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Tattoos & Cancer
Wow, I haven't created a thread in a long while.
Anyway! Yesterday I got my first ever tattoo. It hurt so much, especially near the wrist and outer parts of my arm. It only took an hour but it felt like 4. I really don't know how I managed to sit through the entire thing. Near the end, when the artist was coloring in the black, I was consistently silently screaming obscenities. xD I didn't cry but I will not pretend that it wasn't a totally miserable existence. This experience has made me rethink about all of the tattoos I wanted to get. I'm not sure if I can will myself to get another one. The story behind the tattoo is that my mom was recently diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer (about three weeks ago). She has to get a hysterectomy, and then they will biopsy that to find out what stage she has. She hasn't experienced any symptoms besides some bleeding, but after they did the initial biopsy (to confirm if cancerous) they kind of forced a period out of her and she hasn't had any bleeding since. So, I'm hoping it hasn't spread. She's grown Plumerias/Frangipanis ever since we were kids, and still continues to. Since there are 5 of us, and a Plumeria has 5 petals, it worked out pretty well. It has a peachy color to it because peach is the color of the Endometrial Cancer ribbon. I really like bold, black tattoos and I wanted something geometrical so that if I ever did decide to get other tattoos, this one would kind of be framed and kept separate from the others (not to mention I like geometrical tattoos in general). My older sisters also got tattoos in her honor, and here they are. Do you have any tattoos? If so, was it torture for you or did you manage pretty well? |
Your tattoo experience was so different than my own. I have seven tattoos, one of them an unfortunately so far uncolored full back piece. While some of them were rather painful, most of them were more than tolerable. My worst piece is the last one I've gotten. It is a hyena and a raven on my arm. It was only a three hour session but it felt like I was getting my arm hacked off, which was weird for me because I had never had a session like that.
Yeah, it hurts since you have a needle going into your skin, but jeeze that was the worst experience. Since that was the first tattoo I had gotten from that artist I started asking other people if they had noticed his sessions hurting a bit more and they all agreed that he seemed a little more heavy handed than others they had gone to in the past, so I won't be going back to him. So it may have just been that particular artist's technique that made it hurt so badly for you. You might also just have a very low tolerance for that type of pain. If you're serious about wanting more tattoos in the future and don't think you can handle the pain you might look into products like Hush. It's a topical lotion that helps numb the skin a bit so the artist can work with you feeling it a bit less. My roommate swears by the stuff every time she gets work done. Just make sure you bring the bottle and that the artist is okay with you using it. Some artists won't because if you have some kind of weird reaction or something they don't want to get blamed (and there are cases of people doing just that.) |
I'm sorry it hurt so much, but you lasted and the end product is beautiful! The story behind it is tragic and I hope only the best for you and her. Let's hope it's at an early stage and that she will pull through fine! As far as your tat goes, it looks like it was well worth the pain. Your sister's tats look great as well! Did she have the same types of problems with pain that you had? Generally, if the needle is bouncing against bone it tends to hurt a little bit more.
As far as my tat experience goes, I have three. I got the first done in Prague when I was fifteen without parental consent...so I was one of the few kids in my school that had one, but it's on my hip in the front. I went in expecting pain, but the worst was when the needle was actually hitting my pelvis xD. It's just a nautical star, the kind that almost everyone has. My next tattoo I got when I turned 18. I saved up specifically for it, knowing it was going to be expensive. It's a side piece that stretches from damn close to my arm pit down past where my belt usually rests. It's of a naked anorexic woman with her head cut off; flowers are growing out of her neck based on this painting: https://elleir.deviantart.com/art/Abysse-93065796 It's more of a long tat than a big one, but it still took five hours on the table, all one sitting. $500 later and I'm left with a product I very much do not regret. But then, the painting means the world to me. My final tat (though hopefully it's only temporarily final; I want many more) is of a tribal type tattoo of a spider. I've long wanted a tattoo on my body of my favorite little creatures but I couldn't decide on a species, so it was off hunting for vague looking art and I got it. It's on my arm, and was done in my friend's bedroom by said friend. He's an artist and was just starting tattooing so I was nervous but he did a really nice job and delivered exactly what I wanted! This one was my least painful by far, probably because of the lack of bone there. This is the only one that most people see. If you're wanting more, maybe try some of the stuff that Mekatra suggested? I actually kind of like the pain, looking at it as sort of making the experience authentic, but I totally understand, especially if your future tattoos are going to be on more sensitive parts of the body. Your tat was pretty large and involved a lot of filling in, so I'm wondering if maybe that's where some of the pain came in? From my experience though, the fine lines hurt the most, haha. Sometimes it helps if you have a hand to hold, or something squeazy! For the most painful one (my side one) I had a little spider key chain that was one of those that you could squeeze if you got stressed....sadly, it didn't survive the encounter,lol. |
I have four tattoos. One on my wrist, one on my chest on the right hand side, one on my right calf, and one on my right shoulderblade. The wrist and shoulderblade ones are in color, the one on my calf will eventually be colored, and I kind of want to cover the one on my chest with something new.
