• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Crohn's Related Tattoo pics!

ameslouise

ameslouise

Moderator
Inspired by Hailey's tattoo discussion in the Your Story section, here is a place where we can post pics of our Crohn's or disease related tattoo. I'll start!

Here's mine. It's a heart (that's me!) with stars underneath representing my husband Levi, son Harrison, my mom and my dad. My Crohn's diagnosis was really tough for me to accept. I got the tattoo to remind me that the love and support of these four very special people is all I really need to help me through. I look at it every day and it makes me smile. It is on my wrist, in case you can't tell by the pic.



 
Last edited:
H

happy

ameslouise,
It's awesome!
I've been following your story on the forum for awhile. I hope that you are recovering well from your surgery and that you are a little less lonely from when your parents left to go home. May you soon be well.
 
vickyoddsocks

vickyoddsocks

wears odd socks
Awww I wanna post pics of mine :( I'm at my mums now so don't have my computer, my pics will have to wait till after surgery I'm afraid. But I'll make sure I remember :D
That's cool Ames, like it alot! :) x
 
xJillx

xJillx

Your Story Forum Monitor
I noticed your tattoo when we met last Sunday, and I really liked it. I like it even more now knowing how much it means. Very cool.
 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

Yes, it's lovely Ames.....and has given me a yearning for another ( have one my sister designed me for my 40th. ) One to celebrate my Crohn's diagnosis. :ysmile: Hell, I refuse to grow old gracefully!!
 
Terriernut

Terriernut

Moderator
Love the tat Amy! That is a very special one, and such love behind it. Once again, you are proving an inspiration to sooo many.

Huggles,
Misty
 
Astra

Astra

Moderator
I love it too Amy!

I have found my tattoo but don't know how to post it here cos I'm such a Luddite!
I can print it off to show the tattooist.
 
T

TheMrs

I have one ( my first, just got it this past sept) and it incorporates the teal ribbon for ovarian cancer( my mom is a survivor) as well as some pieces for my brother who died last May. I wasn't sure if you were looking for other diseases or meant ibd only but I'm always happy to show it if you want to see. ( btw, I'm 40, I also got a body piercing this year, I keep telling my husband I'm on my midlife crisis world tour!)

:D
 
T

TheMrs




It's across my ribs under my left boob, the butterfly and the word "ditto" are for my brother (family story) and the five forget me nots represent each member of my family. ( husband, me, three kids and/or my parents, me and two brothers)

I have a good friend who is a tattoo artist in philadelphia ( hes since moved) and came to my house to do it.

Eta: wow, sorry that came out big. It's hard to get the whole thing in with my phone too:lol:
 
Scifimom

Scifimom



After I was diagnosed (and almost died) I decided that I wanted to do a few things on my bucket list before I died. One of them was to get a tattoo. I got two dolphins to represent my daughters, now I have them with me all the time. After Easter I will get another tattoo in my arm, an origami crane (for health) with my name and my husbands name.
 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

I love this thread! I'm thinking along the lines of cherry blossoms with the purple ribbon incorporated. My sister could probably design it for me. Our family name is Cherry. She's diabetic, my brother has asthma and excema and my mum has Alzheimer's so I might need a few ribbons-lol.
 
Last edited:
tiloah

tiloah

Grumbletum said:
I love this thread! I'm thinking along the lines of cherry blossoms with the purple ribbon incorporated. My sister could probably design it for me. Our family name is Cherry. She's diabetic, my brother has asthma and excema and my mum has Alzheimer's so I might need a few ribbons-lol.
Click to expand...
Oh that sounds like it would be a lovely and meaningful tattoo.

Ames, Scifimom, TheMrs and Farm - love the pics. I will post a pic of mine if I get around to it.

Lately I have been really wanting to get something relatively large on my calf, but I'm not sure the specifics. My philosophy is generally you'll have it your whole life so there's no hurry... Not really something I want to be impulsive about. I've had a lot going on/gone through a lot this year so I think I would like to "mark myself" in some way in recognition. Like I've earned it or something. :p
 
Last edited:
pjmel

pjmel

This is my new tattoo - it is my second one. The first one I had done 13 years ago. It is an American Indian dreamcatcher - I got it as a tribute to myself after surviving almost a year of hell after I was diagnosed with CD and had my first surgery. This second one I got almost a week ago. It is on my stomach - not sure if I chose that spot deliberately but I guess I wanted to associate something beautiful with my belly instead of the pain and discomfort that I expericence. The quality of the pic isn't great - was done about five minutes after it was done and I took it with my mobile phone. But it is beautiful and I love it. :)
 

Attachments

hannah-rose

hannah-rose

pjmel said:
not sure if I chose that spot deliberately but I guess I wanted to associate something beautiful with my belly instead of the pain and discomfort
Click to expand...
I always said I'd NEVER get a tattoo, but since everything that's happened I've been thinking about getting one. I'd like one on my bum :D a floral design with purple flowers, small and delicate, and I'd like it because I want to associate my body, specifically my bum, with being attractive again.
 
