#pinktattoodaymsp is happening in 3 weeks! Meet Survivor Monica!

P.ink Day Minneapolis is coming up in just a few short weeks! Three to be exact!! I just found out that the local PBS channel, TPT, got clearance to produce a thirty-minute show about P.ink Day Minneapolis 2014! It will show here in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 4^th at 7 PM Central time. They will put it on their website very soon after. I will post it here as soon as it’s available.

On September 13^th, the artists met with the survivors at Twilight Tattoo. Everyone collaborated on the designs that will be tattooed on October 10^th. It was an amazing gathering. I have to say, I never thought I would have friends who are tattoo artists! I feel very lucky to count Shane Wallin as a friend. Shane now dedicates 40% of his tattooing time to helping women who’ve had mastectomies. He’s a national expert on nipple tattoos. Plus, he’s an incredible artist who helps design body art that is profoundly healing.

Our fourth survivor warrior who will get her tattoo on #pinktattoodaymsp 2015 is Monica Theis. Monica is 42 and she lives in Robbinsdale, MN. She is a single mom of two teen girls, Madison who is 15, and MacKenna, who is 13. Monica says her daughters don’t even realize that they are her biggest supporters. They are her inspiration. Monica’s extended family includes her mom who is also a survivor, and her younger sister and brother.

Monica’s cancer story started when she was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1992 when she was 19 years old. She had just finished her freshman year of college. Monica underwent chemotherapy and radiation. Fast forward to 2004, which was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctor’s believe that the high doses of radiation that she had when I was 19, likely caused the breast cancer.

Very quickly and without hesitation, Monica chose to have a double mastectomy, as she wanted the cancer out of her body immediately. She was unable to do more radiation at that time, so she underwent chemotherapy and reconstruction followed by taking Tamoxifen.

Monica’s chances of a breast cancer recurrence were less than 1%. Well, someone has to be in that 1% right? It ended up being her. She was again diagnosed in 2011. Despite the double mastectomy, it was the same side, in almost the same spot. This time it invaded her lymph nodes. She once again underwent chemotherapy, had another double mastectomy and reconstruction. After the chemo, her lymph nodes were still affected, so after consulting with radiology, she learned that she was able to do some radiation again. Monica is now on Arimidex and will likely take it for the rest of her life.

Monica has chosen a lotus flower as part of her design for her tattoo. It’s a sacred flower to many cultures, and thus it is a very special symbol. The lotus flower is so clean and pure and grows out of often very dark and muddy waters. It slowly emerges and blooms in the morning and closes at night. Monica relates to how such a lovely flower emerges from dirty water. The flower that emerges is vibrant and clean and unstained.

This flower to Monica symbolizes purity and good health, enlightenment and awakening, which is like one’s rebirth after cancer. Monica also thought of adding in a Celtic symbol for strength, as her inner strength is something that she leans on a lot, especially since her outer strength has been compromised through cancer. She may add three little butterflies, to symbolize her daughters and her.

The gifted and very talented artist working with Monica is Reime Jahr. Reime does most of her tattooing at P.ink Day Minneapolis Head Artist Joe Andrew’s shop in Bloomington, Minnesota, Evolution Tattoo. Reime is excited to participate in her first P.ink Day this year! We are all really grateful that Reime is jumping into the healing fun!!

Please leave a comment of love and encouragement for Monica and Reime!! I for one, am very excited to see Monica’s lotus, since that’s the image I chose for my tattoo two years ago.

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