PKD Life - Fall 2020 - 19

By Christina Frank

For members of the PKD community, tattoos
can have very special meaning.

Susan Dauer, 43,
St. Clair, Minnesota
My tattoos are representative of two
chronically painful diseases I have
that currently have no cure. I got the
first [tattoo] in 2013 in remembrance
of the two kidney surgeries I had.
The second one, on the left shoulder,
was done in 2018 in remembrance of battling PKD and
PLD [polycystic liver disease] for five years.
Some people wonder
what I am going to think
about my tattoos when I
turn 80. I usually tell them I
think I will be more worried
about if I can feed myself or make it
to the restroom. They are part of my
history, just like any scars. I'm not a
crafty, artsy person, but they are my
way of expressing myself.

Think Before You Ink

For years, people have been using tattoos to express their political and social beliefs or to raise
awareness of causes they are passionate about. And that's certainly true for these members of the
PKD community. The ink they proudly wear represents not just their own struggles but also those of
the loved ones they have lost to PKD, and the family members who are threatened by it.

Tattoos can be a great way
to express yourself and raise
awareness, but they're not
without risks. Here's how to
get a tattoo safely and avoid
an infection:
1 Make sure that the tattoo parlor is reputable and
fully licensed (not all states
regulate tattoo parlors)
and that your tattooist is
highly experienced.
2 Check that work surfaces
are clean and that the tattoo
artist is wearing sterile disposable gloves and using singleuse needles and tubes.
3 Ask where the ink was
manufactured. Nonmetallic
organic pigments made by
large, established manufacturers are ideal.
4 Consult a doctor immediately if you see any signs of
infection, such as redness,
swelling, or pus.

D O Y O U H AV E A P K D - R E L AT E D TAT TO O TO S H A R E ? TA G T H E P K D F O U N D AT I O N O N I N S TA G R A M @ P K D F O U N D AT I O N

PKD_FA20_18-21_Feature_Tattoos.indd 19

9/23/20 8:57 AM

PKD Life - Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PKD Life - Fall 2020