? ID Braclet and Dining Card?

Hi again! I think I read somewhere that there is a card that you can present to restaurents to indicate you need to order 1/2 portions or from the children's menu. ALso do we have to wear id bracelets? Thanks Barbi

Medic Alert bracelets are a MUST. It should say Gastric Bypass- NO NG or Gastric Bypass- NO BLIND NG You can print the cards from this site, but I don't quite remember where. A better option may be to order an appetizer (shrimp ****tail is a good chioce) or order a scrambled egg a la carte or a side dish of some kind. There is a huge debate about whether to use the cards or not. The truth is, many restaurants will allow you to order from the children's menu without it, but the children's menu is often full of deep fried, fatty, carb laden food anyway.

forgive my stupidity but what does No Blind NG mean? Thanks for resopnding Barbi

Your doctor should give you the dining card and I think there was a place on here that you could print one at one time. I do wear a medical bracelet and mine says "no nsaid; no blind NG tube". The email address for Alan, who does the engraved bracelets is: [email protected] [email protected] That's the email address for a lady who takes special orders. Her prices are lower than anybody else I've found. She makes the bracelets and anklets the size you need and uses beads the color you'd like. Tell Dorrie that La Wanda said to cut you the best deal in town and she may even give you a better break. Hope that helps. Blessings to you and yours. La Wanda

Hi LaWanda. I just emailed Dorrie. hopefully she has a website so I can see some of her work. By the way - what does it mean by "no nsaid; no blind NG tube" Thanks for the info! Barbi

NSAIDS are Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs which can cause stomach upset and erosions (ulcers). NG tubes are Nasogastric tubes and are used to access the stomach for things like administering charcoal to an unconscious overdose patient or to feed a patient who cannot eat. Blind placement of a NG tube is when they insert the tube without the use of a scope. Blind insertion of a NG tube in a patient who has had gastric banding or gastric bypass can result in esophogeal or gastric perforation. On the topic of the cards and ordering off of children's menus. I agree that you should really be careful with kids' menus. They tend to be full of high fat, empty calorie dishes that no one should be eating. BUT ... Darden, who runs Red Lobster, Smokey Bones, Olive Garden and Bahama Breeze restaurants apparently has a policy that they will allow WLS patients to order half-orders of anything on the menu. Obviously servers may not always be familiar with this policy but managers should be. And even if the restaurant doesn't have a policy allowing for this ... ask anyway. Most restaurants will be willing to work with people because they want return customers and good word of mouth. Carole

I see you got your answer to this. And I've read the other posts. My only comment is that your bracelet shouldn't say Gastric Bypass. It should say Gastric Banding. Big diference....at least to me. And it may be a big different to the medical profession as well when they start to put any kind of tube down your throat. And another comment....NSAIDS....be real careful with how much aspirin (sort of the same stuff) you take. You know aspirin can burn a hole in your stomach and we don't want that happening to the pouch. Now, the children's menu....I'm not sure (like the other posts say) you wanna do that. Use the card to go to a buffet and eat for a kid's price (if you have that much discipline, which I don't). The appetizer is a better idea in a regular restaurant. I just order the regular portion and eat on it for days. Some people don't like leftovers in which case the appetizer or soup may be the best choice for them. Okay, hope that helps. And I hope by now you've heard from Dorrie and have ordered your bracelet. Blessings to you and yours. Have a wonderful holiday. La Wanda

My doc's office gave me a small card to indicate I had surgery but I didn't really use (depends where YOU go to eat). After 14 months I went to a buffet style restauranant and didn't want to pay $13 for a one plate of food so I showed and got the children's menu. That's the only I did use it. The ID bracelet is a personal choice..I asked my surgeon's office and they said it's not necessary - a qualified medical person can tell or somehow see or feel the tube being inserted. My surgeon's nurse said the pouch can't be hurt by a tube going down your throat (unless the medical person is an IDIOT and jams it with force.) Is it helpful to have? Yes. I got a medical alert. Only says RNY and diabetes (low blood sugars now). I didnt add anything else. You can choose to put what you want on it - IF you decide to get one. Both of these options are personal choices.