Thank you for the invite and I will check out the lapband board as well.

Thank you so very much. I do not say this as a boast but I have given so much to so many people and it is time to put myself first. I do not want cry about the past but look forward and make the best of my future! I am inspired by everyone on here.

Thanks Tom! I have never wanted to be a loser so much in my life!

Thanks Kim for making me feel so welcome. I look forward to being a part of the message boars.

Hi Deborah,

It's most likely your band irritating the Vagus nerve system.  When the diaphragam gets irritated, it refers the pain to the shoulder, neck, head and sometimes the back.   The vagus nerve exits the brainstem through the jugular foramen of the skull and follows the carotid artery down to the esophagus where it courses along the esophagus through the diaphragm. 

Here is another board where the people are speaking of the chest and shoulder pain. It's quite prevalent with banding. Just by the band being there, it can irritate the diaphragm.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/35169-left-shoulder-pain/

It seems like doctors always check the heart first and then decide it's orthopedic in nature. Experienced bariatric docs are starting to let people know about the occurence of left shoulder pain with gastric banding, so hopefully it will become more well known. That way, people can skip the expensive, useless tests and can determine if it's Vagus nerve related.