Reconstructed Nipples Vs. Tattoo Artistry
August 27, 2008 by Karen Lynch
Filed under Women's Health
Meg Gaffney is a nurse, and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to skip chemotherapy and radiation, and go right to a bilateral mastectomy.
But when her plastic surgeon recommended a skin graft surgery to build up new nipples, she decided to incorporate art into her own personal healing process.
For Meg, that meant getting nipples tattooed onto her body instead of the graft surgery, and — after months of searching for an artist willing to take on her challenge — she’s about to get the work done!
Check this out out:
The website is featuring 8 parts of a documentary on Meg. I’ve been in touch with both Meg and the folks at growingbolder.com (for months now actually) and will be bringing you a Q&A later this week or next.
Before I prepare that Q&A, I thought I’d ask you all … any questions for Meg?
I have not had breast cancer, so this is more from a nurse’s point of view rather than a survivor. From time to time, I come across someone who has had mastectomies and has to make decisions about reconstruction – if she’ll have it, what to do and how to go about it.
How did Meg come about choosing this? what was it that inspired the idea of a tattoo rather than reconstruction.
Thanks, I am very interested in seeing more of the process Meg goes through and your Q&A.
Marijke
I did get the reconstuction but instead of nipples I got tats! No headlights for me. I actually am starting to like tats. I got a great small pink ribbon on my ankle to celebrate one year of survivorship and now am planning to get a butterfly to cover up a surgical scar error on my TRAM incision. Life is too short not to have fun!
I decided to have a tat instead of getting the nipple rebuilt when I get to Stage II of my reconstruction. I’m thinking about a butterfly, but I’m having a hard time finding a website with pictures of tats for nipple replacements. Any suggestions?
Did you have radiation? I would like to get a tattoo over my incisions, but have been told that the radiatied skin would be more prone to infection.