Leukemia

[ww1399]

Hi. I am a new member here and have suffered from health anxiety for a few years. I am a 17 year old male.

My 18th birthday is coming up (tomorrow actually) and I'm getting a tattoo for it. With my anxiety, I worry that the tattoo will cause me pain. I took my dads old lancet for his blood sugar monitoring and poked myself in the inner forearm to see if it would hurt. I did this about 5 times and stopped and never thought about it until the next day. The next day I look and see a small brown/yellow bruise with the puncture wound of the needle right in the center. I instantly went into a panic and have been that way for 3 days.

Do you think I am overreacting? Or do you think this could be leukemia?

[emnemz]

I think that when you have an injection, bloods etc it nearly always bruises as you are picturing the skin with force. It will be fine in a few days.

As for tattoos I've had 3 and I don't think they hurt half as bad as what people make out just take some chocolate and a sugary drink. But if you're not sure I would leave it a while.

Happy birthday for tomorrow x

[bin tenn]

That bruise is almost certainly due to the poking. I have one tattoo. It did hurt a little when it was going over my ribs, but fine other than that.

[ww1399]

Thank you emnemz

Thanks bin. Glad to see you here after anxiety zone was shut down or whatever happened, lol.

[Fishmanpa]

First off... get the idea of any disease out of your head. Frankly, it's ludicrous.

Ok... tatts... I have a few and I'm not gonna sugar coat it, they hurt. It depends on the location too. I have one on my upper arm. that was more irritating than painful. I have one that goes around my lower leg. That hurt like a MOFO! BUT.... there's something about experiencing the pain that's a right of passage in a way. Depending on the art and the reasons you're getting it, it's a release of sorts.

I took my daughter for her first. She has the semi colon with butterfly wings on her left inner wrist (she beat depression and suicidal thoughts). It's to remind her to always keep going no matter what.

What are you getting and where?

Positive thoughts

[bin tenn]

On the subject of size and also pain being relative to location, I will add that mine is on my abdomen. From one side to the other, a few inches tall all the way across. Like I said, it hurt at my sides. Also hurt near belly button - think that was the WORST.

[worriermama]

I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancies due to an inherited questionable pancreas, so I had to poke my fingers multiple times a day with a lancet. Those things are no joke -- they can easily bruise you if you do it too hard, at the wrong angle, etc. Totally normal.

Enjoy your tattoo!

[KeeKee]

I had an injection after my c section (think it was warfarin) in my stomach and it was unbelievably painful and bruised. Have you ever had a blood test? They're tiny pricks but I still get a bruise from them.

As for the tattoo I'd agree with others in regards to the pain. I have one on my wrist which was the least painful, my foot which was agonising and my lower back (tramp stamp anyone? Hehe, I regret that one) which was both irritating and agonising the further away from the centre he got. So it definitely depends on where you're getting it, 'the fatter the area the less painful' is a myth in my opinion.

[ww1399]

The tattoo I'm getting is on my inner forearm. Not too worried about that anymore, but still worried about the bruise :scared10:

[Capercrohnj]

I get IVs every 6 weeks and very frequent blood tests all done by professionals who give needles and start infusions for a living and every single time I get bruised so someone poking themselves with a needle who isn't a trained professional will obviously causes bruising if professionals do.

[swgrl09]

I get allergy shots in both arms every 3 weeks now and usually have a bruise depending on which nurse does it.

[ww1399]

Got the tattoo. No excessive bleeding or bruising, which would be common with leukemia. As for the pain I had no reason to be worried.