Preparing

[bloodyrosemccoy]

All right! I have an appointment to get The Tattoo! On Saturday at 1:00, I’ll be getting a column of script down my back. The guy who did my last one was booked—I’d have to get it right before a longass road trip, which would be NO FUN. So I went with his colleague.

 

Now taking bets on how I’m going to react! Will Amelia:

 

1. Grin and bear it?
2. Discover that this really isn’t painful and she was worried for nothing?
3. Chicken out?
4. Pass out from pain?*

I have encountered one logistical problem. For a few days during the healing period, I have the feeling I am not going to want to even think about bra straps. Now, for some people this is easy to handle, but I am the sort of person who has what scientists call a Big Damn Rack. The kind of rack that, without a bra to hold it down, will bounce, hang, and get goddamn stretch marks.

 

So I’m looking at more pain, as well as a tendency to look markedly silly for a few days. When I don’t wear a bra, it’s pretty visible, and highly comical. I’ll be okay at home—I just won’t be practicing my tap dance much—but when I go out, I’m either going to have to fold my arms over my chest (maybe I’ll carry an armload of books) or wear my boob-smashing swimsuit.** Either way, convalescence is going to be hilarious.

 

I’m also curious as to what my parents are going to think.  I expect Mom will be puzzled and possibly slightly alarmed as to why I’m doing this, but then we have different aesthetic principles, and also in her experience people with tattoos are also people with smoking, drinking, and drug problems.  Dad … I really can’t say; Dad can be pretty inscrutable about some things.  Bafflement is my best guess. But I do wonder if any part of Dad’s reaction will feature the thought that if I ever get back surgery, I am going to be up the creek.

 
Well, we’ll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, I’m so excited that I’m bouncing. It’s like Christmas! Only with more needles! Yay!

 

*There is a precedent for this, but not with a tattoo.

 

**Actual Conversation I Had While Trying It On: “Is it supposed to crush me into a singularity like this?” “Yes.” “Okay then.”

Comments

[blackbyrd2.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming a tattoo the size of this one is costly. I would, since it is an alphabet of your own devising, suggest you require the artist to reproduce it, in full, on a piece of paper or something, just to ensure that the aethetics are exactly what you envision them as. But then, you've probably received much more useful advice from people with actual experience in these matters, so maybe I should just sthu. :)

Also, and I'm not the person to answer this, but I've heard spinal tattoos are kinda painful? (relaively speaking) It would suck to get halfway through and bail.

I'm really not attempting to talk you out of this. I'm just trying to help make sure you've considered all potential issues.

Will there be photos? We wants photos!

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestions! It's $150-200, from the estimate I got at the consult. The artist currently has a copy of the alphabet that he's going to make into a stencil; the stencil is a temporary tattoo they put on your back and then just follow the outlines. I do want to make sure they don't do it upside down and backwards. As for pain, why, I've heard that too! (It's actually the #1 response I get to "I'm gonna get a spine tattoo!") I have no idea how painful "painful" is, though, so I'll just have to hope I can tough it out.

There will indeed be photos!

[piper-lee.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, I'd be so scared. xD

[bean-bunny.livejournal.com]

I once knew a conductor who got a tattoo of a dragon -- a HUGE FUCKING dragon -- across his chest in Shanghai. He said, in his words, there is a point on the wall in that tattoo parlor that is his forever because it hurt so bad that the only thing he could do was stare at that one point as hard as he could.

So yeah, have fun.

[placetohide.livejournal.com]

Good luck!!

[10cents.livejournal.com]

Your new tattoo adventures are very interesting and all, but now that you've mentioned that you have at least one already, I'm curious about that: how many do you have, and what kinds of designs? (I'm the kind of person that doesn't want any, myself, but am fascinated by what other people decide to get.)

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Just one--a little one on my left arm. It's an image of the Desert Mermaid I use as my personal symbol--a Kokopelli-rock-art style mermaid:



It is obnoxiously personal, but basically it represents my love of the American Southwest and the ocean, fantasy, mermaids, blah blah blah. Also, it's cute.

[mathsnerd]

I have a huge dragon tattooed across my lower back and I meditated through the whole dang thing, but I tell you, it was the only way I got through the spinal portions. It's not so bad when they're going over it the first time, but as they fill in the color, you go nuts. Remember to breathe and focus on the end result!

Dammit, now I want a second tat. *grumps*

[medusasowl.livejournal.com]

Grats on the tat!!! :D The above person who mentioned meditating has an excellent idea. Kinda go elsewhere for the duration. Everybody thought my facial tattoo would be really painful, but it didn't hurt at all... I did feel the vibration through my skull for a little while after though. ;) You never know! Hopefully your artist isn't real chatty and you can focus on other things in your head though. Unless chatting is the better distraction!

I love your desert mermaid too!!

[michellerz.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness. I wish I could offer a suggestion for the bra thing, but as the fellow bearer of a Big Damn Rack, I can't fathom the thought of ever going braless. I'd say your best bet is the swimsuit if it won't hurt you too much, especially with the tap dancing thing :)

[gundamkiwi.livejournal.com]

As far as harnessing the Big Damn Rack is concerned, would a bra that converts to halter-style work? Or mebbe some duct tape? 8D