LOUISIANA

ALEXANDRIA
Mohammand Shbeeb, Rheumatologist
        Masonic Drive 
	Alexandria, LA.
        318-473-9556
        Since the first day I walked in crying because of the pain, Dr.
        Shbeeb has been considerate. If I have concerns prior to my
        appointment, I e-mail him and he keeps a copy to answer while I
        am there. My arthritis is genetic, and he has been very open
        about that. Other Dr.'s have told me there is nothing they could
        do for me and that my weight was the problem. He on the other
        hand said I have Psoriatic Arthritis which has nothing to do
        with my weight. The weight can aggrevate it, but it is not the
        cause. He is understanding, gentle, and a complete sweetheart.
        The waiting room has size friendly chairs. And best of all, he
        does not make me weigh everytime I go!  -- Danigran@aol.com

Dr. Siler, Gynecologist
        Alexandria, LA.
        I have only had one visit with her, but knowing how this type of
        Dr. can be (I've been to over 30 Gyno's in my life), I
        reccommend her. She did not batter me about my weight. She
        mentioned it because of some questions I had. After the visit
        she called me in her office and had a one on one chat for about
        45 minutes. I felt very comfortable. The staff is very friendly.
        -- Danigran@aol.com

BATON ROUGE
Gerald Barber, General Practice Physician
	Our Lady of the Lake Medical Plaza
	7777 Hennessy Ave
	Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (504)767-7670
	(Note: As of 4/98, Dr. Barber is not taking new patients. I had a
	good experience at this office with Dr. Daigle, so he might be a
	suitable replacement.)  Dr. Barber is fat-friendly and very
	conscious of cost containment. There is variable size seating in
	the waiting area, and armless chairs are available. Dr. Barber's
	exam room has a sturdy table, but beware the one in Dr. Dinh's
	exam room. I've lifted the back end of it off the floor twice.
	They have the correct size BP cuff, and will use it without
	being asked to. -- Elizabeth Fisher (ElizBBW@aol.com) 

Barbara Deming, GYN
	Woman's Hospital Physician's Plaza, Suite 220
	9000 Airline Hwy
	Baton Rouge, LA 70815 (504)928-1824
	*** FIRST OPINION ***
	Dr. Deming delivered a baby for a 385 lb. friend, without making
	an issue of her weight.  A fat friend and I went for our first
	appointments back to back (in case we needed to advocate for one
	another), and both our appointments went very well. Dr. Deming
	makes a practice of interviewing patients before examining them
	the first time. She has gowns that fit us (we're both around 450
	lbs.), and the table was sturdy and didn't come up off the floor
	when either of us got on. She didn't even remark about having
	both of us in the examination room at the same time. Her exam
	was thorough, and she's using the new thin prep pap smear tests.
	We both had good experiences with the rest of the staff too.
	Relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Armless chairs and sofas in the
	waiting rooms. We weren't asked to weigh, and they automatically
	used the correct BP cuff. -- Elizabeth Fisher (ElizBBW@aol.com)   
	*** DISSENTING VIEW ***
	Another woman had a negative experience with this doctor.
	For more information contact ffp@cat-and-dragon.com and mention
	Barbara Deming in Louisiana. 
	*** SECOND OPINION ***
	A woman asked to see the dissenting view, and I asked her to
	report on her experience with Dr. Deming. She said:
	   I am not someone to judge on whether or not Dr. Deming is
	   big-friendly.  I am 5'5" and 130 pounds.  The nurse was big
	   and very friendly, she made me feel comfortable.  I saw Dr.
	   Deming for the first time this morning.  There were arm
	   chairs as well as couches (big friendly).  Dr. Deming seemed
	   to be very helpful and made me feel comfortable. She left the
	   room giving me time to undress in private and the room had a
	   coat rack for me to hang my clothes on. She had a nurse come
	   in with her for the exam (I felt safe and comfortable).  Dr.
	   Deming talked to me (silence makes me nervous). The gadget
	   she used to view inside me didn't hurt so much -- unlike my
	   past doctor.  The part where she manually examined me was a
	   bit uncomfortable like I'm sure all examinations would be.
	   Overall, I'd say Dr. Deming was a great doctor and I plan on
	   returning to see her again.