C

cheeky

great thread topic! i love tatts... those look great...

i have a few tatts, but too shy to post pics *blushing*

lol so i'll just enjoy the thread instead. :)
 
ameslouise

ameslouise

Moderator
Cheeky! Post 'em!!!

You never have anything to be shy about here!

Oooh, unless it's like a tattoo my uncle told me he once saw on a chick at a biker bar. She had a snake going down her belly, into her panties and the mouth of the snake was, well, use your imagination....
 
ifeelsick

ifeelsick

Awesome thread! I don't have any pics of mine readily available, but I'll explain them now and post the pics later. Firstly, if you look at my avatar, you'll see some Japanese kanji characters. In Japanese they are pronounced "byouki" and they mean "sick" or "illness". I have those characters tattooed on my stomach, one on each side of my belly button. Normally I don't tell anyone what they mean due to the fact that I don't feel like they'd understand the exact meaning, and quite frankly, it's none of their business. But I'm sure you all understand, so I'm happy to reveal the meaning here. :)

Now, look down at my signature and you'll see the latin phrase "Aut Inveniam Viam Aut Faciam". It means "I shall either find a way, or make one". I have that tattooed across the inside of my right forearm. It's just a reminder to me that no matter how bad things get, or how impossible people may think something is, I will find a way to overcome. I've been dealing with digestive problems with no relief for decades(literally), so I need a reminder that I have the power within myself to survive, get better and eventually have a life.

And just in case anyone was wondering, that phase was allegedly spoken by Carthaginian Military Commander Hannibal Barca(he supposedly said it in his own Punic language, not Latin...but being that I'm of both Italian and Northern African decent, I liked having a mixture of both cultures) when the generals in his army told him it was impossible to take elephants over the Swiss Alps towards Rome. He did succeed in that endeavor, won many battles against the Romans, and occupied a good portion of Italy for 15 years. He was only defeated when Rome invaded Northern Africa, and he was forced to return to fight the battle at home. The point is, he never gave up. Neither will I.

I have other tattoos, but they don't have anything to do with my Crohn's(or whatever it is. I'm still undiagnosed, but confident it's Crohn's). I'll be sure to come back and post the pics of the ones I mentioned; if anyone is interested in seeing them.
 
C

cheeky

ameslouise said:
Cheeky! Post 'em!!!

You never have anything to be shy about here!

Oooh, unless it's like a tattoo my uncle told me he once saw on a chick at a biker bar. She had a snake going down her belly, into her panties and the mouth of the snake was, well, use your imagination....
Click to expand...
haha no no, nothing naughty...

i just get cautious about posting idenifiable pix because i worry about people recognizing me and i'm very private (mostly because i work at a college and you know students are very good with the net).. i just love being able to speak freely about the yucky details of my crohn's symptoms without worrying about people recognizing me. lol

some may say 'oh it's just the tatt without a face and it's just on the crohn's forum' but a just a few moments ago, i did a google search about world crohn's and colitis day, i wanted to find a pic so i can send an email out, and your tattoo pics came up!! (click on the following link and scroll down)

http://www.google.ca/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1345&bih=547&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=world+crohn%27s+colitis+day+wear+purple&oq=world+crohn%27s+colitis+day+wear+purple&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=7789l10089l0l12l12l0l11l0l0l125l125l0.1
 
bruscar

bruscar

All very nice and dainty ladies.

I once thought of getting a big sunflower on my belly using my wonderful scar as the stem which may somewhat disguise the fact that its there !!

Hey hannah-rose i am looking foward to seeing your tatoo haha just joking
 
hannah-rose

hannah-rose

bruscar said:
Hey hannah-rose i am looking foward to seeing your tatoo haha just joking
Click to expand...
Haha, nice, tbh so many people have seen my behind in the last few months I'd deffos get it out for all you lovely people, especially if I had a nice tattoo on it! Haha, I'd be unstoppable I'd be whipping it out to complete strangers.
 
bruscar

bruscar

wahoo, now ya talkin !

i will never say no to that.immediately post your exact location !

hahahaha . . . as if ?

good on ya hannah
 
Jazzy182

Jazzy182

Great thread! It's nice to know the special meaning behind the ink :)
I had always wanted to get two swallows on my chest. I decided they should represent the love and faith i have in my family who got me through a tough time, when i had a bad flare of my UC which was also followed by a blood clot in my leg and lungs.
 

