Tattoo torture totally worth it: painful, but helped by Fruit Pastilles, Lamaze style breathing

Remember I posted a couple of weeks ago about getting a tattoo? Well last Thursday I took the plunge and got it done. I returned to Brian in Wildcat, whose girlfriend as it turns out is a Beaut.ie reader and had told him about my post (hello to Dani the Glamour Nazi!) .

Brian took my idea and drew up his own design instead of copying it straight, which I really appreciated. After applying the stencil and making a few minor changes, it was time to get down to business. I was amazed at how calm I felt, as I am not the biggest fan of needles - in the past, I have had to be restrained, bribed and distracted so doctors can get a needle into my arm.

Here I am, midway through the proceedings. I have no idea why I'm smiling. I was not particularly enjoying myself.

I won't lie to you all - it was painful. Not painful enough to be completely unbearable, but painful enough for me to do some serious "Hooooo...haaaaaa..." pregnancy-style breathing. I would compare the feeling to being repeatedly scratched by a very insistent cat.

I got through it though, thanks in no small part to my best pal Roisin, who read me Harry Potter facts to distract me and provided me with a plastic cup to crush in my (very sweaty) palm. I would also advise anyone getting a tat to bring along some Fruit Pastilles, as they are the perfect thing to chomp on during the more painful moments.

There's the finished product! This photo was taken straight after I got it done, so it's a little bit red and gory looking. It's a bit bigger than I expected, but you know what? I love it. It feels like me. I can't stop looking at it, and when I catch sight of it out of the corner of my eye or in a mirror I can't help but smile.

After spending three days wrapped up in cling film like last night's leftovers, I'm finally allowed to let my tat breathe, albeit from beneath a thin layer of Bepanthen nappy rash cream (the best moisturiser for fresh ink - who knew?) It's still tender, and I live in fear of someone accidentally hitting it, but I'm excited to show it off properly as a pretty piece of body art.

I can't recommend Wildcat in Stephen's Green enough - everyone was super friendly, from the receptionists to the girl getting an absolutely massive (in every sense of the word) tattoo of Marilyn Monroe in the seat across from me.

It was a great experience - not sure if I've caught that tattoo bug you all spoke of, but I'm certainly delighted with this one.

So what do you think?  Love/Hate?  Go on be honest - I can take it!