Leo Farmer, General Surgeon
	Our Lady of the Lake Medical Plaza Suite 210
	7777 Hennessy Ave 
	Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (504)766-2231
	Dr. Farmer, who had never even met me before, did an emergency
	gall bladder removal and was able to do it laparoscopically.
	This meant that I out of the hospital in less than 24 hours, and
	back at school in two days. Had it been done the "old" way, I
	would have had a huge scar and a six-week recovery period. I'm
	36, 5'6" and 450+. He has an excellent bedside manner and is a
	terrific surgeon. -- Elizabeth Fisher (ElizBBW@aol.com)

Prem Menon, Allergy Specialist
	Baton Rouge, LA
	His examination rooms are fat friendly, complete with a small
	stool to help patients up onto the examination table.  His staff
	is competent; they had a large size BP cuff and used it without
	having to be asked. I was asked my weight, but they say it's
	necessary for the medication dosage.  The waiting area isn't
	completely size friendly, but the chairs are adequate, although
	not incredibly comfortable, for my 72" hips.  Two armless chairs
	are available, but it's a busy office.  Dr. Menon never
	mentioned my weight. -- Elizabeth Fisher (ElizBBW@aol.com) 

Jane Peek, MD
	Women's Healthcare Specialty
	9000 Airline Hwy Ste 620
	Baton Rouge, LA 70815
	Phone: (225) 927-5480
	Dr. Peek was actually my mom's gyne, she delivered me! She has
	never made an issue out of my weight, and listened carefully to
	me when I began seeing her just after puberty, diagnosing me
	with PCOS. She's friendly and genuinely concerned about her
	patients' health. I recommend her to any woman seeking
	professional compassionate care.

Michael Schexnayder, OB/GYN 
	Woman's Hospital
	9000 Airline Highway
	Baton Rouge, LA 70815
	(225) 201-2000
	Here is a needle in a haystack....a fat friendly gynecologist!
	He was the first doctor I had to run a thyroid test....He
	personally called me on the phone the night he got the results
	and talked to me for about a half hour discussing the results
	and just plain talking to me about a course of action. His exam
	table is very heavy. He told me "don't worry it won't come up."
	But I still worried so he held it down in the back so I could
	get up on it. He helped me get from lying down to sitting up and
	then off the table before walking out. He is just a wonderful
	wonderful man. He has a great bedside manner and is very
	sensitive to the needs of women of size. His exam rooms and his
	waiting room has fat friendly seating....no arms.
 
LAFAYETTE
Cohn Chiropractic Clinic
	3804 Johnston Street, 
	Lafayette, Louisiana, 70506   
	337-988-2225
	Description:  The staff simply asked me for my "approximate
	weight" instead of getting on a scale, and it didn't come up at
	all with the doctor himself.  He made a recommendation of light
	exercise, not for weight loss, but for increasing the range of
	motion and flexibility. --Becky Hinson (bayoubecky@gmail.com)

Daniel G Dupree, MD, dermatology
	1101 S College Rd Lafayette, LA 70503
	(337) 235-6886
	Dr Dupree has been one of those guys that either you love him or
	you hate him, and I'm on the love him side. I've got a
	particularly bad case of psoriasis AND eczema. It works out that
	he gets to use me as a "teaching tool" so to speak. I don't mind
	because I get why he does it. He recommended sunbathing last
	year for me, and when I made a disparaging comment about my
	looks in a bathing suit, he said "Forget that. You go out there
	and find the smallest bathing suit you can for maximum exposure,
	and ignore whatever anyone else says. Doctor's orders."

Constance A. Konikoff, Board Certified Social Worker (psychotherapy)
	The Dauphine Building, Suite 204
	850 Kaliste Saloom Rd.
	Lafayette, La. 70508
	Phone:  318-237-7643, ext. 2
	Individual, couple's, group and family therapy for adults and
	adolescents with anxiety, depression, sexuality,
	eating/exercise, or other issues. Special interests: exercise
	resistance, emotional eating, eating disorders, size acceptance.
	For clients who wish to lose weight, we teach a non-diet
	approach addressing weightist attitudes so that any weight loss
	can be natural and a match with genetic destiny rather than
	cultural-emotional pressure to be thinner. There is a non-diet
	Registered Dietician in the office. Both the therapist and the
	dietician value and utilize non-diet principles including size
	acceptance in their own lives. -- Socwker1@aol.com
	(self-referred)

