Living with it: Medical tattoos mark of permanent conditions

Living with it: Medical tattoos mark of permanent conditions
November 9, 2011
by Noelle Gardner
KENS 5

Some San Antonians are replacing their medical bracelets with something that will never fall off: medical tattoos.

James Delgado has been inking up arms in San Antonio for years. Lately he's been designing health related tattoos for people with serious medical conditions.

"It was like a light bulb going off," he said. "For a lot of people it makes perfect sense to do it."

It makes sense to Manuel O'Campo, who is reminded of his fragile medical condition every time he looks down at his hand.

"It represents my Type 2 diabetes and I just got diagnosed with," he said. "It is a reminder because sometimes I tend to forget. People tend to forget that they are diabetic."

John Kugelman also has diabetes. He said goodbye to his medical alert bracelet because they are costly and can come off. There are some mornings he just forgets to put it on.

Kugelman can't forget his tattoo, and won't forget his diabetes.

"He was excited about it," Delgado said about Kugelman and his new tattoo. "This is something that will always be there, everyday. They don't have to think about it. It is always there."

But those in the medical field have not caught on to the idea. Some first responders said they won't think to look for a tattoo when transporting a patient. Instead, they are trained to look for medical alert bracelets and necklaces. But that doesn't mean it won't eventually catch on.

Dr. Emily Kidd, assistant medical director for the San Antonio Fire Department, said she isn't opposed to the idea. If it's becoming a trend, she said hospital personnel need to be trained to start looking for medical body art.

For Kugelman, it's much more than body art. It's permanent. It's a part of who he is, just like his diabetes.

"It represents something I will never get rid of," he said.