Past patients from the Good Samaritan Weight Management Center share their experiences with the program and how their lives have changed since their surgeries.
Teresa Chrusciel  Teresa Chrusciel’s 2008 New Years resolution was to lose weight. But she didn’t announce it with a champagne toast at midnight. On that day she had gastric bypass.
Confident but nervous about the life-changing surgery, Teresa put her faith in Dr. George Kerlakian and his staff.
Read Teresa's story > |
Ron Harrison  In many ways, Ron Harrison views his life as “before and after.” There’s not much similarity between the two. Before Ron’s gastric bypass, he hung his head and shuffled when he walked. Today his pace is brisk. “I’ve got pride in my step,” he says.
Read Ron's story > |
Troy Julius  Troy Julius was all too familiar with Type II diabetes. For 20 years he had lived with blood sugars that frequently topped 250. And nothing seemed to keep his numbers down. Then he attended a seminar about weight loss surgery. When he heard that 80 percent of patients see significant improvement in their diabetes, he was sold.
Read Troy's story > |
Michael Klabunde After 25 years at the same job, you wouldn’t think Michael Klabunde would need to introduce himself to his coworkers. But that’s what happens when you lose 150 pounds in just six months. “It’s weird. People don’t know who I am.” He got a similar reaction from the staff at his doctor’s office. “I blew people away.”
Read Michael's story > |
Howard E. Martin Jr.  Howard E. Martin Jr. knows what it’s like to weigh almost 400 pounds. And he knows he never wants to reach that weight again. “I don’t miss being out-of-breath and always sweating," he says. "And I don’t miss the constant search for fat-friendly chairs when I go out.”
Read Howard's story > |
Kate and Chris O'Hagan  When Kate O’Hagan told husband, Chris, that she wanted to have gastric bypass, his reponse was, “people die from that surgery.” But when he learned the facts at an information session a few weeks later, he not only enthusiastically supported Kate’s decision, he scheduled his own gastric bypass.
Read the O'Hagans' story > |
Kim Wilkerson Before Lap Band surgery, Kim Wilkerson hid her vibrant personality behind her weight.
At 303 pounds, she had little self-esteem and kept her opinions to herself.
Now, with a body half the size it used to be, her life is bigger, richer, and fuller than she ever imagined.
Read Kim's story > |
Cindy Crump  “I always promised myself that if the weight interfered with my life I would do something about it,” explains Cindy Crump. After years of watching life from the sidelines, she decided to do something about it.
Read Cindy's story > |
Bryan Gentile  For Bryan Gentile, the decision to undergo weight loss surgery was an easy one to make. “I was sick of living like I was. I was tired all the time, I had no energy and I suffered from high blood pressure,” he states bluntly.
Read Bryan's story > |
Craig McManaman “I was obsessed with food,” explains Craig McManiman. “Sometimes, it even took priority over my work and family.” But the prospect of missing the next phase of his life – specifically, the opportunity to be a grandpa – led McManiman to consider weight loss surgery.
Read Craig's story > |
Sandi Petrou Sandi Petrou was a lifetime dieter. “Jenny Craig should have paid me,” she jokes. But, when her last diet failed and health issues took hold, Petrou began pondering weight loss surgery. “I saw how it helped two of my friends," she says, "and I wanted to know if it would give me the same chance.”
Read Sandi's story > |
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