Please Help me avoid Painful Skin Grafts!

Hello, My name is Heaven, I'm 48 years old, a hairstylist and makeup artist for 32 years, and also work at a small clothing store part time. I'm married to a retired Army combat vet, have 5 grown step kids, and we just had our first grandbaby who I adore.  I got my first tattoo in 2012 after loosing my special needs niece. Since then I got a few more and never had any issues or regrets and they all have very deep meanings for me. In 2018 I got the tattoo of my dreams, now a nightmare, a gorgeous Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Rose. The tattoo artist I went to, unbeknownst to me, not only used a low quality ink, but also was very heavy handed and went very deep with the ink.  As I was walking to the car my leg was burning and felt like someone had poured gasoline on it and set my leg on fire. That night I slept with my leg elevated, it was swollen and throbbing, and I couldn't stand anything touching it. I took very good care of it, and thought I was on my way to healing.

After some time the tat healed but I noticed the areas with red ink was slightly raised and the skin was very dry. I used everything I could to help, but nothing did. Fast forward 6 years, the skin of the red ink is extremely dry, cracked, flaking, pealing in chunks when I get out of the shower. It started getting more puffy, and heat starting to radiate from the tattoo. I go to my doctor and then 2 dermatologists to get nothing but shoulder shrugs. The area then started to get infected, chunks of skin was pealing off leaving me with open weeping wounds and scabs making it almost impossible to shave my leg in that area.  I finally got some relief from an urgent care doctor who said it was an allergy to red tattoo ink and need to have it removed as soon as possible. Looking into different removal techniques, I learned tradition laser removal was not something I could do. Laser removal brakes the pigment up into tiny partials and releases into the body. It gets into the lymphatic system and is expelled from the body through sweat and other forms of elimination. The issue is having an allergy, if it is not 100% released, the partials can cause tumors to form leading to other issues. I feared my only option was to have is cut out, get skin grafts, leaving me completely scarred and deformed, or worse, having the infection end up getting into the bone and loosing the leg completely. Yes, all from a tattoo.

I made the decision to paid out of pocket a well know demonologist, Dr. Lee, otherwise known as Doctor Pimple Popper. She gave me a referral to a doctor down in San Diego. She was my final hope.  I prayed just to have answers this time, something, anything. My prayers were answered. Paying out of pocket again, Dr. Ortiz not only gave me hope, but also a treatment plan. She has a special laser that will not only brake up the particles, but extract them from the body. Thank you Jesus!! She will also need to do a series of steroid injections, a biopsy, and I will also need a chemo injection into the tattoo. This helps brake up the ink, and scar tissue. These treatments are painful and pricey, $750 a pop, plus a day off work, a 3 hour car drive there, parking, and 3 hours home. She said I need anywhere from 10-16 treatments, all paid out of pocket. My insurance will not cover them since they consider it a cosmetic procedure. 

I am hoping by sharing my story  it will bring awareness to tattoo ink allergies. People need do better research, ask more informed questions before getting inked. As of right now there are no state law or FDA regulations or restrictions on ingrediencies allowed in tattoo ink. People can have allergies to other colors but red is the most common. I was reluctant to reach out for help, cause a tattoo is something I chose to do, however, now it is a medical necessity to have it removed, to save my leg, and possible my life. I am so grateful to My Heavenly Father for answering my prayers for the treatment needed. Now I am reaching out to my dear friends and family for financial help. Any donations made will help with these much needed treatments and expenses. Thank you so much for taking time to read my story and may God bless you abundantly.