Some clarity

The left shoulder pain is a pain in the tookus!  I'm making a valiant effort to work this band, een though I've had 2 unfills this year and weigh abou the same as I did last yr this time.  9Really I'm hopin gif I keep doing everything as I should and still no weight loss I can get ins to cover my band removal.)

Anywho, I had yet another fill Friday and immediatley left shoulder and upper chest pain. Just from a small fill.  I met with friends for dinner that night and unfortunately they were all freaked out as I kept rubbing my left shoulder and upper chest area. It took about 6 hrs for the pain to go away on its own, but its certainly nothing I ever anticipated or even heard of until reading on this and the failed band board.

Dang it, Michelle. I hate that! 

It's amazing how this isn't divulged. Even more amazing is how many doctors try to claim it isn't "band related." I had steroid shots directly in my my shoulder joint (even though I TOLD them it wasn't orthopedic AND holy **** that hurt. I left with a swollen, painful arm AND the left shoulder pain continued. Oh, and I was a few hundred dollars lighter, too.)

I hope the left shoulder pain goes away, Hon. I'm sorry you have it.

Everyone always told me it looked like I was doing the Pledge of Allegiance, I had my hand over my left shoulder area so often.

My doc did at least divulge something that I've never heard a Dr admit before.  Apparently the Large AP band tends to build up 'resistence' on its own.  My doc said he prefers to place either the older, smaller bands or the realize band for this reason.  But then in the next breath he went on with the blame the patient crap when I asked if there are patients of his that the band just doesn't work for.  He guesstimated approx 25 % of his patients have no positive effect with the band.  But if you're someone that drinks your calories you can't expect it to work (i'm not), also it works best for volume eaters (which I was and somewhat still am).

I saw him about 3 or 4 pm, and we work at the same hospital. When he asked if I had lunch yet, the answer was of course not, I'm busy taking care of your next round of "sheeple" coming in for surgery.  So its my fault for not setting consitent meal times every 4-6 hrs (as if any nurse cn).

I pray if I play along for the next 6 months ins will agree to pay for removal.

It makes sense that adhesions would keep forming around any band, regardless of the size. Maybe people don't realize what adhesions ARE... or how they form? I guess I probably didn't until after band removal... and found out just how many of them formed from the band being there.

It's weird how little doctors actually THINK about how things are connected in a human body. They seem to focus solely on their area of expertise without thinking of how "this" will affect "that."  My gastroenterologist told me that he was incredulous at the sheer number of adhesions I had from banding. He asked me if it was a bear to remove my band... and I told him, "Well, I didn't remove it MYSELF, no matter how much I wanted it out!" I assume it was a pain in the ass to remove, but I had a tremendously gifted surgeon remove it, thankfully. (He would say, "If I can't do it, nobody can." He was very confident.) 

I hope and pray that you'll be able to have the band removed soon. It stinks that it's so difficult.
xo

Awww, heck Michelle.  Sorry it's being such a pain for you!!!

Your poor friends--they probably were worried you were having a heart attack or something!  But I get it, though.  I unconsciously rub my left shoulder when the pain is flaring up.  It's like I can't keep my hand off of it, because the rubbing helps to soothe it.  A tiny bit.  Or distract me from it.  I dunno.

Keeping my fingers crossed you can get insurance to pay for removal and/or revision.  

Well I'm not holding my breath on a revision, but if just came out I'd be estatic.  The other thing no one prepared me for with this stupid band is constipation.  I feel like one of the little old ladies I care for constantly being obsessed with my bowel habits.

Sigh,

You have constipation?  Hmm.  I'm totally the other way.  Maybe if you mixed us together, we'd have normal stool.  




Hopefully not that large, though.  

Well that would cause a plumbing emergency!

I'm well acquainted with Miralax.

I can only imagine!  I'm guessing the Roto Rooter guys'd get hazard pay to deal with that one!  

This made me think of you, heh heh.