I watched a few youtube videos of people who had been sleeved, and one of the guys had a card stating he had weight loss surgery. It fit in your wallet and you were supposed to be able to show it at restaurants and be able to get the child or senior menu with no hassle. Has anyone else heard of that or recieved one at the doctor? Just curious. My family all gets together atleast biweekly and goes out for a nice dinner. Would like to be able to eventually eat with them and i know i wont be able to eat a whole meal.

_{One was provided in my post operative packet the day I left the hospital. I use it every week and in a year have had only 1 problem ordering off the childs menu. Mine provides a diagram of my sleeve (along with a short explanation) and my surgeons name and address with a request to allow me to order from the childs menu due to my reduced stomach size. Love it!!}

I've heard of it. I think I also heard that you can make one up yourself. It's just a discreet way of letting the waitress know about your situation.

There was one floating around the forum a while back - you'll have to search for it.

It basically carries NO weight and is not really an "official" card as you simply printed it out and got it laminated if you wanted it fancy.

I would just ask the restaurant kindly, I simply state that I've had stomach surgery and can't eat much, may I order a child's or senior's portion please? Only ONE place turned me down so I just ordered something small and gave a bit to my wife and the rest got left.

We often avoid this by splitting an entree and / or taking home some for another meal - it is surprising that we can SHARE an entree and STILL take some home, portions are THAT huge now. No wonder we are all so fat.

Here's mine:

I received one also. I haven't used it yet but it could be useful at times. I keep it next to my medical insurance card in case of an emergency.

I have one as well. My doctor handed them out at one of our support group meetings. Mine is basically a business card with text similar to the one shown above with my Doctor's office information on it.

I received one from my doctor's office about a month after my surgery. The text is almost exactly like what Leah's shows above. It is on a business card, and it also has my surgeon's office name and contact info. My card also has my name printed on it.

I don't use it. I don't mind taking leftovers home. I have four kids, and if I am dining out, it is usually with just my husband. One or more of my kids usually claims my leftovers as soon as we arrive home. The food isn't wasted.

I did keep the card though because there may be a buffet meal or something someday that I will want to use it at.

I received one as well. As everyone has stated it just a card that simply states the procedure you've had and kindly ask that the resturant allows you to order from the senior/childs menu. I havent used it but plan to after my surgery. I dare the waitress in any resturant not allow me to use it! lol... You can not be forced to order food that you can not consume.

I would only use this at a buffet or places that charge you to split meals. Children's menus are usually crap consisting of hamburger, hot dog, chicken strips, grilled cheese and mac and cheese.

I don't mind leftovers AT ALL. My plan is to ask for a "doggie bag" immediately, set out my portion and bag the rest. I would give my Soup or salad away - unless I planned to only have a bite or two.

I also keep in mind that the restaurant is under no obligation to accommodate me. Of course, I am under no obligation to return with my family and Yelp would probably hear of it.

The back of my surgeon's business card has the message "The individual bearing this card has had special surgery for the reduction of the size of their stomach. Please allow the bearer to order a small portion at a reduced price or order from the child's menu. Thank you for your consideration."

My card is similar to those above. I keep it right behind my driver's license so it's available to EMS. I have used it a couple of times, but most restaurants will allow me to order off the kids menu without a hassle. The notable exception is Red Lobster. They charged me $6 to order mashed potatoes when I was in the mushy stage. When I asked why I was charged double what the menu said the side item cost, they responded that they "had" to add in a charge because I hadn't ordered it with a meal. Needless to say, Red Lobster won't get any more of MY dining out budget.

Sonny's BBQ, otoh, is fantastic about it. I guess WLS is pretty common in my area of South Florida, because they didn't bat an eye when I asked if I could order ribs from the kid's menu. And, that meal is still too big for me!

I have no such card and don't even tell a waitress about my surgery. I just order what I want and they give it to me. Crazy eh? It works every time. They just figure out the price ala carte and it's never much. I'll say I want a poached egg and an order of bacon or the 4 oz steak and the green beans. I never get a hassle anywhere I go. Don't know why others have had trouble.

Where I live, sometimes ordering ala carte is more expensive. I don't know. I know that sometimes one just needs to eat out, but the salt and extra fat that chains like Applebees (yuck), Macaroni Grill, Chili's, Cheesecake Factory and other chains put into their food in many cases far outdo the fast food joints.

doc gave me mine after surgery

I just got mine at my one week post op appt