B12 Injections, HYDROXOCOBALAMIN Injection. What I didn't know!

Last week I took myself to A&E after passing out on the way back from taking my children to school. Now anyone who knows me, knows how much I hate doctors and hospitals and will only go if I feel I really need to. Today was one of them days. For over a week I had suffered from dizziness, feeling faint, tight chest, out of breath and what felt like my heart was really struggling to pump blood around my body. That day was the 3rd time I passed out within 1 week. So to me that just wasn't classed as normal. I was worried, I had no idea what was wrong with me and I didn't think it would be any good for my 2 children to have a mother who was passing out on them. Also I am pregnant, so I was concerned in case me being ill would effect my unborn child. So off I went to the hospital (this was after trying to get into my own doctors and then phoning the antenatal clinic).

When I was resting I wasn't too bad, didn't really feel any of them symptoms, so whilst sat waiting to see someone in the hospital I started to feel back to normal. Finally I was seen. Nobody checked to see if my baby was okay but I didn't have my blood pressure taken, had to pee in a cup and they put a machine on me to check my heart. Everything other than low blood pressure appeared fine, so no matter how much I tried to convince them something wasn't right, they weren't interested and sent me on my way. I wasn't giving up though.

Later that day a cancellation at the doctors meant I could get in to see someone. I met a Doctor, who was lovely but again she thought I was just crazy. I managed to push at the very least for a blood test. She reluctantly agreed.

That brings us to today, my blood results showed a had a B12 deficiency. Which explained a lot as the symptoms for B12 deficiency matched up with a lot of my symptoms.

B12 Deficiency symptoms;

• Extreme tiredness or fatigue
• A lack of energy or lethargy
• Being out of breath
• Feeling faint
• Headache
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Lack of appetite
• More specific symptoms linked to a lack of vitamin B12 include:
• Yellowing of the skin
• Sore, red tongue
• Mouth ulcers
• Changes or loss of some sense of touch
• Feeling less pain
• Walking problems
• Vision problems
• Mood changes, irritability, depression or psychosis
• Symptoms of dementia

(http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/vitamin-b12-deficiency)

My doctors appointment was this morning and I was told I would be having a B12 injection. I don't like needles but I thought if it will fix me then off I go. I believed that it was simply the vitamin B12 in an injection. It didn't even cross my mind that it would contain a bunch of other ingredients!

I went into the doctors room and sat down. She then went on to say that my family doctor and herself has discussed it and both agreed to give me this B12 injection (both doctors are more than aware I am pregnant). But she then went on to say that she received an e-mail from someone who works with bloods at the hospital (I don't understand) who said, 'no, do NOT give her the injection whilst pregnant.'

That was a shock, both doctors had not even considered if it was safe for me to have whilst pregnant and whoever this person is at the hospital who said no, I want to find them and thank them for saving my unborn child from possible damage. Someone up there is looking out for me and my unborn child and I feel very, very blessed right now.

Doctor then went on to suggest I found natural ways to get B12 into my system, gave me a few leaflets and sent me on my way.

As you can imagine I was then super curious to why I wasn't allowed a B12 injection when I thought it was simply B12 in a needle. So off I went to research what is in it and I was shocked to discover how many different things were mixed in and I wasn't even aware or going to be told about it.

Below are the ingredients of the HYDROXOCOBALAMIN Injection as it is known as. I have tried to say what each ingredient is along with other information about what it is used for and possible dangers. Below each bit of information are links to where I found all of this. I hope you are able to learn something from this, as I have and maybe it will help you to realize, maybe you should ask what's in that injection they are about to stab you with!!



Active ingredient - HYDROXOCOBALAMIN ACETATE  

Inactive ingredients - SODIUM ACETATE ANHYDROUS, ACETIC ACID, SODIUM CHLORIDE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN and WATER

(http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=a3087a39-f218-4f16-a1e7-17c39bb2eb69)

Hydroxocobalamin (also hydroxycobalamin, OHCbl, or B_12a) is a natural form, or vitamer, of vitamin B₁₂. It is a member of thecobalamin family of compounds. Hydroxocobalamin is produced by many bacteria that are used to produce the vitamin commercially. Like other forms of vitamin B₁₂, hydroxocobalamin has an intense red color. In humans, it is rapidly converted to usable coenzyme forms of vitamin B₁₂. Hydroxocobalamin is used as an injectable solution for treatment of the vitamin deficiency and for treatment for cyanide poisoning.^[3] It has been tested as a scavenger of nitric oxide.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroxocobalamin)

Sodium acetate,

 NaC₂H₃O₂, also abbreviated NaOAc,^[7] also known as sodium ethanoate, is the sodium salt of acetic acid. This colorless deliquescent salt has a wide range of uses.

