I've heard some people talk about some kind of card they can take to restaurants that will allow them to eat off the child's menu or get smaller portions. Anyone heard of this, and where can I get one (for future reference, when I'm back on solid foods! )?

Hi Lisa,

I've never heard of there being any sort of "official" card. It seems to me that it would be completely up to each individual restaurant if they wanted to let WLS patients order off of the child's menu or pay less for a buffet. If they choose to extend that courtesy, I imagine they'd just believe someone who said they'd had weight-loss surgery.

Hey ya'll --

I went to my support group meeting with the nutrionist last night and she said the dr. could write a prescription for kid meals/portions.

Might be a good place to start.

Elizabeth

i have an official card from the BioEntrics corporation

i got the card from my dr. it looks like a business card and is blue and mustard yellow it says

this person has an adjustable gastric band inplanted around the stomach to assist weight loss...

it also has a pic of an x-ray of the band and a drawing of the band...

if you want one you might could call the 800 also printed on my card 800-432-8803

www.bioenterics.com

i dont know if i'll use it or just enjoy the meal for a couple days???

Lisa,

I have one and Dr. C gives them out at his office. They come from Inamed and are not really official, but would really help if you get in an accident to keep in your wallet, so if you can't explain what it is then hopefully that will help. When I recently went for an MRI, I gave them the card because I wanted them to know about the "implanted device". IN restaurants, I explain only if food is overcooked that I need something medium rare, like a piece of meat. Since most of the child menus consist of bread, and fried junk, I won't even let my children eat them. THe last restaurant I went to had only fried foods for the kids menu which I would not eat anyway.

The only time that I can think of using it was when my friend insisted that we go to an all you can eat meat buffet (Mongolian Grill). Anyway, the meal was $13 for all you can eat shrimp, beef, sausage, chcken and you preapre it however you want it as many different ways as you want. Well, hello! I can't even eat half a bowl if I wanted to and the lady would not offer me a child's menu nor the lunch menu. I just decided not to eat so I sat and watched my friends eat and I had water. Good thing I wasn't all that hungry.