gina0922

Hi Kim, I'm from Shelbyville too but I'm currently living in Melbourne, Fl. I lived in Shelbyville for 23 yrs. You know you really are from Shelbyville when you start calling it "Shebvull"! LOL Well, I actually lived outside Shelbyville in Petersburg for my last 8 yrs in Tennessee. My daughter still lives in Shelbyville with her husband. I would move back in a heart beat too! Florida is a great place to visit but that's about it to me. I am at the beginning of my 6 mo diet. Hopefully will be banded in Sept. I just wanted to say hello, best of luck to you! Gina

I really enjoyed your blog. Gave me somethings to think about. I'll most likely still have the surgery though! Hopefully, there won't be any fire alarms. I can deal w/the cath if they do it after I am out and remove it before I wake up! Hugs, Gina

You didn't have to do a 6 month pre op diet? That would be great if I could get by without that! I will have to call my Insurance and see what the requirements are. Gina

Hi Tee, I have Horizan bcbsnj and I live in FL. First let me say that I have checked my policy for cover to cover and there are no exclusions to any form of weight loss surgery. The website shows 10 hospitals that have Bariatric Centers that are in network, so I'm ok with that part. What does concern me is that you mentioned that Horizon stipulates you must provide proof of any and all methods of weight loss over 5 years. I am uncertain how I am to obtain this as I have never been to Weight Watchers or Nutri Systems or any other type of weight loss system. I have tried other methods at home such as different types of diets like Lowfat, Lowcarb, OTC diet pills, exercise videos and such. My entire adult life has been involved with some type of weight loss plan. So, do you have any idea how I would get past this part? I have all or atleast many of the co-morbidities associated with being morbidly obese. I appreciate any bit of information you would have. Thanks, Gina

Wow! Those are some long hrs! I work in a call center too and only work 9am to 5:45 w/2 15's and a 45 min lunch. I was told by another bander that as long as your job is not physically strenuous you can go back in a week. Best of luck to you! Gina

I would love to have the confidence to walk naked in front of my husband for once in our 10 yr marriage. I want to make love with the lights on. Sorry but I can't stop at 2! I want to to buy blouses that look good not because they are long enough to cover my hanging belly. Pretty strappy sandles with high heels instead of flats because my weight is too much to put on the balls of my feet. Oh there are so many things I want. But the one I truly want the most is to be alive. Hugs, Gina

I plan on having my LBS in Ocala, which is about a 2 hr drive from from where I live in Melbourne. The Dr I am going to be using is Dr Jawad. He also has an office in Orlando. Just do a google search for Dr Jawad. You should get the info you were looking for. But I am not sure about the BCBS covering the fills. Hope this helps! Gina

Hi can someone ehlp me? I have been trying to post a pic in my profile but I keep coming up with "Unable to save file". I know the pic is within the 97kb and the 100x100 pixels. Any suggestions? Gina

Hi everyone, I just found out my ins will cover my LapBand surgery! :shades_smile: I have Horizon BCBSNJ and I live in Florida. I am so excited! I guess you could say I am a month ahead of the game since my doctor and I spoke about weight loss last month. She said I was a prime candidate for the surgery. As I have so many of the co-morbidities that go along with being morbidly obese. Bad knees (already had 2 surgeries), hypertension, type 2 diabetes, on Thyroid medicine, weight related Sciatica....you name it. 47.3 BMI on top of it all. I am so happy to find out that I finally have insurance that will help me. I am so tired of hearing "No weight loss surgery of any kind is covered". The only thing I'm not real happy about is that I have one of the best hospitals in FL with a Bariatic Center less than 10 miles from me and it is not in my network. I am going to have to drive 120 miles to the next closest one that is in my network. Can anyone tell me approx how many visits have to be made to the surgeon prior to the LB surgery? With the price of gas, hopefully not many! Hugs, Gina

Hi can someone give me some insight about how I go about getting approved from step one and so on..... Thanks, Gina

cbk Best of luck to you. Let us know how everything comes out and keep us updated on your progress. Gina

Hello, I was wondering if anyone has come across something like my situation. My insurance is bcbsnj and I did some searching on the website for bariatric services. The have 2 hospitals that are approved for the Bariatric surgery. But they are in NJ and Delaware. So what does that mean to someone who lives in Florida? I have not contacted the ins yet but I will very soon. I am anxious to learn what the reason would be if they were to tell me that it is not covered in FL. Anyone with any ideas? TIA, Gina:confused:

I dont know why it is bcbsnj. Your guess is as good as mine. I live in FL full time, don't travel at all. I will have to call my carrier and get the details. I hope and pray that they cover the surgery. I have had 2 other ins carriers and neither has provided coverage for the Lap Band. I could probably get approved for the gastric bypass or the sleeve but my first choice is the Band. I like the fact that it is less invasive and I can get back to work faster. Oh well we will see. I'll let ya'll know what the outcome is. Gina

I have the same ins company but I live in FL. Was it fairly easy to get your acceptance letter from Horizon BCBSNJ? Or did they make you jump through a bunch of hoops? Thanks, Gina

How did you get the approval so fast? Are u self pay or using ins? Gina