go to desperate measures to get a fix.

It is this dark side of the prescription pain killer addic-

tion that drives an infrequent user to its much more dan-

gerous cousin, heroin.

With the streets ebb and flow, sometimes oxy-

codone is available and sometimess its not. And its

expensive. You can spend up to $160 a day on the habit,

explained Alexander. What happens is kids can no

longer get the drug, they go into Newark to use

John Alexander, a licensed LCSW, mainly treats indi-

viduals aged 18 to 17 who are addicted to drugs.

InfiltratorBy Joe Hawrylko


o

-

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-

s

o


Medicine & Miracles

heroin, and get three or four

dime bags to alleviate their

withdrawal symptoms.

Ironically, it is cheaper to

shoot dope. And when a kid

gets desperate, he goes and

does it, he continued. Its

easy to graduate to street

heroin. Its in Clifton, Nutley,

Bloomfieldits definitely a

middle class problem.

Even if the individual has

the support and the resources

to seek out professional help,

the road ahead is anything but

smooth.

Here is a typical scenario:

Youve got a 23 year old kid

addicted to street pills, nar-

cotics, and he goes through a

four or five day detox at

Bergen Regional and is ref-

ered to intensive outpatient

treatment that may last up to

four months, explained

Alexander. The patient then

gets group therapy, counsel-

ing and psychiatric help.

Then he is discharged and

thats where the problems

begin.

Alexander estimated that

some 25 percent of patients

have dual diagnosisthey are

addicted to a drug and suffer from some form of a men-

tal disorder, which can something like Narcotics

Anonymous an unbearable experience.

This is where the treatment gap comes in for a lot of

people. Its not a given that they make this connection

with the NA or AA, he said. And its not always the

clients fault. We tend to blame the client if theyre not

going to meetings, not following structure. But were

discharging people that are neurologically vulnerable.

They havent learned how to cope without drugs.

Another issue for recovering addicts is that doctors

will sometimes perscribe Suboxone, an opioid blocker,

which, while useful for

relieving withdrawal

symptoms, is equally as

addictive and prone to

abuse.

Oxycodone, heroin

and then Suboxone. Id

say I see that about 60

percent of the time,

said Alexander. Its the

Methadone of this gen-

eration. It sedates the

addict. Patients fre-

quently use Suboxone to

mask the effects of con-

tinued drug usage, mak-

ing it seem as if theyre

on the road to recovery.

Alexander explained

that the best rehabilita-

tion is 12 full months of

total sobriety: a residen-

tial treatment program

that and detox to break

the behavioral and phys-

iological patterns, fol-

lowed by outpatient

treatment and NA.

The problem here

is we dont get a year,

he said, alluding to

financial or insurance

limitations. People

who are straight for a

year, about 77 percent of them will do for the rest of their

lives. Those who dont follow up after treatment, your

odds are around 33 percent. No treatment at all, were

looking at 7 to 10 percent recovery rate.

To tackle that treatment gap, Alexander has been

speaking with his peers about holding affordable group

sessions at The Boys & Girls Club or other community

centers that would be willing to donate time.

We need to start thinking creatively, he said.

Alexander hopes to have a plan in place in the near

future. A lot of young people die because of this and

continued follow ups need to be done.

Know someone who may have a drug problem, orlooking for help yourself? There are many differentresources, both private and public, that can helpwith any type of addiction. Here are a few recom-mended by John Alexander:

Sober Solutions: 888-762-3730High Focus Centers: 201-291-0055Bergen Regional Medical Center: 201-967-4000

For information and videos about drug abuse andaddiction, visit www.hbo.com/addiction.

Where to Turn?


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Our 16 man team leaving Clifton on May 9 in the Police Unity Tour hasan arduous task ahead of them... besides the 300 milebicycle trek to Washington D.C. The group must alsoraise more than $28,000 to help build a monument andmuseum in the nations Capitol.

The Police Unity Tour is an annual bike ride toWashington D.C. in memory of fallen officers. Nearly19,000 cops have given their lives in the line of duty, andtheir names are etched on the National Law EnforcementOfficers Monument and Memorial in Washington D.C.

Each name represents a sad story of an officer fromacross the U.S. killed in the line of duty, including CliftonPolice Officer John Samra, who lost his life while serving on Nov. 21, 2003.

Go to www.cliftonpba36.com and click on Police Unity Tour to donate.To help out or for more information, call Clifton Police Officer JohnKavakich at 973-470-5897 or Tom Hawrylko at 973-253-4400.

Officer John Samra

POLICE UNITY TOURWe Ride For Those Who Have Died.

How Can You Help?

ATTEND A FUNDRAISER:March 16, 2012Pub NightFundraiser at Pub 46

May 6, 2012 4 - 8pm Pasta Dinner at The Boys & GirlsClub of Clifton

BUY A RAFFLE TICKET:Win a TV or a Bike

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION: Officer John Kavakich973-470-5897

Tom Hawrylko973-253-4400

Congressman Bill Pascrell and Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik and those picturedon the following pages helped us kick off the 2012 Clifton PUT Fundraiser at Bliss.


Riders:Andrew Alvarez

Robert Bais

Randy Colondres

Richard DiBello

Brain Fopma

Tom Hawrylko

Daniel Ishak

John Kavakich

Charles Kazimir

Motors:Darren Brodie

Derek Fogg

Gary Giardina

Vincent LaRosa

Support:William Frank

Gary Giardina Jr.

Michael McLaughlin

Next fundraiser@ Pub 46 onMarch 16, 8pm

Our thanks to Joey Barcellona of Bliss Lounge who hosted a benefit on Feb. 17 tokick off the Fundraiser for the Clifton members of the 2012 Police Unity Tour.

2012CliftonPoliceUnity TourMembers


Business & Commerce

Creating OpportunitiesPCC

Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2012

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Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - March 2012