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I would love to get some tattoos but with my health history I'm no-go territory for any reputable parlor. I have a couple relatives friends with tattoos. My sister also has a frangipani that she got to commemorate her time in Australia (she was so happy when she learned the artist was a kiwi and knew what they looked like.
My friend has a full leg tattoo of a sakura cherry with herself, several animals and pets that were part of her live, her family crest, and phrase in Latin (I think) "We are responsible forever for what we have tamed." It's awesome. The outlining is done, and it's partly coloured. If there are kids around and they're bored she'll let them get some markers and colour her leg. Tattoo pain I know does vary depending on location. Areas with more muscle or fat and fewer nerve endings will be easier, and apparently white can be painful because the needle needs to go in fairly deep for it to stay. It's one of the first colours to fade. My sister's started white and it needs to be redone. It's been some 10 years by now, at least. Would the creams affect the tattooing process at all? As someone who is well acquainted with needles, I used to use Emla cream all the time for dialysis, but stopped when the scar tissue started to build up and the cream made the skin a little spongy, giving the nurses a bit of a hard time. |
WEll
My first tattoo made me laugh when he jumped across my spine actually. I enjoy the burning stinging sensation the tattoo gun provides, and between that and going up and down in gauges I use it as a. .. . . method. . .. you could call it to keep myself from causing myself harm. If that makes sense? I have "1" self tattoo thats uber tiny near my armpit, and 7 regular tattoos. The worst tattoo was my chest piece, since it goes all the way from my collarbone to my bikini line. I also did not enjoy the back of my arm getting tatted. I was actually thinking of getting an endometriosis related tattoo, having some thorny vines coming out of my surgical scar. For pain I know there is a cream they have that dulls the receptors, though they don't generally offer it upfront. I was only suggested it because I was starting hour 3 of my Lotus cross (it took 2 sessions at 3 hours each) but I didn't take it since we were almost done. |
Mekatra Where on your arm was your hyena done? Forearm or upper?
I was told that the forearm is a pretty sensitive place. It literally felt like I was being skinned. I think my artist might've been heavy handed, too, so that could've definitely played a big part in why it sucked SOOOOOOO much, haha. She actually brought up the numbing stuff, so I think if I ever got work done on my arm again I would totally use that. sylvan My sister said it hurt around her wrist, and described it like a constant wasp sting. Pretty similar pain experience, in my opinion, mine just happened to take 45 minutes longer, haha. The wrist area was definitely the worst part for me. Your side tattoo is awesome, and so spooky! I was wondering if upper arm hurt, cause it is a meatier part of your body. People were saying since the whole black part was pretty much shading that's also another reason why it probably sucked, lol. I was actually squeezing a pusheen plushie keychain in my arm being tattooed and grabbing my SO's leg, hand, arm, whatever. Still was terrible, haha. Den Oh mannn, did the wrist suck for you? She barely went to my wrist but it was still horrible. How about the shoulder blade and calf area? I was thinking of those for future tattoos q_q Quiet I don't think numbing creams would affect it much. My artist actually suggested it, haha. She also used some on me after the lineart. It was amazing. Whenever she brought the needle(s) close to the numbed areas, I almost didn't feel it. So there were brief moments of peace...very brief. I'm sorry you can't get any D: I hope things work out so that one day you can :) That's totally awesome she lets her color it in xD SparX hey booty-ful. ;* Yeah, my artist suggested a numbing cream to put on an hour before, and actually used one after my lineart. I totally get what you mean. I've never been one to self harm so it really just wasn't doing anything pleasant for me x___x I've heard of people who enjoy the pain, but I guess I'm just a big wimp-o. |
I...am very curious about all your tattoo designs :|
I have a habit of scribbling on my arm, and a lot of my friends suggest getting them done as actual tattoos. Problem is, I've a really, really low pain tolerance. |
Actually, the one on my arm was my least painful! So if that's where you were looking to get another one, it is definitely one of the easier places to get one. :3 And yeah, being able to grab onto something definitely helps. I was single at the time of my most painful, so the keychain sufficed--but like SparX, I also kind of....like...the pain? I know it's weird. Recovery is often more agitating for me than actually getting the tattoo. xD
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Espy I mainly want a giant yin-yang on my back, with a mandala-type design going around it. I want some cute little lineart that goes from my neck down to the yin-yang/mandala.