Attachments

brieyourbest

brieyourbest

Cimzia Forum Monitor
Jazzy182 said:
Great thread! It's nice to know the special meaning behind the ink :)
I had always wanted to get two swallows on my chest. I decided they should represent the love and faith i have in my family who got me through a tough time, when i had a bad flare of my UC which was also followed by a blood clot in my leg and lungs.
Click to expand...
Your tattoos are beautiful! I am nervous to get a tattoo for Crohn's because I was just recently diagnosed and I am afraid that in my later years they will tell me that I was misdiagnosed...

But anyways, I love your tattoos!
 
Jazzy182

Jazzy182

brieyourbest said:
Your tattoos are beautiful! I am nervous to get a tattoo for Crohn's because I was just recently diagnosed and I am afraid that in my later years they will tell me that I was misdiagnosed...

But anyways, I love your tattoos!
Click to expand...
Thanks Brie, they might not specifically be for my IBD (i would also love to be told later on that i no longer have UC hehe) but when i see these tatts it always reminds me of that particular time in my life, which was tough but it gave me great strength too.
 
S

Steve

OMG!!! All this tattoo talk and seeing the pics is killing me - making me itch for one really badly. I mean, i have been thinking about it for a very long but my religion (jewish) is against it so it have to really decide. My wife tell told me to do what i want and i am really torn.
:sign0085:
 
ameslouise

ameslouise

Moderator
Ava - Love it!!

Steve - fellow Jew over here. I'm not really sure what the restriction is against tattoos. I think it might be the same as the "restriction" against earrings and piercings - that used to be the way that slaves were marked by their owners. Well, last I checked we aren't slaves anymore, thank G-d, and don't have to worry about this.

Others have told me that the restriction is more current, as Holocaust victims were tattooed and so in respect to their memory, tattoos are frowned upon. Some insist you can't be buried in Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo. Some say you shouldn't mark your body because it's a temple, a gift from G-d. If that is the case, I want a gift receipt because I'm exchanging mine for one I like better!!

Like everything else in the Jewish religion, it can be argued about by both sides and has been excessively! It's like Kashrut - we all pick and choose how observant we are going to be.

Here's the bottom line - Hillel said, "That which is hateful to you, do not unto another: This is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary — and now go study.”

If it doesn't hurt anyone else, go for it!

How's that for a bunch of advice you didn't ask for? ;)

- Ames
 
S

Steve

lol, ames. All the above. you are so funny you put a smile on my face. thank you.

i'm going to hell anyways, so might as well. right?
 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

Still haven't got round to getting my tattoo, but I've got as far as researching ideas. The cherry blossoms are possibly the ones in my new avatar combined with this ribbon
http://www.crohnsforum.com/album.php?albumid=535&pictureid=1814
but with a purple ribbon.
I just need to find time to get to the mainland and find someone who can jig the pictures for me to have it starting on my foot and curling round my ankle. DS has said he will buy it for my combined Christmas and birthday present. He did kind of shake his head at me getting another one in my advanced years but what the hell!
 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

Finally got my tattoo! The cherry blossoms as Cherry is my family name and symoblises spring, new beginnings etc. A celebration for finding out yesterday that surgery has put me into remission again :dance:
And the purple ribbon that means I have accepted the Crohn's that is a part of me and in support of all sufferers.

 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

Love it, Shirl :)
I decided against my foot as it is so cold most of the blinkin year where I am, that I would never see it with shoes or boots and socks on all the time!!!
 
Shirl

Shirl

Hi Grumbletum, it's on my wrist, it does look like my foot though lol.

I think yours is really cool too. As are all the tattoo pics :)
 
D

Diz Waltney

This is going to be a long story so bear with it (I used voice to text on my iPad mini so sorry about the grammatical errors)


My mom is 41. Several years go when I was still living at home she started having bloody diarrhea. This went on for a few weeks Then one day I get home from a Friends house and I see you a note on the fridge that says that my mom had gone to the hospital. Long story short my mom was in the hospital for like two weeks and she couldn't hardly eat it got so bad that At one point for about six or seven days straight she had to have a liquid diet said to her through an IV in her neck. Then after being on multiple medications, some that made her shaky and feel awful and multiple trips to the doctor she finally had to have an ileostomy. It was hard for me because I used to do physical activities if my mom like play basketball throve frisbee around stuff like that but now she really can't do because she always feels week. She said that the disease also makes her feel more depressed.

