My New Tattoo (AKA The only time in my whole life I would have answered 10 on a pain scale)

Disclaimer: Although I have been known to write a blog or two that are PG-13 or even R rated in content, be aware that although the content of this blog is not PG-13 in nature, some of the photos may be :-)

Alright, now that I have that out of the way.  I got a new tattoo.

I have been contemplating getting a large side piece for quite some time.  When I went with Veronica, about a month ago, to get her most recent tattoo, I asked the tattoo artist, Travis, at Tron City tattoo, what it would take to do it.

After discussing ideas, we arranged for Travis to work on the design and scheduled and appointment for the following Thursday night. A couple of days later I received this via e-mail and was instantly in love.

Let me just state that although I love all of the girls that I went and got my first tattoo with at 17, I REALLY hated the tattoo.  It was stretched and unformed.  It morphed into something that looked like a conjoined T&R and I really needed it gone so one of the qualifications for this tattoo was that it covered the one on my stomach up.  It's still there, it's just underneath a leaf :-)

After this tattoo experience I have a new found respect for large tattoos.  This is technically my 10th tattoo but the one's I have gotten previously are small and simple.  I have always loved the sound of a tattoo gun, the pain of getting a new tattoo and just about everything else about having new ink.  This tattoo was no joke. 

The first session we did all of the outline and all of the shading.  Veronica came with me and was a trooper to sit through that whole thing and distract me.  It took three and a half hours and when it was finished I was informed that only one person had ever sat longer for him on a side piece.  Seriously, I wasn't going to be done until everything but the color was finished.  

When I got home after the first session and got in the shower I almost passed out.  Legitimately, my vision was blacking out and my ears were ringing.  I had to get out and sit on the toilet with my head between my legs, at which point Josh walked into the bathroom quite concerned.  The next morning I asked him to wait to leave until I was out of the shower because I was worried that I might try and pass out again.  It's really easy to forget that a tattoo is an open wound.  When that open wound is half of your height long it's a pretty big deal.   

Line work and shading after the first session. 

The bandage.  Veronica said it looked like I was attacked by a shark.

The old tattoo with just the line work. 

The second session was a little different.  I think that I wasn't expecting it to hurt as much as it did.  People tell you that the ribs are the most painful place to get tattooed.  I am going to have to call bullshit.  I now have one on each side on my ribs and although the color in the flowers on this tattoo wasn't pleasant and did hurt (I think my exact words were "Fuck, that hurts) getting my hip bone and the area around my hip bone tattooed rendered me speechless.

A word of warning.  I have the top of my foot tattooed, my lower back, the inside of my left arm.  I have dislocated my should 9 times, and put it back in myself. I have broken my multiple bones and had an epidural wear off in the middle of the night after having a C section with no pain medication.  There has been NOTHING more painful then getting my hip bone tattooed.  At one point I had tears running down my face.  At another point I was biting my hand just because that pain was better than the tattoo pain. I'm pretty sure I stated that I hated that flower.  But most of the time I laying there in silence because I had to go to a special place in my head in order to keep myself from making him stop.  Veronica was trying to keep me entertained but finally just gave up because I wasn't listening to her anyway.  Under no circumstances will I EVER get a tattoo even close to the other hip bone.

Yeah, that was how my face looked for the entire time I'm sure. 

Bite marks after the fact.  I couldn't figure out what they were when I first finished. 

Interestingly enough, the color hurt worse while getting done than the lines and shading but it doesn't hurt as bad now.  I didn't almost pass out in the shower.  I was able to wear pants and a bra the next day.  I even slept on my left side the night I finished this tattoo.  

Anyway, needless to say I felt like I needed to share this experience with all of my loyal (and patient) readers.  Now I just can't wait for bathing suit season!