Tattoo too

anonymous

New member
This cocaine discussion has made me think. I had a doc one time that said that a lot CF kids are "crazy" in their lifestyles and that spirit helps us fight. I was told this because I piercings and tattoos. I was wondering, how many of us sport the ink and what does yours mean?

I promised myself if I got my FEV1 back over 70% I would get some new ink. After IV's and a lot of exercise I did!!! I had a customized Ankh put on my left arm. For those of you unfamiliar an Ankh is an Egyptian symbol for eternal life. I am of the European dissent and had a Celtic spin on the design and actually have a clover in the eye of the cross. Of course the connotation is there...you figure it out!!

Luke 29/cf with a 115 dog that messed all over his room yesterday!
 

anonymous

New member
Heya
Interesting theory your doc has.... wonder how much of it is true? When i got my tatoo done (only a few months ago) my peds doc thought i was 'going off the rails' lol, becomming all rebellious and stuff, when that isnt true at all.

I got two butterflies printed on my back, fairly cliche i suppose, with the whole "becomming an adult" etc etc metaphore. I had always promised myself i would do something ever-lasting and significant on my 18th Birthday, just because i made it here <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

I also have my bloated, pregnant-looking CF stomach peirced aswell, about amonth ago. Other than that.. just my ears are peirced.

I plan on getting a rose tattoo somewhere aswell, (obvious symbolism) but i am fearing looking too inked and mix-matched. Oh well, plenty of time for that one!

Cat 18 years wcf
 

anonymous

New member
I have two tattoo's one on my hip that is a devil and i have a black butterfly on my shoulder blade. I also have both my nipples pirced and 11 pircings in my ears. I didn't have any trouble with any of them. I wanna get another tattoo but i don't knwo what i want yet. My fev 1 was at 50% when i got them all done, mostly because it's been at 50% for the past like 5 years. Also when i was a teen the nurses used to think it was funny cause my hair was always a different colour.


Ashley 20 w/cf
 

JohnnaMarie

New member
Hiya:

I got a tatoo on the back of my shoulder when I was nineteen. It is a brightly colored butterfly. I love it. No matter what ,you cannot get tired of a butterfly. That cocaine posting was kinda scary. I know i experimented with lots of alcohol when i was a teen. I know that was not good for me either. The word cocaine that just sounds dangerous.

<img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0"> Johnna
 

anonymous

New member
My doctors never had a problem with my tattooing, of course as long as it was done in a clean, safe manner.

My first tattoo I had done when I was almost 18 - it's the word "breathe" on my chest, above my breast. This certainly has a lot of meaning for me considering that I have CF, it's a constant remider but also in some ways a tribute. But when people look at it, I'm hoping that they realize how precious breathing really is and that they shouldn't take it for granted.

I had another one about 8 months later. It's just a black and grey abstract butterfly on my hip. Really no meaning in that, other than the design was beautiful.

On second though, my endochronologist was a little more apprehensive about the tattoos considering diabetics don't "heal as well" as those without diabetes. Nonetheless, mine healed fine with no problems.

Haley 18 CF/CFRD
 

anonymous

New member
I'm going to get a big peace on my back, I'm sitll looking for the right picture. So if anybody has a pic of lungs where you can see the bronc tubes and such email them to me. colinmaydahl@hotmail.com

And I'm going in to the hospital today.

Colin 22m w/CF San Diego
 

jaime

New member
I have a butterfly on my right hip, I got it when I was 23. None of my docs had a problem with it. I do remember when I first got it one of the docs saw it and told me that alot of the CF pts she knew had butterfly tattoos--I thought that was kind of funny.
 

HollyCatheryn

New member
I have two tattoos. The first is a black, tribal-style sunburst that I got when I was 18. I had always promised myself that when I moved out and was paying all my own bills I would get a tattoo. My parents didn't want me to get one, so I wanted to respect that while I was under their roof or on their support. So, the first month that I was totally independant, I got my ink. It is low on my sacrum. I got another one a couple years later, hubby and I went together. I got a butterfly with cat-eyes on the wings. It is between my shoulder-blades and is in color. I always knew I wanted to have children, so I made a point to avoid putting ink on my hips, belly, or breasts - fleshy parts that might stretch with pregnancy, breastfeeding, and of course age. I used to have nine ear piercings, but two in the cartiledge I had to let close up because they didn't heal well. I had my belly-button pierced and it healed fine. I took the ring out when I was pregnant and never put it back, because I got a stretch mark right through the hole and it just wouldn't have been cute anymore. Sometimes I think about getting another tattoo, but I don't know...
 

anonymous

New member
Here's my thought on the whole tatoo thing & I'm not trying to be critical at all, just an observation I have made. In 20 or so years, there won't be many blood donors available (i.e. Red Cross, etc) because they've had tatoos & from what I know, you can't donate blood when you've had a tatoo. I don't know if us CFers could donate blood anyway, but your friends couldn't either if they've had tatoos.
Just something I thought about.....way too much time on my hands<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 

NoDayButToday

New member
I was intrigued by that whole tattoo/blood donation thing so I looked it up on redcross.org. The eligibility page actually says that those with tattoos can still donate blood, but they must wait 12 months after getting their tattoo to donate.

http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/blood/learn/eligibl.html

Thought I'd share
 

ClashPunk82

New member
I like the look of tattos but on other people just wouldn't look right on me. And I am such a nervous nelly that I feel that something would go wrong and I would get a massive infection!! lol! Also too I have diabetes and my doc said it's probably not a good idea doing it, but it doesn't matter because those just aren't for me. I change my mind too much, I am better off with the lick em and stick em tattos! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

Nicole 22 CF
 

anonymous

New member
way to back up the tattoo'ers with facts colleen. A moot point anyway, our blood is tainted and can't donate. As for piercings, when I was in college I had the eye brow, tongue, ear X2 and both nipples. I had to trade them off for a tie when I graduated. I still have one nipple ring and my tattoo's, a beach rebel!

for the ladies, the butterfly is very symbolic and a classic and popular choice.
for Colin, I would love to see a real life Mr. Goodbody, that would make the world a better place!

