Medical Alert Tattoos?

[twinkle1980]

Hiya

ok its still early days for me, so I wont be rushing into anything yet... this is purely research. Does anyone have a medical alert tattoo?

I'm not a fan of things on my wrist (dont wear a watch let alone jewellery), and my concern with a necklace is that it wouldnt be spotted quickly. So I thought of a tattoo, something on each wrist so that if I collapsed and someone was checking for a pulse it would be easily spotted.

Obviously I would need to use one of the medical alert symbols, and then the wording "type 1 diabetic" or even just "diabetic".

What do you think? Have any of you got one/seen one?

thanks in advance

 

[daisy1]

Hi Twinkle

Here is a link to lots of design ideas:

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/i ... rt+tattoos

If you google Medical Alert Tattoos you will find more and some general information which will be useful. I think there are many members who have them. Anna29 for example. Here is the link to a thread on this forum about them.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29132&p=271927&hilit=tattoos#p271927

which contains a link with many more interesting designs, and a lot of information on the 4 page thread.
Hope this helps

 

[anna29]

Hi Twinkle.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29132

I have one - left wrist only (nearest to the engine [heart] )
Researched tattoo's over 3 weeks , decided to doodle and design my own tattoo.
To ensure it was dainty , pretty , feminine and totally unique to 'me' ...
Am chuffed to bits with it and LOVE IT

I am so 'not' a tattoo lady - but after an awful hypo experience in the
middle of a supermarket and 'no help' from anyone .
It was clear I needed one to ensure help from anyone .
I was mumbling,shaking and flailing about acting very odd and strange that day ,
it was horrendous to try to ask for help and unable to explain why it was needed...
My own fault looking back - I hadnt eaten enough to cover my basal insulin .

The most important thing is to really investigate a suitable tattooist .
I visted ryan my tattooist place 3 - 4 times before going ahead with getting it done .
It is the only tattoo I will ever have so it all had to right as its on me for the rest of my life!

I just have Diabetic on my tattoo and spelled it small script ,dainty, added open teeny weeny hearts
above the "i" 's - instead of having dots put on .
[was going to make the dot's into teeny weeny flowers ]
Doodled till I was dizzy :lol:
It is simple small pretty feminine and effective too .
There 'if' ever I need it now - total piece of mind for me :thumbup:
Hope this helps .

Anna.

 

[Giverny]

Hi Twinkle.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29132

I have one - left wrist only (nearest to the engine [heart] )
Researched tattoo's over 3 weeks , decided to doodle and design my own tattoo.
To ensure it was dainty , pretty , feminine and totally unique to 'me' ...
Am chuffed to bits with it and LOVE IT

I am so 'not' a tattoo lady - but after an awful hypo experience in the
middle of a supermarket and 'no help' from anyone .
It was clear I needed one to ensure help from anyone .
I was mumbling,shaking and flailing about acting very odd and strange that day ,
it was horrendous to try to ask for help and unable to explain why it was needed...
My own fault looking back - I hadnt eaten enough to cover my basal insulin .

The most important thing is to really investigate a suitable tattooist .
I visted ryan my tattooist place 3 - 4 times before going ahead with getting it done .
It is the only tattoo I will ever have so it all had to right as its on me for the rest of my life!

I just have Diabetic on my tattoo and spelled it small script ,dainty, added open teeny weeny hearts
above the "i" 's - instead of having dots put on .
[was going to make the dot's into teeny weeny flowers ]
Doodled till I was dizzy :lol:
It is simple small pretty feminine and effective too .
There 'if' ever I need it now - total piece of mind for me :thumbup:
Hope this helps .

Anna.

Would be great to see a picture!

 

[anna29]

Giverny.

Would do it - if I knew 'how' to do one ...

Anna.

 

[twinkle1980]

Anna that sounds amazing! Like you these will be the ONLY tattoos I will ever have, and I dont want something overly masculine, but neither do I want something cutesey or something that will have faded and blurred in a few years and be illegible... argh decisions decisions.

