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Here's my healed mini-eagle from Grez... His name is Greagle. :) Coverup of a really, really bad tattoo...

So, I met with my doctors. I think that I'm going to do some sort of radiation treatment, either Gamma Knife or Cyber Knife. I need to met with the next round of doctors. @pidjones - Most likely she and I both have the same type of tumor! It's called an acoustic neuroma and supposed to be rare (1 in a 100,000) but I seem to be finding a lot of people who have/had one. I can write off the hearing in my left ear (it's basically gone anyway) but I am tripping over the possibility of facial paralysis and mobility issues. That being said, I'm in a good place. It is what it is....I'll make the best of whatever gets thrown my way! I very much appreciate the support. :) I'm taking 2018 off from tattoo's to save money for my surgery/treatments. This stuff ain't gonna be cheap even with good insurance!

I hope things work out for you. Sometimes life just sucks, but you plow through. Not the same, but 10 years ago I was in a bad motorcycle accident. A month in the hospital, a year in physical therapy (then periodic PT for about 5 years), surprise divorce, move from my home of 15 years, new job, my dog of 15 years died. Almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I just hung on, my parents didn't raise any quitters, things started to turn around and I've been on a pretty good roll ever since. Attitude is everything.

@Gingerninja don't know what to say. be strong. puts things in perspective. damn.

Sending all the love in the world. @Gingerninja. <3

Lol, I can go with the leave it alone advice. At worst, it just stays as is I suppose.

Hey there....leave it alone, no poking or prodding by you or anyone else. :) Most likely will eventually go away. Give it a month or so. Your skin has been traumatized (just the nature of tattooing), so getting a bump is not anything to freak out on.

@Hands On tmrw is the my first appointment for my back! ill be sure to share a photo asap. very nervous but excited.

@Hogrider Damn, you did go through it! I agree that attitude is so important. I went as far as getting a PMA tattoo, so there's a constant reminder to carry on! @Devious6 You know how I feel. Volk Principle all the way!

Happened to me 10 years ago. It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn't realize how unhappy I was until I got away from that mess. Now I'm covered in ink, playing music, restoring an historic house, married to a great woman. Hard to figure how it could have turned out better.

Well, @Gingerninja, what's the word? Good, I hope! I have a friend that had a tumor wrapped around her auditory nerves and partially on the optic nerve on that side. She had lost all hearing in that ear already. She had surgery @ Vanderbilt, had to go in through her face and eye socket. Low prognosis for survival, success at removing all of the tumor, eyesight on that side, facial appearance, personality, etc. When they got in the tumor had turned to a jelly that they were able to suction out. This was a couple decades ago. I just saw her last year (on my way to a tattoo convention!) and she has about 20% hearing loss in that ear, no scars or appearance change, good sight in both eyes, and a personality just as warped as when I first met her in Sunday School in 1979. I know this is not the most popular statement for this forum, but she had many faithful praying for her. I'll keep you in my prayers.

I don't think so.

ALL my first tattoos were on both my lower arms, I started my sleeves from the wrists up ! LOL I wouldn't say it was "life changing", but it certainly cemented my addiction. if anything has changed, tattoos have made my life better through the experiences I have had and the people I have met on my tattoo adventure over 25 years of getting tattooed, it's been a great ride and I look forward to the future, I love the tattoo world and the people in it.

Looks like I'm hanging in there for the "Oldest Living Person on Last Sparrow" award. Considering the alternative, I'm OK with that.

Big day today. I have my first specialist appointment for my brain tumor (acoustic neuroma). Hopefully, I will be able to get some direction on whether I can do radiation instead of full on surgery. I am totally getting a ray gun tattoo if I do radiation!

I'm starting a battle royale back piece tomorrow, not my whole back since my shoulders already have work on them. The size is 13" x 13" and hopefully I'll get it lined and partially shaded. The artist made up a composite with the design pasted onto my back.

5 weeks since my last update, 2 appointments in between. On the first session early september we startet coloring the scales, last session was done sunday on the International London Tattoo Convention. Great experience to get tattooed at such an awesome event!

Got this tiger a couple of months ago at Smith Street Tattoo.

finished down the left side, shoulder, neck area, and started down the right side. fun times!

Forgot to post this up last month! Instagram Dennis_Kool Hit the 'substantially complete' milestone on my Steve Batt backpiece tattoo!! A bittersweet moment. One or two maintenance/touchup sitting in the fall after I enjoy the sunburn season and let the pigments settle under the skin. I believe the plan is to re-saturate the blacks and likely hit the cherry red one more time. Also some more finer details to add the treads of the shoes to blend in the blastover. The last session (#9, for a couple of hours) began with some pen markups as Steve drew on the intricate flame pattern and planned out the blue and green gradients. It went pretty quickly however the tattooing was pretty tight so healing it was a bitch and the bruising was pretty intense. Steve also did the skin tones which is looking deadly now that everything is starting to smooth out. The only negative space in the tattoo is in the wind and water. The monk is all peachy skin tones and white ink in the pants and sleeve cuffs. A few of you have seen the full-monty r-rated version of the ebb n flow of the water below the butt crack wave. Back, butt and 1 thigh took a swift 32 hours and 9 sessions. This experience has taught me a lot, not just about tattoo, but overall life. Really pushed me to my limits. The importance of simplicity, consistency and routine, of good health, how to relax, patience, perseverence, confidence vulnerability and focus. Sounds a lot like kung fu which only makes sense with the subject matter I chose to carry. It has been a very intense journey. Shout out to Steve Batt, my guru and one of thee baaaaaaddest tattooers in the West. Made in Edmonton, AB. So yeah, I am now 210hrs, 83% of my body tattooed, the illustrated man, the colouring book, in a full tattoo suit (minus some choicey open spots for future tattoos). Coming to a beach near you to frighten your conservative parents and intrigue your impressionable teenagers! I'd say vote for me in the July 2015 Tattoo of the Month contest...buuuuuuut don't because a) I don't actually need to wear a shirt (or pants) anymore b) @CultExciter's robot tattoo is clearly going to be the underdog winner and c) maan how good are those Grez and Marius Meyer tattoos !!! Set your goals, plan the work, work the plan, "cut the shit...and now let's all get ssssserious!