Is anyone else here from the Cookeville area?

Hi! I am looking for other people from the Cookeville area to talk to for support about WLS. I am just now beginning my WLS journey and am scheduled to attend a free seminar at Centennial Medical Center next week. I have so many questions and concerns and would just like to be able to talk to other people who are going through this or have already had their WLS. I am also fairly new to Tennessee so I don't know many people in this area to begin with so meeting other people would be a great help to me. My current insurance is BCBS of TN (PPO) and it has an exclusion to WLS but my benefits coordinator at work referred me to our insurance Broker who had also had WLS and she encouraged me to go ahead and start the process stating that the exclusion was "standard" on all policies now?!? Has anyone else heard about this or is this some kind of joke? I hope she hasn't sent me on a wild goose hunt because I desparately need to have this surgery and to go through all of this to get my hopes up and then have them crushed will be very hard to handle. Well anyways, just wanted to introduce myself and please feel free to email me, especially if you live around the Cookeville/Upper Cumberland area. I welcome any and all advice and/or replies. Thanks! Take Care and God Bless. Tammy W.

TAMMY, I'M NOT FROM THAT AREA I, CLOSER TO NASHVILLE. I HAVE BCBS NET S. THEY SENT ME THE REQUIREMENTS NEEDED FOR THEM TO COVER THE SURGERY. I'M JUST STARTING OUT MYSELF. GOOD LUCK.. I'M SURE YOU WILL FIND SOMEONE IN THE COOKVILLE AREA.

Hello Kip Kat! Thank u for responding to my post. Murfreesboro is not that far away. My mother-in-law lives in Smyrna and the rest of my in-laws are in the Lebanon area so DH and I visit that area a lot! lol Anyways, if you'd like to keep in touch please feel free to email me anytime, I also use all 3 messenger services. I am going to attend the WLS seminar at Centennial Medical Center next Tuesday night and if all goes well, I will probably have my surgery there. I have also considered Dr. Husted from Cumberland Center because he does the Fobi pouch gastric bypass but he is not a BCBS network provider. What bariatric center/hospital are u going to use? Anyways, it was nice to meet u and I wish u well in your WLS journey! Please keep in touch. Tammy

Tammy my BCBS will only cover me at Vanderbilt. I have started their process. I still have two more test they require before I can even talk to a surgeon!!! I think this is good because they seem so through. I have heard very good things about Centennial and Dr. Husted..

YES YES YES.....I AM FROM COOKEVILLE ...SO NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE CLOSE GOING THRU THE SAME AS ME....FIRST GET A COPY OF YOUR BCBS PPO PLAN....IS YOUR INSUREANCE THRU YOUR SPOUSE? OR PRIVATE PAY? I MET WITH ANOTHER COOKEVILLIAN AND SHE WALKED ME THRU WHAT I NEEDED TO DO WITH BCBS PPO....I WILL BE GLAD TO HELP YOU ALSO....JANELLA COFFELT

Hello Janella!!! It was so good to hear from somebody who is also in the Cookeville area! I am so happy to meet u! I would love to be able to chat with u about our WLS journey's and to help each other out. I do have a copy of my insurance policy and it has a definite exclusion to WLS but I am going to try to fight it anyways based on medical necessity (it doesn't mention medical necessity). But feel free to email me anytime. Do u use any messenger services like AOL instant messenger, yahoo messenger or MSN messenger? I use all 3 so let me know and maybe we can chat thru instant messenger. Also, I have heard that there is a WLS support group that meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Cookeville Medical Center, I may go to that. I will let u know how my WLS seminar goes on Tuesday night. Hopefully they will be able to give me some info about my insurance exclusion. Well, take care and keep in touch! Tammy

yes I live in Cookeville I had my surgery 12/03/2004. I had the DS I'v lost a total of 90 LB so far. As for Ins. I had to fight them for 1 whole year. It was a trip, but I have Tenn Care Select so all I can say is call them till they get tired of hearing from you, then the'll do something lol. I also go to the meetings at the hospital the 2nd wednesdays of the month, when I can. Good luck and you are welcome to email me if you like.

Hello Debra!!! I think it is sooo awesome that you have lost 90 lbs. in less than 5 months!!! Keep up the good work. That is fabulous and I can't wait til I am also on the losing side. I am tired of being trapped inside my own body and yet I can't seem to put the fork down... Anyways, thanks for responding to my post, I look forward to meeting you and will most likely try the support group meeting. Even though I have the exclusion in my policy, I somehow feel hopeful that I WILL have WLS. I am still not decided on which procedure to have, but I will be attending a WLS seminar next Tuesday night. I hope to have a laparosopic (did I spell that right? lol) procedure though. I guess I am leading towards the RNY and I have also thought about the Fobi pouch, but then again I am not sure. Well, thanks again for replying and please keep in touch, I need all the support I can get! Tammy

Hey you guys! I am close as well. It says Morrison as my address, but that is just a little community outside McMinnville. I'm only about 30 minutes from Sparta. I'm having surgery on July 5th (when I'm out of school for the summer). Dr. Husted is doing my surgery. I don't have insurance so I am self-pay (well, my parents are footing the bill on this one! I'd be glad to talk with any and all of you! Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

Nice to meet you Marian!!! Thanks for responding to my post, I love meeting new people! So, your surgery is right around the corner! I wish you the best of luck. I have also considered Dr. Husted and having the Fobi pouch gastric bypass but Dr. Husted is not a participating BCBS doctor. I have heard excellent things about him though. I have heard that the Fobi pouch gastric bypass is very similar to the RNY except that the Fobi pouch is vertically instead of horizontally cut so that it won't ever stretch out or grow back and reattach to the main/large stomach. I go to my WLS seminar on Tuesday, 4/26/05 at Centennial Medical Center and I may ask about the Fobi pouch there just to get their opinion even though they do not perform that procedure to my knowlege. What do u think of Dr. Husted? Please feel free to email me anytime. Tammy