Industrial

Sodium acetate is used in the textile industry to neutralize sulfuric acid waste streams and also as a photoresist while using aniline dyes. It is also a pickling agent in chrome tanning and helps to impede vulcanization of chloroprene in synthetic rubber production. In processing cotton for disposable cotton pads, sodium acetate is used to eliminate the buildup of static electricity.

Concrete longevity

Sodium acetate is used to mitigate water damage to concrete by acting as a concrete sealant, while also being environmentally benign and cheaper than the commonly-used epoxy alternative for sealing concrete against water permeation.^[8]

Food

Sodium acetate may be added to food as a seasoning, sometimes in the form of sodium diacetate, a one-to-one complex of sodium acetate and acetic acid,^[9] given the E-number E262. It is often used to give potato chips a salt and vinegar flavor.

Buffer solution

As the conjugate base of acetic acid, a solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid can act as a buffer to keep a relatively constant pH level. This is useful especially in biochemical applications where reactions are pH-dependent in a mildly acidic range (pH 4-6).

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_acetate)

Acetic acid

Chemical Compound

1. Acetic acid, systematically named ethanoic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH₃COOH. It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid.
2. Large quantities of acetic acid are used to make products such as ink for textile printing,
3. dyes, photographic chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, food preservatives, rubber and

   plastics. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar albeit at very low concentrations.

Dangers - If exposed to acetic acid, the harmful effects that may occur largely depend on  the way and the amount to which people are exposed. Breathing vapours with highlevels of acetic acid can cause irritation of the eyes and nose, sore throat, cough, chest tightness, headache and confusion. Drinking large amounts may cause burning of the mouth and throat, stomach pain and diarrhoea. Spillages of high concentrations onto the skin can lead to burns and exposure to the eyes can cause pain, watering eyes and increased sensitivity to light.Children exposed to high concentrations of acetic acid are expected to show similar effects to those seen in adults. There are few data regarding the effects of acetic acid on the unborn child during pregnancy although no effects on children or developing fetuses have been reported. There are no data on whether acetic acid

causes cancer in humans. 

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315396/acetic_acid_general_information.pdf)

Sodium chloride

Chemical Compound

1. Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions.
2. Medically, sodium chloride solutions are used in catheter flush injections or intravenous infusions, and for cleaning objects such as contact lenses in the form of saline. Sodium chloride inhalation can remove certain bacteria in body secretions.

Methylparaben

Chemical Compound

1. Methylparaben, also methyl paraben, one of the parabens, is a preservative with the chemical formula CH₃. It is the methyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.
2. Methylparaben is a common preservative that contains antifungal and antibiotic properties that can protect various products against any microbial growth.

   Uses

   Methylparaben is used in several forms. Some of its usages include: Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food. 

 Dangers

Methylparaben is a preservative that fights growth of fungi and other microorganism in certain foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

However, the use methylparaben is associated with controversy. Studies show that methylaparaben is associated with certain dangers.

Ocular damage. The use of this preservative in eye products is alarming since it is attributed to ocular damage or eye damage. Small quantities of methylparaben may even lead to damage of the eye tissue. 

Decrease in sperm count. Methylparaben may have estrogenic effects in the body. this simply means that using this preservative can lower the cell activity in the male organ which can result to low volume of sperm production in men.

Breast cancer. This preservative is very common in cosmetics like deodorants and skin creams. One of the dangers that methylparaben is the linked with the formation of breast cancer. Studies show that some tumors that were removed in the breast contain increased methylparaben levels.

(http://pagereview.us/Methylparaben.html)

Propylparaben

Chemical Compound

Propylparaben, the n-propyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, occurs as a natural substance found in many plants and some insects, although it is manufactured synthetically for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and foods.

