tattoos gone
tattoos gone Hurray the last bit of physical reminder has gone. I had the stitches removed from where I had the tattoos cut out. The best £200 I ever spent.
Now perhaps the nightmares about rad planning will stop. I wonder what other people found the worse bit. I would have surgery or chemo to morrow if I had to - but rads forget it. Yet that apart from the tattoos never hurt.
I’m feeling more and more like me and really looking forward to Christmas and returning to work.
Things are really going well. Two stone lighter –I’m jogging nearly every day – all 200lbs of me. I even went out for the first time with out a wig or a scarf.
I know life could still deal me a few nasty surprises – but for now I’m going to be an ostrich and just enjoy myself.
I hope every one is felling as well as possible.
Glo xx
Good for you! When I was diagnosed with Ca the first time, it was gynae, and after surgery I trotted along for radiotherapy planning, not at all sure what was involved. It was therefore a total shock to be told that I would have to be tattooed. I refused, I absolutely detest tattoos, and simply didn’t want any reminder whatsoever.
I had a real battle. The radiologist was a real bully, and pretty much told me that if I didn’t agree to tattoos, then I wouldn’t have radiotherapy. This was by the way private treatment, being covered by my husband’s health insurance. Quite how I don’t know, but I stood up to him and asked him point blank if he was refusing me treatment and he then backed down. Henna was actually used instead to mark the spots.
The second time, for breast cancer and in a London hospital, I was ready for this and said that I didn’t want tattoos. There was no problem, they used silver nitrate instead which just had to be renewed every week. A quick job of just going over the dots.
Like yourself, I simply didn’t want a reminder every time I took a shower, and for me, tattoos would have been just that. I listened to all their efforts at persuasion - “Look its just a little dot”, “you’ll hardly see it” etc etc, but I would have seen it, and that, for me, was what was important.
Perhaps more notice should be taken of what the patient wants and needs, rather than what is just easy and convenient for the staff.
thanks softusa Thanks softusa,
I wish I had your courage. I was bullied into consenting to the tattoos. I was told, on the planning table, that if I refused the tattoos –stickers would be used – and it would be the worst for me. I admit I was so afraid of what the medical or rads staff would do to me I agreed to have the marks done
I will never ever have rads again – my oncologist knows how I feel – he doesn’t understand – and says that I feel differently if I need treatment again.
If I do change my mind at least I’ll know that there is an alternative to tattoos.
My BCN has suggested that I write to the hospital – high lighting how I felt during the planning and giving ways that staff could take into account how patient feels and wants. Not just them getting on with a job as easily as possible.
Thanks glo