So, before surgery I always slept on my left side but recently ( I was banded 1/31/08) when I lay on my left side I feel something rubbing against my ribs. It kinda makes me nauseated. As long as I just lay there its ok but if I move its rubbing or grinding in there...just a mild rubbing feeling. I figured it might be the tubing connecting the band...I saw the doc last week and the visit was so quick that I forgot to ask him about it. Just wondering if anyone else has this issue. I dont notice any other probs associated with it. Anyhow I am now back to sleeping on my right side.

I don't hear/feel grinding, but I do feel tenderness in my port area if I try to lay on my right side. I imagine that maybe the port is hanging from my muscle (its on my left side) and that causes it to be tender. I do OK on my left side, but my back is best.

Also if I wear pants that strike me in the just the right place, it feels like my port kind of gets hooked on them, ouch.

Edited July 21, 200818 yr by SuzanneG

Kanigag,

I don't hear the grinding, but I can definitely feel it rubbing if I lay on my right side-which by the way is my favorite side to sleep on(i'm a side sleeper). So needless to say I have learned to toss and take turns at night between my right and left side. But when I do sleep soundlessly and do so on my right side where my port is I tend to notice I wake up really tight and hunger is controlled excellently on those days. Don't know if that has anything to do with it or not...

but the pain is terrible and irritating.

Sounds like it might be your port. Mine is on my left side around mid section.

You know what...last night I slept on my left side I just had to and all throughout today I have been tighter than usual...maybe I should sleep on my left side all the time...lol....I dont really hear I grinding I think its just in my head.....I just really feel the rubbing....I toss and turn at night too but it doesnt wake me up so thats good.

SUZANNEG...I see you were banded before me....I am surprised that you are still having tenderness around your port area....mine doesnt bother me at all......

kaninag, I have tenderness if I lay on my right side and if I eat too much, it makes my port feel tender, not my stomach. I have no idea why, but I'm fine any other time.

I'm very short waisted, so I think sometimes that I just don't have enough distance between my port and my waistline.

SuzzanneG my port is by my bellybutton which is the fatest part on my body...so I really havent noticed any tenderness until after reading your post this morning I kinda push in that area and it is tender....so I think I'll leave it alone...lol.

I'm still trying to make up my mind which procedure to have. I want the band, of course, because it seems less invasive and healthier, but I'm worried about the port. I don't want to have to worry about that port for the rest of my life, even after I've lost all my weight.

I am a side sleeper so this really worries me. I am also short wasted. How is everyone else dealing with their ports and do you think your weight loss and increased health is worth having to deal with a port?:thumbup:

I think over time the "I have a port thing" goes away. I barely even notice mine. As far as sleeping the last couple of nights I have slept on my left side and no rubbing feeling.....If it bothers me I just sleep on the other side....

I hope I don't get flamed for saying this, but my mom had gastric by-pass 10 years ago and although she weighs in at a trim 110, her quality of life is next to zero. She is either throwing up, constipated, or diahrea every day of her life. It's the saddest thing in the world. She also developed scar tissue in her intestines and gets blocked and ends up in the hospital 2-6 times a year. They told her that one of these days, they'll have to operate and the survival for that surgery is low. I would give anything if we could turn back the clock and undo her surgery, but it is 100% NOT reversable. Too risky for me, especially after watching her suffer.

Having said that, I do know people who didn't get sick like her, but out of the 3 that I know, 2 gained at least 1/2 their weight back.

Just food for thought.

I know more ppl that get sick from Gastric bypass than not...that just seems to dangerous for me. I'm a nurse and I worked for a few years in hematology/oncology and we had several gastric bypass patients that would come into our clinic and get monthly infusions of iron and B12 hots....a good friend of mine was in the hospital 2 days shy of 2 years straight after having the gastric bypass....I would never go to that extreme...she has had to have several surgeries....oh and to add to that they recently found a blade that was left in her abdomen after one of her recent surgeries!!!!!!!

SUZANNEG...I have noticed that you have lost a lot of weight and seem to be doing great...share your secret (besides the band!). I dont always work out like I should maybe thats my prob but I just dont seem to be losing..........

Thanks guys for your answers. I sure have a lot to think about. I'm going back and forth, daily, it seems, about which surgery to have.....I want the guaranteed weight loss of the bypass, but just the huge scale of the surgery scares me and I DON'T want to have to deal with being sick all the time.

On the other hand, the port also scares me and after going through the pain and recovery of surgery I don't want to be frustrated by not being able to find my "sweet spot" and not losing weight, or not losing very much weight....

choices.....I don't like choices....:confused2:

Good luck!!!