So I've been giving some thought lately about getting a T1 tattoo on the inside of my wrist. I met a girl at the Diabetes Expo last October who had a nice tattoo, and who allowed me to take a picture of it (shown here). I currently wear a sterling silver medical alert bracelet. It's gotten pretty scratched up in the 2 years I've worn it, and I have to keep polishing the tarnish off it. It's a wee bit annoying.
A tattoo would be a viable option, except for one teeny thing that I worry about. What if they find a cure for type 1 diabetes soon? I still hope and pray for it every night in my list of prayers. And I hear on the news lots of promising advancements in various stages of testing. What would I do then, with a T1 tattoo? Could I have have it re-designed into a whale or something?
I don't know, it's probably an unnecessary worry. And maybe I hang on to that worry because the day I give it up is the day I accept that I'm going to have diabetes forever. And really, the day I'm cured I'll probably be too busy being happy that I DON'T HAVE DIABETES ANYMORE to worry about the formerly-needed tattoo.
Has anyone else thought of getting a tattoo? If so, have you worried about this, too?
Yup. Have a tattoo and wouldn't think twice about the "cure" thing. I feel there will be no cure in my lifetime. Pessimistic much? YUP!
ReplyDeleteand if they do... with all the money I will save I will have it removed, or something like that.
Hi Nikki!
ReplyDeleteI've thought about it, and still might do it someday. If they do find a cure it can still be a badge of honor for all of the bullshit we had to deal with - what a story that would make!
I don't think you've met Mike yet. He's around the Twin Cities here and is a pretty funny guy. Slightly crazy, but totally fun to hang with. He has a big one on his forearm, and on his other arm another that says "see other arm". It's hilarious!
Hope you'll get to meet him someday. BTW, speaking of meeting people, Scully is coming to town for the ADA Tour de Cure on 6/2! I'm sure we'll do some social stuff before/after, so let me know if you'd like to get together.
hi nikki,
ReplyDeletei got my first tattoo last september. i never wear my medic alert. it was on a necklace, but the chain broke and i never replaced it. i have a picture of it on my blog at http://kd-anditsnotkraftdinner.blogspot.com
it's my september 1st post for Diabetes Art Day.
my friends son was doing a project on Diabetes at school, and she showed him my tattoo. he wondered what i would do when they found a cure. i told her to tell him that when that time came i would just have the words "used to be" tattooed above it!!
Hi Nikki,
ReplyDeleteI'm just reading through your blog after Scott posted a link, and I wanted to tell you I was thinking of the same thing. I still haven't decided to get the tattoo (especially thinking of a balance of keeping it small and too small making it blurry after time) but if I do and we get a cure, I'm getting it crossed off and tattooing cured by it!
But yes, having worn a bracelet for 15 years now, I think I'm on my 3rd at least and they just all look sort of awful after a bit. And are noisy. And get in the way. Hmmm, now I'm convincing myself again!