Monday, July 27, 2009

And I wasn't even wearing a corset!

I have struggled for quite some time with a condition that I have, which, while delightfully feminine, is actually a bit of a pain in the you know where:  Unless I stand up incredibly slowly, I tend to black out, and faint if I'm not holding on to anything. This is because I have quite low blood pressure, which is supposedly a good thing, according to my mother (who cannot understand why I would want to change this).  Normally I seem to handle this fine, and I hadn't actually crashed to the ground in several years [I just can't see much for a couple seconds].

However, a week ago last Sunday, although I held on tightly to the banister rail when my sight began to go, I obviously actually lost consciousness completely and my hands let go. Unfortunately, I did not have a fainting-couch to conveniently catch my fall, and I crashed my head and left shoulder into the wall behind me.  I ended up with a large egg on my head and a bruised shoulder now supporting a lovely scar.  Ouch!
[And, by the way, not at all graceful nor feminine!]

Anyways, once I had gotten over the shock and pain, the scar got me thinking.  I have been wanting a tattoo for many years, but I can't decide whether I'd like any design enough to have in permanently on my body (I am a perfectionist, after all).  However, I've noticed one of those signs that I'm no longer a kid is that my scars tend to stick around... even the little ones with no particular story.  Luckily, my biggest scar is an interesting shape and has a nice little history behind it:

Having drive home from my last day of high school, I parked and went to grab all of my shit out of the back of my car.  One of the very few problems with my car (a mini) is that the exhaust pipe sticks out the back too far.  An armful of stuff + a lack of attention to this problem = one 
large red crescent burned into by left calf.  Well, you know when something is so hot that for a moment your body can't comprehend it?
.... sizzle...  

At least I'll always have a reminder of high school.

But, like I said, it got me thinking.  If I'm bound to mark my body in the future with ugly scars whose shape I have no choice about (and, being the klutz I am, I most certainly will), what is my problem with actively decorating my body?  I don't know if a tattoo can be drawn over an old scar, but, if this is possible, I would be interested in altering my new shoulder scar.


Anyone have any thoughts? By the way, if anyone is interested in tattoos and is as much of a geek as I am, The Loom posts science inspired tattoos every friday!


Now off to find a fainting-couch...

3 comments:

  1. Ouch! Sorry about the spill. You have a good attitude towards them though! I love tattoo's. I have two, and the third is being designed as I type.

    One thing about scars and tattoo's - large scar tissue can be too thick to hold the ink, while some little scars will hold it just fine. You should have a tattoo artist take a look at it, and determine if it will hold. Also, I believe that the scar has to be at least a year old. So you may have to wait a while, but that gives you plenty of time to decide what you want!

    Choose wisely. They're on you forever.

    <3 Gina

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  2. Oh geez, that is a doozy! Yikes! I'm sorry that happened! Gina's sounds like she's got all the info so I'll just say good luck and let us know what you decide!! lol

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  3. yuck, gotta hate it when you hurt yourself! what kind of tattoo are you thinking of?

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