For my arm with my current tattoo, I'm thinking of getting more flower to go with it, maybe something like this or this. Not sure yet. I also want to get something for my cats, but I don't know what to do yet. I love geometrical tattoos, so maybe some more of those with my cats' faces or something. The final one would be an underboob one, with like an amethyst gem in the middle. It was originally going to be the only tattoo I had with color but...the one for my mom will be the other, I guess. Something like this. I originally was going to stick with all mandala/geometric tattoos, but I think now I'll switch all of them to incorporate flowers and geometry. sylvanRecovery hasn't been too bad for me so far. I'm on day like..4 or 5 and I haven't started peeling yet. I am scabbing a little bit on the lineart part, and the huge black spot is a bit crispy. My sister's are already having some itchies haha, so I'm not looking forward to when this starts peeling. I'm also super paranoid that I'll mess it up. I think if I was going to get another arm tattoo, it would be on the upper arm. I need a break from the lower arm XD it was so terrible. Den I can't believe you ended up getting scar tissue. I'm afraid mine is going to get messed up because she was pretty heavy handed D: |
it's only in a small part of the tattoo... and I'll never go to that shop for tattoos ever again (They're great for piercings though). I even warn folks about 'em. I have a shop that I go to only for tattoos now, because all the artists are really good and even during the healing process, the tattoos I got there never got all scabby and gross. and they're still very vivid.
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My hyena is on my upper arm. It hurt a THOUSAND times more than the tattoo I have on my other arm in the same place which is kind of how I knew that artist was heavy handed.
My most painful one is the octopus tentacle that goes right up my spine. |
Den Oh jeese, I'm glad you didn't go back and let them mess anything else up!
Mine's only scabbing a teeny bit on the lineart, but I'm mostly worried for when it begins to peel. Its been like 4-5 days and it hasn't started, yet. Mekatra Yikes, that sounds incredibly painful. I think next time I decide to get a tattoo I'll look for an artist who isn't heavy handed. It seems to make a big difference. |
You're applying lotion regularly throughout the day, right?
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If I could, I think I'd like to get a compass rose, or stylized pisces sign, perhaps with koi or killer whales. Perhaps once we're able to 3D print organs with neutral tissue so I don't need immune suppressants anymore, I'll look into it. ;) |
I will say if you ever plan on getting anything without an outline, with a lot of fine details, or with a lot of really bright colors it would do it a lot of favors to be in a place where it doesn't see a lot of sun.
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Keeping skin out of the sun as much as possible is just a good rule of thumb anyway... all four of my tattoos are in places that I can cover with clothing if need be and are easy for me to reach on my own to put sunscreen on if I'm not covering 'em with cloth.
Since I tend to wear sunscreen during the summer (I wear shorts and knee length skirts with t-shirts and blouses then) and spend the rest of the year in hoodies, I communicated with my artists about where the tattoos were to be. The one that gives me the most trouble (and it's really not that bad) is the one on my shoulder blade, because I have to go from the bottom to get some of it covered with sunscreen if I'm wearing something that shows it. Most of the time though, it's my calf one and my wrist one that get the most exposure. |
Den Yeah, I started applying lotion after day 3 cause I was using ointment before then. Now I do the lotion after I wash it, which is about 3-4 times a day, and a little throughout the day whenever I start to get dry.
