Testimonial
Wow, what a journey I have had for the past year. Things have happened that I never dreamed possible before. I owe my life to Dr. Husted and company.

Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Sally Coultas. I am 35 years old and live in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. I have been married for twelve and a half years to the MOST wonderful man in the world, Kenneth. We are both public school teachers. Kenneth teaches middle school. I teach high school. We love children but haven't been blessed with our own, yet :-).

I'll let Kenneth tell you his story. Here is mine. I have always been the chunky kid. In elementary school, I became accustom to the mean kids calling me fatty and fatso. As the years progressed into high school, then college, my weight progressed with them. By the time I graduated college I weighed around 275-300 lbs. I met Kenneth in college. We were kindred spirits in so many ways, but he understood my weight since he had the same struggles. He was the first person to love me for who I was, not what my body was.

During our first 11 years of marriage, our weight skyrocketed. By the time my surgery date arrived I weighed 419 lbs. My health began to decline during that time, too. I developed poor circulation in my legs. My calves and shins turned almost black from the lack of oxygen to the tissue. I had swelling at my ankles. I suffered terrible hormonal problems. (I was finally diagnosed with PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome in 1998 after suffering for 19 years without knowing what was wrong with me.) Because of the PCOS, I was insulin resistant and dangerously close to Type II Diabetes. I had developed some heart problems due to SEVERE sleep apnea which had gone undiagnosed. I felt HORRIBLE all the time. I never had enough energy to teach throughout the day so my classes at the end of the day suffered due to my weight. Walking was becoming such a chore. I couldn't walk through a store without using the cart to support my weight. I WAS MISERABLE. My family doctor told me that something had to be done or I was going to lose my legs within ten years. I had tried every diet known to man and always GAINED instead of losing. I was scared. I was 33 years old and didn't see myself making it to 40 unless I did something FAST.

In July 2001, Kenneth and I made the decision to take control of our health. We were tired of our growing health problems. We were tired of only getting fatter and fatter no matter what we did. With the inspiration of watching two of Kenneth's fellow teachers journey through WLS, we got the courage to call their doctor, Dr. Husted. We made an appointment and attended a seminar in July 2001.

What a day that was!!! Our lives have been forever changed by that one phone call. We met the most caring group of medical professionals EVER. Dr. Husted is more than anyone could dream possible. Not only did he say that he could help us, but he treated us like we were normal people, not just lazy fat people who could help themselves if they just would. Dr. Husted gave us hope, something we hadn't had for such a long time.

We had a wonderful consultation and began seeking our insurance approval with the help of the WONDERFUL GODDESS OF INSURANCE, Janet. At first we were trying to get approved for the biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch because Dr. Husted thought that would be best for us due to us being super, super, super, morbidly obese. My BMI was 65. Well, we have BCBS of TN PPO. Needless to say, our request for the BPD/DS was denied. We appealed but still the answer was no. Frankly, Kenneth and I just wanted to lose weight and get healthy, so we gave Janet the go ahead to pursue approval for the Fobi (Vertically Banded Gastric Bypass.)
We were given our surgery dates and the rest is history.

I did have one minor complication (dehydration) that landed me back in the hospital for 4 days. Let me tell you how caring and wonderful Dr. Husted is. I had been ill for about two weeks with vomiting and such right after coming home from my surgery. I knew I needed to go to the doctor but didn't want to because we were just a few days away from Kenneth's surgery date. (Kenneth's date was just 3 weeks after mine.) I knew that if I ended up back in the hospital, he would back out. On the day of Kenneth's surgery, I barely made it to the hospital before they took him in. He was so worried about me that when Dr. Husted came in to see if he had any final questions before his surgery, Kenneth told him that he was fine but he was worried about me. (I told you I have the most wonderful husband in the world.) Kenneth's surgery went off without a hitch. I was in the waiting room and was so sick I couldn't raise my head to even go answer the calls from the OR. When Dr. Husted came out to tell me about Kenneth, he looked at me and said, "Kenneth is doing great, Sally, but you look horrible. I want you to go immediately to the ER. Let me call and tell them you are coming." Before Dr. Husted could get off the phone, they had me in a wheelchair and half way to the ER. I was admitted for severe dehydration (almost in kidney failure) and was given lots and lots and lots of IV fluids. Kenneth and I finally ended up on the same hall (8th floor Kidd) but separate rooms, of course. I still feel so guilty that I wasn't there for him right after surgery like he was for me. Thank God for our family. My mom nursed me while his folks stayed with him. We did walk back and forth a lot to see one another which was great for our walking...lol.

Ok, ok...I know this is way too long. I'll shut up now by telling you that I have now lost 188 lbs. I weigh 231 for the first time since sometime early in my college career. I am healthier than ever. I am off all of my old medications except for one. Life is grand!!!