Patrick A Laperouse, M.D. 
Acadiana Gastroenterology Associates, LLC
	439 Heymann Boulevard
	Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
	(337) 269-0963
	Very focused on the symptoms of my gall bladder discomfort,
	instead of blaming them on my weight.  Same with the fatty liver
	disease -- he discussed diet and what I should be removing or
	adding to my diet instead of cutting back on food to lower my
	weight.  Weight did come up in regards to gall bladder surgery,
	but it wasn't a requirement to do so as other doctors have
	insisted. -- Rebecca Hinson, bayoubecky@gmail.com


NEW ORLEANS
Lisa Colon, MD (OBGYN)
	Metairie, LA (New Orleans Metro Area)
	504-889-7652
	Dr. Colon and her staff are very size friendly. I had an issue
	with an emotionally abusive partner who made me feel as if I
	could not have a healthy pregnancy due to my size. Dr. Colon and
	her nurse made sure that I knew that my size had nothing to do
	with my ability to have a healthy and joyful pregnancy. I was
	never chastised about my weight, actually, it never even came
	up! Her ultrasound tech was extremely pleasant and never had
	trouble obtaining images of my baby. I still consider the nurse
	and staff as friends.

Kenneth Combs
	601 Frenchmen Street
	New Orleans, LA 7016
	Dr. Combs is very understanding about large-sized patients.
	First of all, his office staff is composed of two wonderful big
	women. On my last visit I asked Dr. Combs about prescribing a
	diet drug and he explained why he is opposed...often times the
	drugs are effective for a short period and patients tend to gain
	the weight back. He also appreciates the difficulty of certain
	exercise for large people and he never suggests weight loss
	DIETS to people who don't ask. The nurse asks if I want to be
	weighed and if another patient is standing close to the scale,
	she doesn't even ask me. I appreciate Dr. Combs and his office
	staff for making me comfortable and for being patient with me.
	They are all really nice people. -- Barbara Mattheews

Anne Moore 
	Midwife-Alternative healer-(herbs, massage, healing touch)
	RN
	priestess
	504-929-6898
	926 Piety St.  New Orleans,La.
	Self-referred

Gabrielle Pridjian, MD (Perinatologist)
	Tulane Medical Center-Lakeside Campus
	Metairie, LA (New Orleans Metro Area)
	Dr. Pridjian turned a horrible experience into a wonderful one.
	I had previously gone to another perinatologist in the same
	office for high blood pressure during my pregnancy. The previous
	doctor made me feel as if I was too fat for her to see anything
	on the ultrasound and was clearly very sizist. I left that
	appointment in tears on what was supposed to be a joyous day
	finding out the sex of the baby. I called the office,
	complained, and demanded to be seen by the other perinatologist.
	My first visit with her was wonderful. She was pleasant and
	reassuring. She did not mention my weight and never had trouble
	seeing ultrasound images. I highly recommend her if you need a
	perinatologist in this area.

Linda Lynn Strickland, BA, CHt, RM, NCBTMB, LMT
	AVIVA Massage & Bodywork Spa, a service of HeartLight Enterprises, LLC
	601 Lafitte St., Mandeville, LA 70448, 985-727-9665
  	info@avivamassage.com 
	www.avivamassage.com
	Self-referred.
	Professional consulting, hypnotherapy, guided imagery,
	meditation, licensed (#1479) massage/bodywork therapist,
	including subtle energy work (Reiki, etc.). I am in the Greater
	New Orleans area; Northshore to be exact. The atmosphere is fat
	friendly because I am fat, as well as the male therapist who
	works in the offices. My massage table is 33" wide plus I have
	side extensions. My focus is the person as a whole.

PINEVILLE
Elizabeth Tennaglia, General Practice
Pineville, LA.
        Dr. Tennaglia is completely open and gets to the point. She does
        not constantly mention my weight, nor does she attibute all of
        my problems to my weight. They always have a bigger blood
        pressure cuff and the staff is extremely friendly with me. They
        moved into the Louisiana Athletic Club. I thought it would be
        horrible, but I joined the club to exercise in the pool and hot
        tub. The combination of my Dr.'s office and the gym together is
        a huge plus. -- Danigran@aol.com