I don't know why this puzzles me so much. No one in my family will touch my port. I've asked my husband to feel mine because I thought there might be some fluid around it. It felt different to me. He shuddered and flat refused. So did both my sons. It gave all of them the total willies. My son calls it my "Alien thing". Like I'm now something from outer space. These are full grown adult men who have no problem gutting a hunting animal or cleaning a fish, picking up a mouse trap, squashing a spider etc. what is up with that?

That is weird...are they afraid it will suck them in? lol.

My husband won't look at my scars, and when I still had my staples in he'd literally turn his head. He won't feel my port, etc. For him, it's creepy to feel something foreign in the body, which I can kind of relate to - I don't like to feel it on other people. Another side of it for him is that the scars remind him that I was hurt, the port reminds him that someone cut me open, and any thoughts of someone doing something to me bugs the crap out of him.

ETA: I have a large scar on my leg from when I was about 12. I'm pale, and it's faded, so it's not terribly obvious. He just the other day asked me what it was from. We've been married 10 yrs. I asked him how he just now saw it, yes it's hard to see but living together for 11 yrs... he was like "I thought I saw a scar so I just quit looking and thinking about it."

I feel the same way as your family does and im the one that has the port!! I have yet to feel more port and I will NOT search aound looking for it. For the first 2 months or so I was afraid to touch the area because I didnt want to feel the port. Im not sure of the exact location of my port but I sure dont plan on finding out by feeling around...it gives me the willies!

I think it's a guy thing! LOL! My husband will feel it, but is a little weirded out by it. He was that way when I was pregnant with our boys too - especially with the first pregnancy! I would say, "oh honey, look here's an elbow sticking out, come feel it!" and he would kind of touch it really carefully.

But here's the funny thing - I was speaking at one of my doctor's informational seminars and a participant asked me if the port was visible. I said no, but pulled up my shirt and offered that she could touch it if she wanted. Several people at the seminar said, "ewwww", but after the first woman walked up and felt it, they actually made a line behind her to come feel it!! LOL! I think some people might be afraid that they will hurt you, or they are just grossed out by foreign bodies.

My hubby doesn't especially 'like' to feel my port but if I ask him to he will. As I've lost weight it is definitley more pronounced and just the other nite his had grazed over it while we were snuggling into sleep and he said....'Ick, theres your bump!!!' Made me chuckle. For the most part I think people find it odd to touch because it is foreign, but I havent had anyone be grossed out by it.

And Jetti made me chuckle with not wanting to touch it.... I LOVE feeling my port and often find myself rubbing it without even thinking about it. It's my new best friend and reminds me regularly that I have a helping hand in my journey. :frown:

All the best,

Patricia

11/16/06

306/202/175ish

My entire family would be grossed out if I lifted my shirt and offered to let them touch my port. lol

I think it is a guy thing too - my father is grossed out by the thought of pierced ears and chucked a fit when my mother and I had it done when I was a teenager (many MANY moons ago). To this day, he refuses to do anything like help Mum put in or take out an earring with a difficult catch. I'm pretty sure he'd be grossed out by the port, yet has no problem with gutting fish. Men are just babies that way .

Becca,

Your story of the seminar attendees lining up to touch your port is classic. I've had a bunch of people want to feel it. It doesn't bother me so I let them. I'm a bit of a rarity at our local support group. almost all of the people there are bypass, so when someone comes in wanting a band, you bet I step up and tell them all about it, including letting them feel it. My rhuemetologist hadn't had a lap band patient yet, so she wanted to see my scars and feel my port. So did my PCP. My massuese was curious about it when he saw my scars, a couple of friends who know about my band have touched it. Even my mom touched it. But my husband and sons? NO WAY!!!!