Luke, 29/cf and still rebelling!!!!
 

Emily65Roses

New member
I was told I couldn't donate blood on the grounds that they don't want to deplete my system, not on the fact that my blood is tainted. They take a lot of red blood cells, and that's what carries the oxygen, or something like that. It made sense when it was explained to me.

I have 8 holes in my ears (I'm working on getting #s 9 and 10 soon). I had an eyebrow ring, but it grew out. I've also considered a navel ring, and nipple rings. For a long time I wanted a nose stud and a lip ring but because of the career I'm headed towards, I had to avoid those. I have one tattoo on my left shoulder blade. It's only about an inch or two in diameter, and it's black and grey. It's the symbol Evanescence uses. It's this little swirly deal. My next tattoo is going to be a rose of some kind, and the # 65. I am waiting for someone to design it in a way that I like. I'm also waiting for the $ to pay for it to drop into my lap. Hah.
 

anonymous

New member
That is interesting about the 12 month after tatoo thing....I went to the Red Cross and their concern is that if you get hepatitis from the needles used w/ tatoos, I guess you would obviously know with in the first 12 months. I thought it was a lifetime thing (tatoo= no blood donation). It's good to know that that's not the case.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 

anonymous

New member
I have tattoos and piercings too. I have 3 tattoos and I've had many peircing but only 1 right now. I had my tongue, upper lip (called a Marilyn....like Monroe's mole) belly button (still have that one) and both nipples done. I do what makes me happy and that's also why I got a boob job. No problems there either. No problems with health or Xrays. I don't let CF hold me back. I do what makes me happy and would wish that for anyone.
 

NoDayButToday

New member
Luke,
No problem, I just wanted to make sure the facts that were on here were correct... and besides my curiousity got the better of me. Just an aside- I don't get called Colleen unless I'm in trouble for something- pretty much everyone calls me Coll. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Also, who's Colin?
 

anonymous

New member
One other theory since ppl are tossing them around, for me personally I pierce myself because its something I can control, I enjoy the pain the pain and blood makes something real for me. I have had a lot of issues since my tx, and surprisingly I got back into piercing because of the emotional pain I was going through, if I pierced myself then it made that pain something real to me, something I could physically see and feel. I have gotten into a lot of arguements over this, and I just like to give ppl a perspective on why some ppl may be exccessive with body modification, (as I have been told that I am) no arguements please !!!!!

A few have told me I have some issues and pychological problems, but I can assure you I am very much sane, I just love the pain.
Cf creates so much pain in our lives, and the pain that CF causes us we cannot control, piercing myself and creating I suppose that particular pain is something I, and I alone have control on, Its something I own, something I can do and have full control of...

I also just want to say that my CF has always come first, I have done my treatments religiously and never skipped em, so just because I wanted control I never neglected my CF....

before my tx I just had my belly button done which I did myself, and normal ear piercings. Since tx I have gotten my brow pierced and stretched, my nipples dont 4 times (verticles and horizontals in each 2 rings in each nip) I have stretched my ears 10 times and I am now proud to have my ears at 10mm, (00g) and I still have my navel ring, and I am planning on some more piercings this year....

I have one tatto so far, and I say so far because I am planning on more.
MY tatt is a full back, which is a black rose with a serpent at the end of the rose and its surrounded by a phoenix. I did this 12 months after my tx, I wanted something also to bind me to my donor just like my scar does. The black rose symbolizes the death of my donor, the serpent at the end of the rose represents my disease(CF) and the phoenix represents my tx, my rebirth from death.

So for me it works, I was advised against piercings etc after my tx, but I also went through severe depression and I found that piercing helped me control the urge to do myself in.... meds have a huge effect on how your mind works ( or they did to me)

anyway, if any one wants to check out my tattoo just ask

~Tracy~
 

anonymous

New member
just wanted to add that I am 30 years old, and 2 years post double lung transplant, and I started my piercing 3 months post tx, so I am not a rebellious 13 year old, maybe just a rebellious 30 year old, LOL

If you honestly look around, the vast majority of us(CF community) have either piercings or tattoos of some sort, not everyone goes excessive, but I do believe it has a lot to do with control like I said, nothing in our lives we have control over, we are told to cough this way and that and stuck with needles etc and our lives in a sense is always in someone elses hands, someone elses control. This gives us just a little amount of control of our own.

not many ppl have needles on such a large scale from birth to death, so why wouldnt we be immunded to being stuck??( again Im not saying everyone is a pain junky like me)

another thing to look at is, we often want to punish our bodies for letting us down, so piercings gives us that control also, these are just my reasons for doing what I do. hell maybe I am nutz eh?? LOL

~Tracy~
 

anonymous

New member
I have a butterfly and a sunflower right below my tummy. I want a blue dragon fly on the other side.


Jenna - 25 w/ CF
 
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