Has anyone received a card - one that is given to lap-band patients that you take with you when you go out to eat :hungry: that says you are a lap-band recipient and the establishment must honor your ordering off the kids menu or asking for a smaller portion and adjusting the price accordingly?

Second card you take with you when you travel because the port will set off the security alarms at the airport. The card says something like you are a lap-band recipient, and you have a devise installed in your body that will set off the the alarms?

I went to a seminar at Grand Park Surgical Center in Merrillville, Indiana, and they mentioned these two cards that the patients are given to make things easier on them eating out and traveling. When i asked them today for a copy of those cards to present to my surgeon at the hospital I am now with, they said they would not give me one, that it was reserved for "their patients" and that quote: "All training and availabilities are offered to all performing providers. "

Does anyone have such cards that they care share with me what the wording is so that St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer, Indiana can create them for their patients?

Thank you.

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.

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.

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!

http://www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/RestaurantCard.html

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 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!!! 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.

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

This is a copy of my cards so you can see what they actually say.

4 x 6 in.pdf

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

DVSABOSS: Thank you for the pdf of the cards. That will help a lot. I agree with everyone about the senior menu. I was just repeating what I was told by Grand Park Surgical Center about the "kids menu" yes, that menu is full of junk. By the way, I left Grand Park Surgical Center and went to a well-informed and trained staff of employees at St. Margaret Medical Center in Dyer, Indiana. But they had not heard of the cards either. So thanks. I will share this information with them. See how I can be told the wrong information and you folks can help straighten out the truth? !!! Thanks for being her to support all of us. God Bless each of you!!!!