I have a friend who is a tattoo artist, and who is highly spoken of by those who have used him. On the plus side I would also see him almost daily as his son is in my sons class, so we meet on the school runs - he cant escape me! lol

here are a few links to the ones I've seen that I quite like (but theyre not right yet).

http://www.checkoutmyink.com/tattoos/da ... diabetic-2
[second link removed]
http://www.hourdetroit.com/images/cache ... b676a.jpeg

 

[daisy1]

I love the one on the first link, but for the second, do think you've got the right link?

 

[twinkle1980]

gah! bluddy tumblr! It should have been a pic of a very curly sort of script, with red hearts above the "I's". Not so great with the ole puter stuff me!

 

[daisy1]

If you don't mind I think it should be edited out.

 

[twinkle1980]

absoloutly!!!! no problem!

 

[anna29]

I too like the first link one best of all .
Would remove the curly swirl of the top of the 'D' though...
This will make the star burst more prettier and make the Diabetic more graphic a word .
Am sure your tattooist would let you choose any colour you wish to do the star bursts in ...
Twinkle you can adapt any script to your own liking if you are creative ?

Try mentioning all of this to your tattoo friend - a good one will work with you
to get exactly what you wish for.
Ultra finest needle with a good quality and grade of ink prevents it looking smudged
or blurry in appearance .
Ryan explained all of this to me - when I said some can look grey,faded,blurred etc...

Mine is slightly smaller in letter size than this one .
It is ruler straight along the bottom , the D , b, t, letters I drew leaning all in the same
direction.
To make the word Diabetic more neater - its me - am 'fussy'

Wish I could load piccy of mine on here for you ...

Anna.

 

[AMBrennan]

I'm thinking of getting one (boring rod of Asclepius inside the star of life with "diabetic" written underneath on my right shoulder). My mum's first reaction: I shouldn't do that because injecting chemicals under the skin is bad :lol:

 

[anna29]

I'm thinking of getting one (boring rod of Asclepius inside the star of life with "diabetic" written underneath on my right shoulder). My mum's first reaction: I shouldn't do that because injecting chemicals under the skin is bad :lol:

Why the shoulder? top of your arm shoulder or on your back
shoulder ?

Can understand a parents reaction though - I had to let my
80year old mother 'know gently' then I let her tell my 84year old
father...
They were great about it to my suprise and relief :thumbup:
Both understood after seeing me have a hypo .
Seen me go erratic in body language with my head lolling drunk looking and
jabbering nonsense!
Totally unable to 'ask' for help if was out alone ...

Now, if out in a quick dash - the tattoo will always give me total security/peace of mind :thumbup:

Anna.

 

[AMBrennan]

Top of my arm - where I can cover it with a short-sleeved shirt if necessary but where it's visible when I'm out running or swimming at the pool.

 

[Kerry-Michelle]

Hi all..

I've been thinking of get a tattoo saying I'm diabetic too.. As I work with children I find it hard wearing my necklace or bracelet.. They either want to wear it or pull at it or I have to take it off as I don't want to catch them with it... So decided after having a tattoo for my 18th birthday (before I was diagnosed with type 1) it's on my foot... I might aswell have one done for my diabetes as that's with me for life... I've thought of having on on my wrist or on my chest.. I'm currently designing one at the moment.. My mother said no to my wrist but it's my body, my illness and my life right?

But this is an awesome thread!

Good luck to all those going to one done...

Kerry xx

 

[twinkle1980]

Hiya

Hope you don't mind me raising the thread from the dead, but wanted your opinions on this... (fingers crossed it uploads as I'm posting via my phone).

This is my 3rd prototype, I still want to make some changes (colours not right yet etc and wings not quite there yet) but I think its progressing nicely.

Honest and truthful opinions please, I promise not to be offended.

