Need help finding a very friendly, understanding PCM/Ft. Lewis,WA

Hello everybody, I am not sure how many of you are Military but I thought I try my luck and ask if somebody can help me find a friendly, understanding and kind PCM. We will move to Ft. Lewis within the next few months and I have to catch up with some of my weight history since I did not have a PCM in the past year or so. In 2000 I was close on getting the WLS but then the surgeon left and it took me a while to find a new Doc that would take TRICARE Remote (stationed in Ohio with USAREC, I had a wonderful PCM), well a few weeks later we received orders to move and the PCM I found at the new location put me through hell (she kept me for 6 hours in her office because of high blood pressure (I had told her that I was very nervous right now and that I had run out of blood pr. med.), she rushed me from one test to another,told me that she wanted to put me back on a diet because she was not sure about the WLS and most of all she did not listen to me at all). Right now I am scared going to a new PCM and I hope that somebody here on this MB can help me find a PCM that is very understanding of overweight people and their problems, caring and friendly (maybe even a little funny). I would like to thank you ahead of time for all your help and any information. Greetings, Sandy

Hi Sandy! We were at Ft. Lewis about a year ago so I'm sot sure if the PCM that I saw is still there, but I'm pretty sure that he is...His name is Dr. Prairie. He's a GREAT doctor. He was on the "blue" team. They split the dr's up in groups because there are so many people on Ft. Lewis. There is the red, white, blue, and yellow teams. You will love Ft. Lewis. The medical center is GREAT there. It's very advanced and everything is all in the medical center. It's really big though...they have elevators and escalators too...That's how big it is. If you are unable to get Dr. Prairie, another good doctor is Dr. McVay. He's great too! Overall, the staff and Dr.'s at MAMC are GREAT!!!! I've heard that the surgeons for WLS are great too! Be sure to get an appointment set up as soon as you go there...There's a 2 year waiting list there...Just keep bugging them and they'll probably move you up...I was unable to get my WLS there because of the 2 years it took and plus, my husband got outta the Army in Sept. of 2003. So, I'm stillllllll on my journey to getting WLS...We don't have insurance right now so I'm having to save up to self pay. Well, I hope that this is a help to you...and Good Luck on your WLS journey! Darcy Yakima, Wa.

Dr. McCarthy is my PCP at Madigan and I just LOVE him. The first time I saw him, it was a fluke. He was covering for my doctor. Right after that visit I went and filled out the card asking to be switched to him. Out of all the regular docs I've seen at Madigan he was the first one who didn't just came out and tell me I was fat and needed to do something about it. Instead he asked me if I was interested in learning about diets or was I just happy the way I was. I walked out of that appointment (my first with him) with a referral to get gastric by-pass~which had been my secret agenda for going to the doctors that day. Never have I felt rushed while seeing him, he always gives off the impression I'm his only patient he's seeing that day. I had my surgery at Madigan so if you have any questions feel free to ask here or email me. ~Tanja 448/302/148