My oncologist mentioned that my tattoos are going to be on my tummy. I didn’t think to ask why at the time. Has anyone else got them there?
Hi
I’ve got one on tummy, helps line you up with machine and the other dots oround breast area .Its a tiny blue dot,don’t even notice it. I’m in the north east and you can get them removed after treatment for free.
Hope your treatment goes well
Lynne
I’m having 3 on my tummy. I have to live with mine or pay to have them removed. I’m not worried about them, more surprised that all 3 are on my tummy. I knew my boobs had gone south a bit but not that much!
Hi Gwendolyn
Lol, no what you mean, though only have the one heading that way!!!
Maybe different machines need different markers, hopefully someone will come along with something more helpful.
Take care x
I didn’t have any on my tummy just 3 one each side of me and one in the middle between the breasts .
I shall believe that it is the machine and not the state of boobs then. Although, I expect when I get there they will take one look and I will get tatooed on my ankles!
Did the tatoos hurt?
Not really just a pin prick.
Hello everyone
The tattoo are only a quick scratch and a drop of ink put on it, so not really painful. I believe where you have the tattoos depends on whether you have had a lumpectomy or mastectomy and also where the lump was in that breast. Also after taking those calculations into account the last 2 things are was their lymph nodes involved and is it the right or left breast as your heart in under your left breast. So I think if the lump was in the lower half of the breast then the rads will be directed lower down.
Marian
Who would have thought it was all so complicated! My lumps are on the level with the nipple. Perhaps that it why on the diagram he showed me the patch was so big.Thanks for the reassurance though. Don’t know why I’m worried about it hurting after 2 ops, swollen boobs and underarms plus infections!
Hi, I was worried too about the tatoos, being an utter wimp!, they weren’t too bad, although the one lower down did make me jump - so that one is slightly bigger than the rest, I have 4 in total, 1 either side of my body, 1 in my cleavage and the other at the bottom of my sternum. So not sure why they would put them on your stomach , but hey, isn’t this bc thing a huge learning curve, I had my first rads yesterday , all seems ok as yet, I have got a strange tingly sensation but could just be the extremely cold weather!
Hope your treatment goes ok, x
hi i was really worried about tatoo thing which seems daft i know considering all we’ve been through.i have 5 in total 1 either side under arms 1 at the top of my breast and two midline cleavage and bottom of breast bone the midlineones are to centre you straight on the table so you are in exactly same position only the one on my cleavage hurt a bit (i think cos its boney and not much fat there) but i was told that they could use henna if i wanted too but to be honest it just blends in with freckles but can be removed free ifi want xx
There is no need to have tattoos if you prefer not to. I had a clear sticky ‘plasters’ (Tegarderm) onto which the dots were put with a marker pen. Had then on for 6 weeks. Bathed as normal; ‘plasters’ and dots stay put. Just peeled them off after, so no permanent marks at all :-).
Guess it depends what you’ve had done. I felt I’d had enough of having things done to me that I didn’t want doing. 
There is no need to have tattoos if you prefer not to. I had a clear sticky ‘plasters’ (Tegarderm) onto which the dots were put with a marker pen. Had them on for 6 weeks. Bathed as normal; ‘plasters’ and dots stay put. Just peeled them off after, so no permanent marks at all :-).
Guess it depends what you’ve had done. I felt I’d had enough of having things done to me that I didn’t want doing.
I shall ask about Tegarderm and marker pen dots. I wonder why they don’t offer this anyway as I should think most poeple don’t want blue dots after everything else.
Hi. Quite! Nobody offered it to me either, even when I asked about alternatives. I was asking a Macmillan nurse for more info about how appropriate the dose/location of my rads were and happened to mention that the tattooing was, for me, the final straw. She just breezily mentioned that there was no need to have tattoos if I didn’t want them, and arranged it all for me.
I got the impression that by using tattoos, there is no risk that they’ll have to re-do your planning, as there is no risk of them coming off oryou turning into a lunatic and remarking yourself!
Good luck