I am a little over 3 weeks out and I have tenderness in my port area. ( that sounds weird to say LOL) I know it's normal, particularly when bending or lying (or is it laying?) face down. Just wondering what experienced bansters can tell me as to an average length of time for this type of tenderness. Do you have any difficulties with crunches? Does it in any way restrict movement or lifting ability? Etc..

Hmmm...I didn't have a ton of pain with my surgery in general. The "worst" of my port tenderness was probably gone within a month to a month and a half. But honestly, my stomach area didn't feel completely normal to me until I was four or five months out. No real pain, but I knew it when I held something against my stomach too hard, or leaned against a counter at work, etc. Even now I'm still aware of it at certain times. The one that jumps to mind most is if I'm wearing tighter jeans and sitting more upright, like in a restaurant or some such. I just feel a dull ache or pinching feeling in my port area.

I work a job where I do quite a bit of heavy lifting, and have been doing so without any problems since a week out (although I should and would have waited longer before doing anything that heavy if the option had been there). And it wasn't even an "internal" pain, it was just when I had to have something heavy against my incision site while I moved it. I didn't start working out as early on as I should have, it was two months or so post op, but I jumped right in doing crunches, bike, weights, etc. I don't imagine I would have had any real trouble starting earlier, either.

And after all that rambling...long story short...my port doesn't have any effect on my day to day life.

Good info I work at a liquor store where I move cases that weigh between 25 and 60 pounds routinely throughout the day it's nice to know that others have been able to continue work as normal..

I sell auto parts, so I'm carrying around cases of antifreeze, big truck brake rotors, 40 pound bags of floor sweep, etc. We run on only two people full time (and one part) and the other full timer had a tragedy in the family the day I came back to work, so I really had no choice but to go back in full steam ahead. I did try to play the sympathy card (poor me! I just had surgery! It's so heavy! haha) and have customers help me with the heavier things for the first week or so, but that didn't last long, and there's not always someone around to help! But just play it careful for a little while, listen to what your body is telling you, exercise proper lifting techniques, and all should be well!

Because liquor store are state run in NH I was required to accept light duty for a week. So I've been back to work for a week and a half. All good though, being assistant manager has perks. Getting help is easy, I have a great crew to work with. Very supportive. Lots of bending makes my midsection kinda tender so, I ask them to stock bottom shelf items.

I would be careful lifting those heavy things for 6 weeks. I know that sounds like a long time, but my surgeon restricted weight for that long. Also, don't know if you do, but, I once, used my "shelf" to carry a box, as I had been doing for many years, and OMG, I thought I would die. Do what I say, don't do what I did! best wishes, Karen