The Possible Dangers of Propylparaben

One of the main propylparaben dangers cited by dermatologists and skin care specialists is the chemical’s ability to mimic estrogen in the human body, causing an over-abundance of this hormone. Because hormones play such a vital role in the body by stimulating various biological processes, chemicals that mimic hormones can lead to a significant number of problems and pain from internal inflammation. When this happens, you may start gaining weight, retaining more fluids, and can even lead to cancer. Estrogen-related problems from propylparaben are especially detrimental to women who are pregnant or nursing, and are already facing wide hormonal fluctuations.

(http://www.thedermreview.com/propylparaben/)

There are Male Rape Victims Too!

WARNING - The following article may not be suitable for under 18 year old's. Rape is a sensitive subject and may upset many people. 

I have been thinking about this article for over a week now. After watching the music video 'Elastic Heart', I became aware that Shia LaBeouf (the main male actor in the Transformers movies) had turned to performing in art exhibitions. First I knew, I'm not very good at keeping up with what celebrities do. 

Taken from people.com

LaBeouf, 28, lived in an L.A. gallery for five days in February 2014 and invited the public to sit with him in silence for his #IAMSORRY art show. He was in a room alone and the other artists involved in this project say they were unable to see Shia LaBeouf whilst he was in the room. From what I have gathered the public were able to line up to go into this room with LaBeouf, there were no directions or rules to what would happen in this room, or what to do. 

LaBeouf was sat on a chair at a table with a paper bag over his head. One member of the public, at a time, were lead into the room with him and then left alone. There was no particular time limit given to each person and according to news reports there was one door into the room and another out of the room. From what I have read some people took pictures of him, removing the bag and others would talk to him etc. Not all the details are clear. 

Since this exhibition the actor has said (I would say claimed but 'claimed' makes it sound like a lie in my opinion), that he was raped during the exhibition by a woman. 

'[She] whipped my legs for 10 minutes and then stripped my clothing and proceeded to rape me.’

I have read a few articles on this particular incident and none of them add up, other than what Shia LaBeouf has said. The other two artists involved were unable to keep a story straight but it appears in the end both other artists 'claim' they put an end to the incident as soon as they were aware of what was happening. 

A Tweet from Luke Turner, one of the other artists involved in this project, said,

'As soon as we were aware of the incident starting to occur, we put a stop to it and ensured that the woman left.'

In my opinion this is disgusting and what made me feel so strongly about writing this article. 
If that was a male who had raped or attempted to rape a woman, do you really think they would have ensured that the perpetrator left? Would they heck! They would have attempted to detain the person and proceeded to phone to police, not let them go!!! It made me so mad reading this! 

So we are living in a world where male rape isn't taken seriously, even when it comes to a celebrity. So what hope have we got in being able to make male rape victims comfortable in coming forward and reporting the crime?! 

This NEEDS to change! And fast!  

Back to my original point, male rape victims. I have always felt strongly about this, so felt it was time to air my opinion and where better to do it than my blog. 

I began to research this particular subject and came across a few interesting bits of information, both from the UK and the USA. We are both westernized countries so I believe the information is relevant in both countries and throughout the world to be honest. 

A CDC study found that, in the USA, 1 in 71 men had been raped or suffered an attempt within their lifetime. 1 in 71 men! And that's probably not even the true figure, it is probably higher as it is widely known that many male sexual assault or rape victims do not come forward. 

Within that same study approximately 1 in 21 men had been made to penetrate someone else. To me that is a high enough figure to realize something is seriously wrong here. 

Rape of males by other males, fewer than 1 in 10 are actually reported. So 90% of male by male rape victims do not come forward. These rapists are still roaming the streets people! How are we not in an uproar about this?! Also rape of males BY females isn't punished on the same level as a male raping a female. There are many examples of this in the US (unfortunately I struggled to find much in the UK). In the US a male who has raped a female can receive life imprisonment, unfortunately the opposite doesn't even receive half of that punishment. I thought we were meant to be fighting for equality?! 

According to an article in the Guardian newspaper, here in the UK, back in January 2013. It stated that there are on average 9,000 male rape victims in the UK per year. The female number does appear to be higher at 69,000 per year. But is this because it is more accepted for a woman to come forward over rape? Either way, 9,000 is a very bad figure to me. Rape should be a big fat ZERO in any country! 

Unfortunately little research has been done on male rape so we are unable to reveal many statistics for this subject, which is disgraceful. 

