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Restaurant & Airport Courtesy for Lap-Band People



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The Inamed card also says something about ot taking ulcer causing drugs, and that the band is MRI compatable. ~Mandy

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1. My doc said the band/port will not set off anything at the airports..

2. I got the Inamed booklet, but no cards.

3. I wouldn't want smaller servings, so far I just order it and get a to-go box like everyone else who mentioned it.. Our refrigerater has tons of left-overs in it!!

4. I don't like buffets, they trigger my binge habits in my brain.

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I have the Restaurant Card but haven't even thought of using it. I don't see why I should get a reduced price because I have a band. I mean, I wouldn't go in and say "I'm not that hungry, can you only give me half the food and only charge me half the price?" Nor would I ever say, "I'm on a diet and want to order just a part of this meal and I expect you to discount it accordingly." I either get a regular entree and make several meals out of it, or go with a Soup. Think twice before ordering off the childrens' menu, most of those are low quality, poor nutrition items.

As for the airport, I've probably taken about 30ish flights since being banded. I set off one alarm, and the wand did target the area of my port. But I never needed to show them a card. I just told them I had a medical implant, they pulled me aside for the wand, etc., and then I was cleared.

As for wording don't remeber offhand. Nothing abouot "give them a discount." Just something like, so and so has had an adjustable gasstric band placed and can only eat 2 - 4 ounces at a time. Then has my surgeon's info.

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I was given a card to present in a restaurant, but most things on a kids menu are fried foods, grilled cheese, fries, hamburgers, chicken fingers, Peanut Butter and jelly, nothing we really should be eating. I agree, leftovers are great!

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I carry the card in case of a medical emergency, I can show the xray on the back to someone if they've never seen a band. Otherwise, I'm with Wheetsin; it's not the restaurants issue that I have chosen to get a band and I can carry leftovers home or share a plate. No biggie.

As far as flying, I've been flying with a band since June 2003 and not once set off an alarm. There is a miniscule amount of titanium in the port and that is it.

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I carry the card in case of a medical emergency, I can show the xray on the back to someone if they've never seen a band. Otherwise, I'm with Wheetsin; it's not the restaurants issue that I have chosen to get a band and I can carry leftovers home or share a plate. No biggie.

As far as flying, I've been flying with a band since June 2003 and not once set off an alarm. There is a miniscule amount of titanium in the port and that is it.

I'm so happy hubby and I are both being banded...we can share a meal and no one has to be the wiser...heck at some places we'll STILL have left overs!!! :D I have seen the card. A guy at my support group had one...I think each doc words it differently...his just mentioned the WLS and asked for the courtesy to order from the kids menu. I'm with the others tho...kids menu food is poor quality, high calorie stuff we shouldn't be eating anyway.

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To heck with the kids menu! As many of you mentioned, kids menu has crappy, poor nutrition foods. I want the SENIOR menu! Haha!!

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I have the card from Inamed, it's the tan one in the picture above. ~Mandy

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I'm not sure how a long piece of plastic with two tiny pieces of metal will set off the metal detector. Based on my experience, it will take a lot more than a lap-band.

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I've traveled and not set off a security alarm.

Here's a question: Who would want to order off the kids' menu, anyway? LOL! I mean come on - the choices are usually something like chicken fingers, cheese pizza or mac n cheese. I'd much rather order some nice Soup or a slab of salmon that I can take home and finish the next day.

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at this point in time, I'd absolutely LOVE a bowl of mac n cheese. lol

or i'd like to suck the grease off a slice of hot pepperoni....mmmmmm

lol!

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The metal in the port is bigger then you might think (about the size of a nickle). I haven't set off any dectors but my friend set one off in Spain last summer with her port. Some air port metal dectors are more sensitive then others. ~Mandy

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I have a card and I use it all the time. I am going to use it tonight, in fact. Mine says to please let this person eat from the senior menu or the kid's menu, and goes on to explain lap banding. I use it to order from the senior menu. The kids menu is usually hot dogs and mac and cheese. The senior menu is great. It's the same as everyone else's just smaller porions.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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