It's started peeling and some of the scabs have started coming off! Quiet Those ideas sound awesome, and I really hope we get to that level of technological advancement soon! Mekatra Most, if not all of my ideas are strictly blackwork..so just lineart, maybe some little lineart detail, and not much/if any shading except for giant blocks of black. I burn super easy in the sun, so I am normally coated in sunscreen when I spend a 30+ minutes out in direct sunlight. Thankfully, I'm 99% hermit and spend most of my time indoors. 8) |
Pessimistcat: well, they've successfully printed an ear and heart valves, but a functional organ is a bit more complicated I would think. One hopes, though.
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Just remember not to pick at it, and if it gets itchy, a good, sharp slap will help.
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Quiet Sadly it's also a bit controversial, since I think some of that requires the use of stem cells.
Den It's pretty much done peeling at this point. I have like a couple of small scabs that haven't come off yet. I did lose a little pigment in a few small spots :'( Mostly on the outlined part. Update on my mom: She saw her surgeon and they said if her cancer had spread they would have seen signs of type 2 or 3. So, it mostly is type 1 and her surgery is on March 12th. She's getting it done by robot, so her healing time should be about 2 weeks. :) |
Save up to get it touched up?
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It's kind of necessary that stem cells are controversial, since there are other places to get them than from embryos. |
Den Maybe one day. xD They aren't too noticeable.
Quiet Oh really? That's actually pretty cool. I also didn't know there were other places to get them aside from embryos! |
Umbilical cord blood is a big source, which is something that is normally thrown out anyway so really, nothing is lost (I remember hearing a story where a the stem cells from a baby's umbilical cord were used on the mother to cure her leukemia.) For the purposes of tissue creation, they can use normal cells and sort of grow them. At least, this is what I'm getting from the wiki on it. ;)
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Quiet That is so awesome! Definitely thinking I should somehow keep that preserved if I ever have a kid. :D
If only we had known years ago that we could keep it to help fight against future diseases. |
I don't know how well it keeps. The mother had Leukemia when the child was born. I think they tried the treatment right away.
Back to the tattoo end, I think I'd actually prefer the look of decorative scarring, but I'm sure that would be even worse for infection and complication potential. |
A quick bit of research suggests that modern cryopreservation technology can keep it usable for about ten years.
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Quiet Oh okay, I see.
I love scarification (? if that's what its called) but yeah, I don't know if I would personally get it just because of pain and risk of infection and stuff. Coda Oh wow, 10 years isn't bad though! Hopefully you would never need it, but if you do then...yeah. At least they can preserve it for a decently long amount of time. |
I have four tattoos and they all hurt so much.
The one on my back, just under my neck, hurt the most, I actually cried, real tears. Anyway, I like you, am rethinking whether to get more. I found them very painful, and after a few months,they don't look as crisp as when they were done. I love your tattoo, so pretty with so much meaning. |
I plan on getting a carnation tattoo someday, with a ribbon with the date my grandma was born, and the date she died, on it, with her first and middle names on the middle section.
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Too bad I have no plans on having kids. It would be handy if they get this organ growing thing at least testable in the next decade. |
Moonshadow Thank you so much!
And aghhhhhhhhhhh ;O; I really was going to get this elegant piece on my back but IDEK man I'm pretty afraid. It's like when I drink too much and then I feel like crap so I'm like "never againnnnnnnnnn". That's what I felt like during that tattoo. Den That sounds beautiful! I want to do something for my family, and my pets, but I'm still unsure just what. I figure the family stuff will stay on my left arm. I mean the petal/plumeria kind of works for it...so maybe I'll just stick with that. Quiet I wanted to do a henna one but I think they fade super easily/quickly?? I know white disappears super fast, too. |
Just wanted to post an update to this:
My mom got her hysterectomy, and they biopsied everything they took out. They found no spread, so therefore she doesn't need anymore treatment, and it was Stage I :) |
Oh, that's great news! :D
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Hello
That's so good to hear!! <3 |
My kitty's pathology results came back and it was a fibrosarcoma. The good news is that the lumpectomy went REALLY well and healed up very quickly, and the lump at least LOOKED self-contained, so there's a good chance it won't come back, but fibrosarcomas are so aggressive that we'll never be sure and we have to keep an eye on it.
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Good news, Coda!
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yayyyyy good news all 'round!
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