A friend that had Bypass surgery was given a card by her surgeons. Basically, it's a 'free' pass at resturants, allowing her to share plates, or order from the Kids Menu...is this a common practice for Lap Band?

And silly as it may seem, will my Band be hindering me going through security at the airport; as I travel alot. Geez, I sound silly asking this stuff...but you guys would be the ones to know! :embarassed:

I have a card that my doctor gave me when I had my surgery. It says I have a band. I've never whipped it out at a restaurant but I know plenty of folks here who have and have gotten kiddie prices or reduced pricing.

Next, I've NEVER not once had a problem with my band going off at airport security. It's just not an issue. I am always careful (even preband) to not wear jewelry or belts or other stuff. I wear an underwire bra and the zipper on my jeans and I try not to wear shoes with metal eyelets. And I make it through fine.

I have never used my card either. I guess my personal opinion is I wasn't charged more as a big person at a restaurant eating more, why should I be charged less because I am getting smaller and eating less.

As for airport security, don't forget, they are called "metal" detectors. Your band is not made of metal, so it will not set off security.

I have got the address where you can download the card for the restarants. I've never even downloaded it and printed it. If you do you might want to lamenate it too. I do have the card my surgeon gave me while still in Mexico, it just has the serial number of my band, surgeon, what size and all that jazz and a pic of the band, tubing and port.

...As for airport security, don't forget, they are called "metal" detectors. Your band is not made of metal, so it will not set off security.

Actually, that may not be true.

Although the band is not made of metal - it does have a trace of titanium. So when you go through the 'walk-through' metal detector, it does not go off.

But if you're at the airport and you're chosen for the extra-special security check? :straight

Well nearly everytime I'm hand-wanded, the wand goes off right at my belt line. The security folks assume the metallic traces that are often in underwear elastic - but I know it's usually my band.

One time at a New York airport they totally hand-wanded me so many times (it kept beeping when they approached my band area) that I finally did pull out my LapBand wallet card. (It's not a regular "gastric bypass" restaurant card but the one that Inamed sends with the LapBand new patient packet. It has a radiological image of the band, so one can see what it looks like on X-ray. Some surgeons give their patients the packets, some just don't.)

After they saw the card they finally let me through.

So on regular metal detectors (like at courthouses) no, but if they hand-wand you, it might.

Just a thought!