With a Little Help

Friends Help Friends Discover Bariatric Success

Kristin Jezierski wanted only one thing for her 30th birthday -bariatric surgery and an end to the weight gain which had sidelined her from life. In February 2008, Kristin got her birthday wish with gastric band surgery from Dr. Kuldeep Singh at the Saint Agnes Bariatric Center of Excellence.

Four years later, Jezierski has lost more than 130 pounds, and her only regret is that she didn’t have the surgery sooner. An outspoken
supporter of the program, she encouraged more than 10 of her friends and colleagues to have the surgery at Saint Agnes.

“My weight had yo-yoed for years, but I had reached 245 pounds, and I was determined to end the cycle,” said Jezierski of her decision to receive the laparoscopic treatment. “I went to a seminar, met Dr. Singh, and he was so awesome I knew I had found the right place.”

Jezierski said her recovery from the minimally invasive procedure took “less than a week” and the pounds began to come off immediately. She followed the program with healthier eating habits and daily exercise, which she emphasizes are crucial for success after bariatric surgery.

“I tell everyone that bariatric surgery is not a fix-all,” she said.  “You have to work at it, and be willing to change your eating choices and your lifestyle if you really want to lose the weight for good.”

Jezierski has nothing but praise for Dr. Singh, whom she said was caring and patient with her throughout the process. She knew he could help many of her friends and relatives, including her good friend Kristy Frashure.

Sharing Success
Frashure has become a bariatric success story in her own right.  A school nurse, Frashure was well aware of the negative health effects
her obesity would cause as she got older.  When she went to Disney World with her children and saw the motorized cart she might one
day need to use instead of walking, she decided enough was enough and she saw Dr. Singh.  “I knew right then and there that I wasn’t going to get older and heavier, and become a spectator in my own life,” said Frashure, who had surgery in January 2010 and is now 80 pounds lighter.

What she lost in pounds, she gained in energy-she took up running last year, and recently finished a half-marathon with an impressive 13.1 mile run. “I feel fantastic!” she said.

Having friends like Jezierski, as well as two co-workers who also underwent bariatric surgery at Saint Agnes, has been a great support.
It hasn’t been easy, Frashure said, but the rewards are lifelong, and life-changing.

To learn more about Bariatric Surgery at Saint Agnes join us for one of our evening information seminars.  Call 1-866-690-9355 or click here to register.