"... i don't know the reason, i stayed here all season, nothing to show but this brand new tattoo; ( actually two), they are real cuties, not mexican beauties, and i do know the reason, i do have a clue." lyrics from (sort of ) Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

i  went back and forth, several times, about whether or not i should write a blog about what i had done yesterday. remember, this is a 3Fer blog- thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer. today, i am writing a blog that relates to breast cancer.  this is an intensely personal blog- about an intensely personal subject. i probably should  say " WARNING, MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES ".  with this in mind, however, i decided to blog about this  because i write for two reasons: one, and most importantly, i write to share my experiences with others so hopefully i can be of some help in someone's breast ( or thyroid or skin ) cancer experience.  i was going to say journey, but that word has been a bit over-used, i think. the second reason i write, i will admit, is that it helps me to  deal with my situation(s) by writing about them. i do not advertise, or receive any compensation from my blog posts.

i will give you some background information before i talk about the big reveal. my plastic surgeon is a perfectionist. he did an amazing job with my reconstruction, and as a bonus, he is a really nice person. we have had our "back and forth" conversations about how much saline to add to my expanders, what size breasts i wanted,etc. but we always did it in a friendly way, and in the end,  it was a compromise.( evidently he thinks bigger is better ). the very  last step in breast reconstruction is either nipple reconstruction ( no thank you, i have had enough surgery for a while), do nothing and live with the scars and a blank slate,  OR 3-D nipple and areola tattoos. i thought that i was just fine with my two large scars across my chest- unadorned and, well, just there. every time that i went back to my plastic surgeon for a re-check, he would look at my chest and say," well the reconstruction went well, but how about the 3D tattoos i told you about?" i told him that i was fine. and i thought that i  was- that is until i saw a facebook post of a program that was on the today show a year or so ago. there is a tattoo artist by the name of vinnie myers and he is truly an artist. 3D nipple tattoos and areola tattoos are the only thing that he does now, but in the past he has tattooed some very famous rock stars. vinnie knows his way around instruments for tattooing  might say.

getting back to the program that i watched, vinnie is the only artist that the john hopkins breast cancer  center will send their  patients to for a 3D/areola tattoo. i saw the stories of women- some my age- who had this done, and how it made them feel better about themselves. it changed their lives in a positive way. i did not know that i was crying until my husband handed me some kleenex. i told him, well, i  DO need to do this and i am ready. i talked to my family a bit, and they were all very supportive with my decision. i called and made an appointment for the first available- which would be in six weeks. i was afraid that i would have to wait months. now that i had made my decision, i was ready for this to happen.

the day we left, i was nervously excited. ready, determined, but a little anxious. i had  never been in a tattoo parlor before, and therefore did  not have any tattoos. i am not against tattoos, but they were not popular when i was growing up. well, not unless you were in the armed services, of course.

"Little Vinnie's Tattoos" has two locations for the nipple/areola tattoos. one is in finksburg, maryland and the other is in new orleans, louisiana. did any of my facebook friends wonder why i was in maryland yesterday? actually my husband and i drove up there on tuesday, and my appointment was on wednesday morning. we spent one night in a lovely bed and breakfast in maryland. but that is another story.

so i got to the tattoo parlor. it was very nice inside- sort of a mix of a" living room meets a low key doctor's office " sort of decor.  there was a map on the wall- with push pins showing where women had come from to get a nipple/areola tattoo from vinnie. there were probably a thousand push pins on that map. i put my pin on my state. i was amazed, but sad, that so many women have had to have this done.

vinnie was very professional. he was thorough, and i could tell that  he knew exactly what he was doing. we discussed the placement of the tattoo, but i let him pick out the color. after all, this is what he does all  of the time. maybe it was because his sister is a breast cancer patient, but i think that he was so kind to me because he is just that kind of person. the tattooing took about an hour. people have told me that it did not hurt. well, i will not lie to you- it did hurt a little . more on one side than the other. was it unbearable? no, not at all. would i do it again?, heck, yes. i have sterile pads and an antibiotic ointment to use for 5 days. there are other instructions which i will not bore you with. his assistant came in and talked with me about the aftercare. the assistant was very professional and courteous as well. vinnie probably is uncomfortable with this part, as i am sure it happens quite often,  but when i looked in the mirror, i cried a bit. instead of seeing two large scars across my chest, i saw two beautiful  nipples and two beautiful  areolas. i saw a more normal version of me.

so if this was TMI, sorry. if this helps someone who has been wondering about 3D nipple and areolas tattoos make the right decision for her, then i am happy. please do research on  the tattoo artist is the best piece of advice that  i can give any woman considering this procedure. if at all possible, go see vinnie. maryland is not that far away ( it took us 7 hours to get there) and it was so worth it to me. when  i see my plastic surgeon again in november. i am looking forward to seeing the expression on  his face when i take my drape off! but first and most importantly, i did this for me.