Tattoo

[C Bourne]

Got my tattoo today (lucky no. 7)!! As mentioned previously, I chose a treble clef for 2 reasons: 1. to mark my love for classical music and 2. to celebrate completing 5 weeks of radiation for my AN! I put it on the left side as that is where the AN is, and also as a reminder to my spouse which is my partially deaf side...   Done by Rick Wilson at Strange World Tattoo in Calgary.  The lower left of the clef curve is a bit ragged - I will have to see how it heals and likely go in for some touch ups. But overall, I'm very happy with it!

[Keri]

cool looking! does it hurt? seems like that area would be pretty sensitive. how long does it take?
i think i want one on the palm of my hand. i think my family will think i'm crazy, but that's okay.

[leapyrtwins]

Very nice 

Jan

[C Bourne]

cool looking! does it hurt? seems like that area would be pretty sensitive. how long does it take?
i think i want one on the palm of my hand. i think my family will think i'm crazy, but that's okay.

This is my seventh - it is the smallest and took the least time (10 mins).  If you have a tattoo and know what it feels like, this was nothing.  It's in a muscle, so no real pain.  The longest one I had was about 2 hours on my leg/ankle, and I actually fell asleep - the repetitive motion was sort of soothing...    Kinda like a massage therapist - it hurts, but it's a good hurt. The bracelet I have on my wrist hurt the most when they were going over the tendons on the inside of my arm - had to bite my tongue.  And I had to have it done twice (I had it 'fixed' about 2 years after)!  The ones that are over fleshy or big muscle parts hurt the least.  I don't know how people get the big ones on the spine - I think that would hurt.  Feet too.  If you haven't had a tattoo, the best way I can explain it is that it feels like someone is scratching you hard enough to draw blood...repeatedly.  After the fact, it feels like a bad sunburn (hot and itchy!). 

Palm of your hand would be interesting - it's pretty fleshy so it probably wouldn't hurt too much (I guess that's relative!) at the time, but the 3 weeks of healing would suck.  You basically wouldn't be able to use your hand, and you have to be careful not to get/keep it wet.  Also, I'm not sure about longevity in that location - gets a lot of 'wear', not sure how it would stand up.  I don't know anyone personally with a palm tattoo - it would be good to ask someone who has one.  Is a neat idea!

[Soundy]

cool cleft ... I am thinking I need a little STOP sign under my AN ear ...

I know you were probably talking to Tomcat but will answer anyway ... the first one of my avatar picture only took about 15 minutes to do ... about 45 minutes for my bracelet ...for me it was just a little tingly feeling as it was done except when doing bracelet when he went over that little nub of bone that sticks up on the outside of wrist... that for whatever reason sent a little shock like feeling up my arm , making me jump ... which  caused him to bobble a bit so he had to smooth out edge of the heart so the line is thicker there than intended ... but that plays into Hannah's  "life is not perfect" part of the design ...first couple days it felt like a mild sunburn ...neither ever got scabby like I was told they would do but a little peeling around edges is going on right now and it itches a bit ... May have to touch up some color on two of the hearts

I was told palm tattoos don’t last due to wear and tear and that the skin .. That is where I wanted to put the heart for the baby I lost so I could close my hand when thinking of him … kind of like holding him … now he floats up above the rest …my little angel … they would have put it in my palm but I didn’t want to have to go back and retouch it ever so often

Keri ...as for family thinking you are crazy , a few of mine did think so at first when I got the first one but got over it ... now they think I am crazy for other things ...like walking all through the night at relay ... reading when I should be sleeping  ... volunteering my time at school ...staying involved with Cub Scouts when my youngest son is almost 29 ... one person with a pierced nose really thought I was nuts ...told me that the tattoo was permanent  , like the hole in her nose wasn’t …I don’t mind her piercing but sometimes she doesn’t put anything in it and just has this hole there … just had to stare in disbelief at her when she was negative about what I have done  ...

very few know about this new one ... my Mom is on her way over and will be introduce to it ... she will be mad that I didn't invite her along on the trip since she wants to get some kind of tattoo as a reminder to keep fighting her cancers ... a ribbon or pink butterfly on upper arm ... when she gets her nerve up I will go with her and probably end up with something on me to honor her ... but these first two were connecting with my kids and didn't want extra company along

[Keri]

well, i think y'all have talked me out of a palm tatoo! mostly because i don't have time to let my hand heal.  thanks for the info... we'll see what happens. it's one of those things that i think would be cool to do but i'll just probably never make time for it.
what's a henna tatoo?

[saralynn143]

Keri, a henna tattoo is an intricate design drawn with henna on the skin. My daughter had one done at a craft festival once. I think it stayed vivid about a week and lasted about ten days before it faded away.

Sara

[Lizard]

I have one on my foot and it wasn't bad at all...I think they hurt more when they're on your torso than on an extremity....just my 2 cents after having 2 done on my back.  I really want to get one that signifies my journey, but can't seem to decide what...I don't want it to be as obvious as a date(it can involve the date in it) and it has to be creative.
Anyone have ideas for me? 

[Soundy]

that is what I like about mine ... their meanings  are not obvious to every one ...

Sarah's drawing of me with a headache that was drawn before tumor was found signifies to me that I was not conquered by it and lived to tell the tale ...

Hannah's bracelet also would mean little to anyone we didn't choose to explain it too ...

both are private between me and my girls ...only shared when and with who we wish to ( like here ) ...I think of them as mini monuments

my advise would be to think of something that is important to you and is something that you still have or can do even after your AN surgery that you thought you may no longer have ... for me thinking I would no longer be here with my family is in my bracelet Hannah did ...tie your tattoo to your life and who you are

the bracelet is my family ...all the links are the extended ones ...sisters , brothers , mom , dad , grand kids etc  ... to many to add hearts for so the bracelet is them and hearts for those closet to me and the two major losses  in my life , that are still a big part of me ...my ex who I thought I would grow old with and who I miss terribly some days ...like when our son was not accounted for for several months in Iraq ...I wanted to talk to him but didn't ...he gave me my sons ...we had a 20 year often rocky life together ( from 15 year old school girl til end of marriage that lasted 18 years )  but good times too and it is hard sometimes to know we are no more ... and Bo's green heart ( green because he is a farmer and likes green fields ...sometimes things are just that simple) reminds me that when I thought I could never love again or let someone love me that I could ... he accepted me and my sons as a whole and put me back together emotionally ... that a 12 year old took what we talked about and came up with it amazes me ...she got it all and added her Weirdo face to put her there with me and it signifies strength

[Lizard]

Soundy thanks for sharing your tattoo meanings...I think its very important for them to have meaning, but its hard to figure out what to do....I'm working on it, and I think having one that signifies my surgery to me is really all that matters.  Nobody else needs to look at it and understand.
Talk to you soon,
Liz

[Soundy]

.I think its very important for them to have meaning, but its hard to figure out what to do...
Talk to you soon,
Liz

that is why it took Hannah a year to get her design just how she wanted it