I have the words “Be Here Now” written ever so delicately yet, confidently on my inner arm. Now though my brother and I aren’t Close, I asked that he write it in his own font to make it well, you know, Personal.
At the time I was smoking some cigarettes, though, I couldn’t tell you the brand, I am thinking they were 27 somethings…
I was driving a 2 door grey Chevrolet Aveo that basically drove like a go cart and the windows were roll down.. hence “Roll Down the Window.” I was driving to get my tattoo with the window cracked, music playing and I felt as if I were making some pact into adulthood or maybe there was some self record I had to beat.
Fast forward to me walking into the tattoo shop pretending like I know what I am doing. I walk over to the table after we go over the artwork, size etc. I asked the artist, “will this hurt?” She goes on to tell me about all the tattoos she’s done and all the poeple she’s worked on…
I said again “Do you think this will be painful? I don’t handle pain very well, I’m quite the baby.” She says to me…
“You know, you don’t and can’t remember pain. Even if it’s a little painful, you won’t remember it. Pain is just temporary and the mind cant grasp on to it enough to have any lasting memory of it.” This eases my anxiety but, not enough.
My first tattoo was 8 years ago. Here I am now sitting on my couch in a black maternity onsie because my stomach is so bloated all sources suggested maternity clothes. I am 5 or 6 days into my IVF journey and if you don’t know what that is, its basically; doctors, medicine and a whole bunch of science to get you pregnant! Yeah… medicine.
We will just start off there because I am like I said, a baby when it comes to pain. I have to take 3 injections a day and on top of that, every other day I have to go into the clinic in the morning for Bloodwork and a Transvaginal Ultrasound. Yes, you read that right, a TRANSVAGINAL Ultrasound. This lasts anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Some days the ultrasound isn’t as bad, some days quite the contrary. I would like to add the bloodwork to that last sentence as well. I’m lucky if my guy Chris is there. He not only eases the pain by his easy swagger and chipper personality so early in the morning, but he nails it every. Single. Time. Unfortuantly Chris is only there weekdays and being a human like i am, i operate also on weekends.
Today was a bloodwork, ultrasound, 3 shots day. I remember the pain. I remember the cramps and the pressure from the ultrasound counting my many many follicles. I remember the shots because tonight SUCKED. Not only did it leave me running to the bathroom in tears crying, it bruised. They don’t always bruise but when they do, thats how you know, that one sucked.
I’ve had my fair share of pain and I will confidently say, you can indeed remember pain.
I remember all the shots, i remember all the bloodwork and i remember that first tattoo. Though it wasn’t bad, it left an inmpression and for that I am grateful. In it’s own way I feel there is a sense of connection with the tattoo outside of it being “personal” because i remember getting it done. I think the journey through IVF has been extremely painful and uncomfortable but, with all the pain, ill remember the journey of making my future unborn child. I am grateful that I am present and I am here for this. Though, I do wish I could have conceived naturally, i guess, god wanted me to work a little harder for it ;) Fight and be brave because Pain is temporary but, without it in those life changing moments, big or small we may not have remembered its lasting touch it had on us.