I posted a couple of these photos to Zentastic when I got home from the hospital last night, but I thought I’d post the full set here. As you know, last year I found out that I had a bone tumor in my right leg just below the knee that was starting to affect my mobility as well as having caused about twenty years of chronic pain. After the biopsy was done, I had Chino tattoo Matthew 5:30 in script above it to help me deal with it —
Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
I find that “physicalizing the way I’m feeling” helps me to deal with things that are emotionally or intellectually upsetting to me, I think because it makes them tangible in a way that gives me symbols to think about them with, even though of course nothing has really changed. That said, I’m also a bit of a narcissit, haha, so one of the things I was really hoping was that I’d be able to get a surgical photo of this tattoo during the procedure of removing the tumor, because it was so appropriate. Anyway, the doctors were kind enough to snap a number of great photos of the procedure!
That’s an after photo; here are a few others from the procedure:
Everything seems to be healing really well by the way, although it’s just been a few days.
Comments
222 responses to “Matthew 5:30 Tattoo Made Reality”
Wow. So glad that you are doing okay!! Hope the healing continues in a super positive direction. And I just have to ask.. did they let you keep part of the tumor?
Wow. So glad that you are doing okay!! Hope the healing continues in a super positive direction. And I just have to ask.. did they let you keep part of the tumor?
For some reason it looks to me like some cozy alien cave you could just curl up and read a nice book in.
For some reason it looks to me like some cozy alien cave you could just curl up and read a nice book in.
Nice shots! Somehow these pictures give me the creeps…=)
Nice shots! Somehow these pictures give me the creeps…=)
Holy fucking tumor Batman!
Oh, my fucking God. Make this a click through post. Please please please please please.
Holy fucking tumor Batman!
Oh, my fucking God. Make this a click through post. Please please please please please.
oh my god.
crazy.
hope it heals good.
oh my god.
crazy.
hope it heals good.
Yay, Shannon lives! Welcome back and glad to see things went pretty well. Who actually took the pictures?
Yay, Shannon lives! Welcome back and glad to see things went pretty well. Who actually took the pictures?
I think one of the anesthesiologists took the photo — if I remember right, he mentioned that he even had the exact same camera!
I think one of the anesthesiologists took the photo — if I remember right, he mentioned that he even had the exact same camera!
It’s funny that some people see this and think cozy alien cave and others can’t stand to look at it.
I really like the beauty and delicateness of the tattoo in contrast with the gruesomeness of the incision.
Glad you’re doing good and hope you continue to be well.
It’s funny that some people see this and think cozy alien cave and others can’t stand to look at it.
I really like the beauty and delicateness of the tattoo in contrast with the gruesomeness of the incision.
Glad you’re doing good and hope you continue to be well.
how big is the tumor? appears to be golf ball size? glad everything went ok!
how big is the tumor? appears to be golf ball size? glad everything went ok!
It looks fake. Mostly because you never see it, haha. It’s so cool.
It looks fake. Mostly because you never see it, haha. It’s so cool.
Tha main picture and the third picture remind me of the beautiful book “Atlas of Human Anatomy Through Invasive Surgery”. That book is full of amazing photographs from various surgical procedures; truly stunning stuff.
I’m glad everything went well for you.
Tha main picture and the third picture remind me of the beautiful book “Atlas of Human Anatomy Through Invasive Surgery”. That book is full of amazing photographs from various surgical procedures; truly stunning stuff.
I’m glad everything went well for you.
Glad you got through surgery ok…hope the healing continues to go well! 🙂
Glad you got through surgery ok…hope the healing continues to go well! 🙂
All the best to you Shannon!
And very interesting photos
All the best to you Shannon!
And very interesting photos
Hardcore….
Hardcore….
get well herr larratt!
fuck the pain away.
get well herr larratt!
fuck the pain away.
Haha, I actually thought off a cave to, maby not a alien one, but still a cave ^^
Hope the healing goes well!
Haha, I actually thought off a cave to, maby not a alien one, but still a cave ^^
Hope the healing goes well!
Is it me…or does that tumor look a bit like a seahorse?
Either way, good luck with the recovery and all 🙂
Is it me…or does that tumor look a bit like a seahorse?
Either way, good luck with the recovery and all 🙂
is it wrong i kind of want to poke that? it looks kind of ewwy but i want to touch it. hope all the healing goes well.
is it wrong i kind of want to poke that? it looks kind of ewwy but i want to touch it. hope all the healing goes well.
I’m not really bothered by the blood and such, I rather like the photos with the contrast between the tattoo script’s delicateness and the gaping hole (just as manini said).
I hope the healing continues well, and you can soon say goodbye to the pain.
I’m not really bothered by the blood and such, I rather like the photos with the contrast between the tattoo script’s delicateness and the gaping hole (just as manini said).
I hope the healing continues well, and you can soon say goodbye to the pain.
I’ll be honest, I had no idea that that’s what it looked like on the inside of a leg, and I’ve watched plenty of surgical shows.
I would’ve never guessed that somebody would take pictures for you during a surgical procedure. Did they have to sterilize your camera? haha
I’ll be honest, I had no idea that that’s what it looked like on the inside of a leg, and I’ve watched plenty of surgical shows.
I would’ve never guessed that somebody would take pictures for you during a surgical procedure. Did they have to sterilize your camera? haha
I’m not going to lie to you, the first thing that I said when I saw that main photo was “COOL.”
Glad to hear the healing is going well, thanks for keeping us updated 🙂
I’m not going to lie to you, the first thing that I said when I saw that main photo was “COOL.”
Glad to hear the healing is going well, thanks for keeping us updated 🙂
looks like an eye in the the middle of it in the first photo :o, anyway, hope the healing goes well. 🙂
looks like an eye in the the middle of it in the first photo :o, anyway, hope the healing goes well. 🙂
that’s awesome the doctors took pictures for you.
i hope the rest of your recovery goes well!
that’s awesome the doctors took pictures for you.
i hope the rest of your recovery goes well!
A congratulation would seem appropriate at this time.
A congratulation would seem appropriate at this time.