Before I carry on I thought I best share what the UK Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines 'Rape' as;

Rape

(1) A person (A) commits an offence if - 

                           (a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person

                                (B) with his penis,

                           (b) B does not consent to the penetration, and

                           (c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

(2) Whether a belief is reasonable is to be determined having regard to all the circumstances, including any steps A has taken to ascertain whether B consents.

(3) Sections 75 and 76 apply to an offence under this section.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life. 

(This was taken from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/1)

So lets have a look at this. To begin with 1 (a) already makes it sound like only a man can be a rapist by stating 'he'. Not too long ago there was a story where one female was raped by another female using a strap on penis. This female couldn't be convicted of rape as she didn't have a penis, so used a fake one. She was charged with the next most serious sexual crime on the list as it wasn't defined as rape. How disgusting is this? To any normal human being you would count that particular situation as rape wouldn't you? 

Obviously I am no great legal mind, I am just an average person saying it how I see it. But to me it appears if a man is forced into having an erection in the UK and a female then going on to 'rape' the male, it isn't classed as rape under our UK laws. This needs to change! 

Now I know many people will say, but if a male has an erection surely that means he is enjoying it so therefore consenting? Wrong, totally wrong! 

Getting an erection is not always (or even usually ) a voluntary action. Stress, fear, anger and other strong emotions can lead to erections. Stimulating the penis can lead to ejaculation whether or not the man desires it. Just as a female can be forced to orgasm during rape even if she isn't enjoying it. 

An erection does not equal consent!!!!!!!!

I should really get on with my point shouldn't I? My point to this article was to bring it to the public's attention that men can be rape victims too. 

No person should ever have to suffer going through an ordeal as serious as rape. I would never wish it upon any female or male. We are constantly seeing articles, videos, photos in the media regarding female rape victims, all the blame being thrown onto men. We see images such as the below ones. 

Taken from zimbio.com 'Slutwalk Participants Protest Against Rape Culture'

Taken from huffingtonpost.com

We need to stop this blame of the sexes and start working together. Pack it in with this feminist nonsense of equality and actually start fighting for equality.

We need to fight to get the law changed so that female rapists can receive the same punishment as male rapists. 

That the definition of rape is changed so that it isn't regarded as only males being rapists. 

We need to work together to help men feel comfortable about coming forward if they have been a victim of rape. Help them realize it isn't their fault, they are no less of a man because it has happened to them. 

We need to start getting angry, if you can get angry you can start anything. Together we can make a difference (I'm aware that saying sounds super cheesy but has no less of a meaning).

Note - If you have been a victim of rape whether male or female, please know it is not your fault and please speak to someone about it. There are many organisations out there that can help you get through it, just look for them. I'm no expert but may be able to point people in the right direction for support so please feel free to e-mail me if you would like. 

charlottedakota1989@gmail.com

World Book Day is finally here!

'You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.'

-Dr Seuss 

World Book Day has finally arrived. The internet is full of pictures of all the children in their costumes. I took my children to school this morning and it was a wonderful sight, seeing all of their classmates dressed up as their favorite characters. If I was allowed I would of taken pictures of them all, it was such a fantastic thing to see.

Now I love reading, have from a young age. Books just take you into a totally different world. Anything is possible inside a book. You can experience so many different things without even leaving your own home, all from just opening a book.

Anything that encourages children to read is a great thing to me. From birth, books have been a huge part of my children's lives. I want them to have a passion for reading just as I have. My son is now 9 and he loves to read, has done for years. My daughter is 5 and still learning to read but always enjoys story time when she is tucked up in bed. 

Parents I advise you to seriously make books a part of your child's life. It will educate them and also help with their imagination. Allow them to travel to many different places just through the pages of a good book.

This year I was totally lazy when it came to costumes, well for my daughter anyway. Both children had chosen Roald Dahl characters (love, love, love Roald Dahl). My son had recently finished reading, 'Danny the Champion of the World', so he decided that's what he was going to be (I will add photos at the end). Thankfully this was an easy costume, all I needed was an all red jumper, jeans and brown shoes. Sorted! I decided to add a badge saying, 'Champion of the World' to give other children a clue to who he was. 

Now my daughter wanted to be Mrs Twit but I felt it was too much effort so I told her she had to be Snow White. She was so upset but in the end finally agreed. I put her to bed last night and the guilt just hit me. I had to come up with a Mrs Twit outfit. So myself and my son set to work to come up with a costume. I was pretty pleased with the end result and when my daughter woke up this morning, she was over the moon I had created the costume. It was so worth the hassle. 