Thanks

 

[AMBrennan]

That's the Caduceus (symbol of Hermes) rather than the Rod of Asclepius (traditional symbol of medicine). Wikipedia has a detailed article on this confusion/misuse.

Not sure if you knew about that but I think it should be an informed decision.

 

[anna29]

Hiya

Hope you don't mind me raising the thread from the dead, but wanted your opinions on this... (fingers crossed it uploads as I'm posting via my phone).

This is my 3rd prototype, I still want to make some changes (colours not right yet etc and wings not quite there yet) but I think its progressing nicely.

Honest and truthful opinions please, I promise not to be offended.

Thanks

Hi twinkle.
I like the Diabetic script as its quite calliagraphic [very arty]
The staff and wings width is quite long in length [to me]
Can it be shortened ?

What colours do you like ?

Have you tried any tiny/smaller butterflies or flowers around ?
Its worth having a doodle with everything before the final transfer .

Are you having a Type added ?
Quite a lot do - who have the snake n staff or the caduceus ...
The colour for Diabetes is worldwide 'blue'
Medic snake n staff is usually 'red'
This is down to your OWN personal choice though .

Twinkle 'do' let us KNOW what you end up choosing.
I for one will be wondering :wave:

If I had done my tattoo a bit bigger - definetely would have added teeny flowers onto it!
Had to keep to size of script to keep things tidy looking :thumbup:

Anna.

 

[twinkle1980]

That's the Caduceus (symbol of Hermes) rather than the Rod of Asclepius (traditional symbol of medicine). Wikipedia has a detailed article on this confusion/misuse.

Not sure if you knew about that but I think it should be an informed decision.

THANK YOU!!!!

I had no idea! Ive gone back to the drawing board lol (although I liked the wings :lol: ).

 

[twinkle1980]

Hi twinkle.
I like the Diabetic script as its quite calliagraphic [very arty]
The staff and wings width is quite long in length [to me]
Can it be shortened ?

Well the wings are going (as is one of the snakes)...... and yes size isnt right yet. This is very much a work in progress.

I love the script too.

What colours do you like ?

Well I am thinking of changing the flowers. The Flowers for July (both my children were july babies) is the Larkspur so I am thinking of having something that resembles these. They range from a pale purple/lilac to a more vibrant violet/blue. That makes the whole thing much more personal to me.

Here are a couple of larkspurs..

Have you tried any tiny/smaller butterflies or flowers around ?
Its worth having a doodle with everything before the final transfer .

I have, and couldnt get them to sit right, and still show the staff properly as an "ALERT"... it made the tattoo much prettier, but it didnt jump out as a medical alert!

Are you having a Type added ?
Quite a lot do - who have the snake n staff or the caduceus ..

.

No, as the emergency treatment is the same regardless of type (and I carry id cards in my bag and in my kit) I dont think its needed... plus I dont have big wrists and would rather the condition alone jump out at anyone who needs to see it.

The colour for Diabetes is worldwide 'blue'
Medic snake n staff is usually 'red'
This is down to your OWN personal choice though

Yes I have been trying to work out how to do this. Obviously I want the tattoo to last a lifetime, so the script will remain in black but it will have a blue highlight over the curved scripty areas... I think. Or it will be in dark blue.... still not sure yet. As for the staff, I am having some sort of shading done... I dont like the idea of it all being red, and the black outline will help prevent the tattoo looking faded 60years from now.

Twinkle 'do' let us KNOW what you end up choosing.
I for one will be wondering :wave:

Will do... I will show you all the next phase, its probably a few weeks away from me deciding yet... and there will be many redesigns in that time.

If I had done my tattoo a bit bigger - definetely would have added teeny flowers onto it!
Had to keep to size of script to keep things tidy looking :thumbup:

Yes this is my concern. I love having the flowers, but I dont want to distract away from the meaning of the tattoo, which is principally as a symbol to get me the help I need!
sal xx