Fast-forward to today and my mom has found out she has arthritis in her back, fibromyalgia, and somedays she could hardly get out of bed because the Crohn's and everything is just so bad. another thing is she has been denied disability more than once and in my opinion she's one of the biggest candidates for it.


Also my parents are two of the most Christian people I've ever met, they raised me so well, they've never gotten mad at me whenever I mess up they punish me but I can tell that they still love me very much (I being an ony child). On top of all of that I was homeschooled throughout high school so my mom was pretty much my best friend.


I tell you all this so that way you can see that other then her and my dad I have been the most affected by her Crohn's disease and it breaks my heart.


Now as long as I could remember I've always wanted to get tattoos (once I was an adult haha) but I've never had an idea of what I've wanted. As soon as I started living on my own, and being serious about getting a tattoo I knew instantly exactly what my first tattoo is going to be and here it is (the pins are to look like its stuck into my body because I thought that was super cool lol)

As I mentioned before my parents are very heavy Christians so in their eyes they see any tattoo in general as being wrong and the mutilation of your body but my mom absolutely loved it she could not believe that I did that for her.




Sorry for the huge story but I wanted to give some background as to why I got the tat.







PS I'm only 21 lol.
 

Attachments

Last edited:
ProspectorsQuartet

ProspectorsQuartet

Hey. I like everyone's tattoos. I guess purple is the official Crohn's colour? I think my skin is too dark for purple, but still, I hope to join the club soon. Hopefully I will have some images to post this Sunday.

Crohn's has helped me get over fear of things that are not that scary, such as tattoos. I can't wait!
 
Grumbletum

Grumbletum

That's a great tattoo, Diz. Really original and well done. I'm really sorry to hear what a hard time your family have had with your Mum's disease. This is a lovely tribute to her.
 
ameslouise

ameslouise

Moderator
Hey Diz - Great tattoo and what a lovely tribute to your mom! I am sure they will come around to it in time. If God didn't want us to alter our bodies, then your mom would have never had an ileostomy!

I hope you enjoy your tattoo always, and that your mom's health improves soon!

- Ames
 
ProspectorsQuartet

ProspectorsQuartet

Well, here is what I got done today. Not a direct link to Crohn's. These music symbols are representatives of the thing that helps me the most and keeps me going when I'm having a rough time. They remind me of the things I love and what is good in life...
 

Attachments

RZman

RZman

These are my nautical stars. I grew up sailing on the ocean. The sailors used the stars to guide them at night. These are my guiding stars. They remind me how important it is to live a healthy and happy life.


This is on also has to do with my Crohn's. I'm going to keep the meaning to myself. I got this one 9 years ago; 3 months into 14 month flare.
 
S

Sereki

I have IBD - because the specialists and doctors can't diagnose me.
I also suffer from severe "clinical depression" and severe endo which I've had 3 surgeries for in the past 2 years.
I have 5 tattoos, the first I ever got wasnt huge in meaning, the rose I got for my mother. The butterfly I got because it represented freedom to me.
I originally got my tiger cub because it represented strength, purity and beauty.
However I felt it was unfinished, just like me, so I got it expanded on.
I had lotus flowers put on the outside, and ferns. Lotus flowers mean clarity of heart and of mind.
"The lotus means that a dark period in your life is finally over and you have risen above. The lotus seed is buried beneath muck and murky waters and in time grows out above the water and blooms."
I liked the symbolism anyway.
My my last tattoo, which I got done before the lotus flowers adaption is my beautiful swan. Every day I look at it and feel renewed almost. It never fails to make me smile and gives me a warm feeling inside. The swan to me means strength, quiet dignity, loyalty. Swans are said to have healing abilities. The swan is also a symbol of eternal faith and loyalty to one's soul mate. I also feel the swan is one of my totem animals.

I'm still tempted to get more.
 

Attachments

mccindy

mccindy

Location
Minnesota
Lovely tattoos, everyone! I have one on my shoulder (kinda tough to take a picture of it myself!). It's not for my belly stuff, it's a heart with a banner through it and my husband's name on the banner. It's really precious to me though. I'd like to get another but not sure what to get, and my hubs is not super excited about the idea! Maybe eventually I'll get one and it will be something involving my strength, I think.
 
T

tjorgensmith

How about a dragonfly tattoo. Here's a link that shows some symbolism associated with dragonflies. It seems kind of fitting for us Chronies. dragonfly-site.com/meaning-symbolize.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top