What did your children dress up as? 

I love seeing all the different characters. Now a little peace until next year! 

Open Letter to 11 Year Old Me!

'You were given this life, because you're strong enough to live it.'

- Unknown

Dear Charlotte,

Hey it's me, well you, but your future self. Currently at the age of 25, life is crazy but you are loved and have finally realized who matters. So don't worry, if you don't take this advice it still works out. You still have many blessings in your life. 

I'm writing this to maybe save you some heartache and make life a little easier. So you are 11 years old. Soon to start high school, it's going to be tough. But maybe these little tips might help you survive it a little easier. To start with, do not let Dad buy you them awful, awful fake Rockport shoes, they are awful and your feet will not grow into them, so at the very least get a size that actually fits! To be on the safe side I suggest you get some dolly shoes, not really going to get picked on for that. Next do not, I repeat, do not get them woolly black tights! Get the normal one's grown ups wear! Trust me, they do not look good. Also avoid a skirt that goes to your knees, get one shorter, not too short though. And always wear tights with the skirt as you'll come across idiot boys who will pull your skirt up, tights will save you some face. 

Swot knots are not cool (not in 2001 anyway), do the knot small and have the thin bit of the tie showing not that thick bit! Oh almost forgot, the blazer you will soon buy, try to avoid wearing it, the cool kids learn that pretty quickly, get a school jumper and try your best to wear that at all times! Okay so I've covered the uniform side of things. These things may sound silly and pointless to you but trust me, it will help you blend in a little and not be classed as a geek til year 9 when you finally realize you look LAME!! 

Choose your friends wisely, you do actually do okay with this except one girl who turns on you all because you accidentally repeated that she told you she still bathes with her mother!! Totally weird, and for some reason this backfires on you and she ends up looking like the 'cool' one. But don't worry if you slip up your year 4 teacher, Mr Walker, saves the day and goes completely crazy at everyone for being mean to you and then the problems stop. But if you can, avoid it completely. 

Don't bother with the mean girls, they are just mean and thankfully they turn out looking pretty rough in later life haha.

Ignore that evil step Aunty you have, she has picked on you about what you eat for years and unfortunately she continues to do so and it knocks your confidence. You might not realize it now but trust me, you end up hot! You realize that at about age 17, but that's a different story. If you can try to love yourself now and ignore that mean woman, she is only worried about you causing competition for her and thankfully karma does actually hit her later on. Thankfully! 

Unfortunately I can't give you advice on your love life, you will slip up a lot! But you end up with beautiful children at the end of it all. But one tip, do not judge a book by it's cover! When I say this I mean if he is in the emergency services and tells you he does charity work, it's just a cover! He ends up being abusive and destroys your confidence and trust in men for about 2/3 years! Avoid that one at all costs! Please listen to that bit of advice! Only thing you come out with at the end of that is being stronger, but I'd rather you just skipped that part. 

Listen to your gut! Seriously, you are always right when you listen to your gut, so trust it!

I have probably covered most of what I need to say to you but a few more little tips. Save money! Seriously save, will make life for future you/me so much easier! Have confidence in yourself. You will be hated by many, many people unfortunately but hey doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you, it's usual them. You are a decent person, not perfect but always have good intentions. You will make many mistakes but you will also do many great things too. You end up a great Mother too (or so your kids tell me). 

Almost forgot, do not cling to that Mother figure you feel you so desperately need, you have Nan, she will ALWAYS stand by you, you can trust her. Mum will come around, you end up much closer to each other once you are older. You will realize how her mind works and she just shows her love in different ways than the typical Mother. You don't need another mother, you have her and Nan.

Look after Dad, he needs us. You also need him, he might be a jerk at times, not often, but at times. But he loves you and will do whatever he can for you and he needs you just as much. 

I've probably covered most things I need to tell 11 year old me. So please take the advice future you/me has given. You are awesome! Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. 

Lots of love,

Charlotte (at age 25 years)

xXx

P.S On the 28th September 2013 go to that ladies night in Stockport, it's where you meet Alex, you don't want to miss that. Just make sure you ask each naked waiter what they do for a living, it's how you end up chatting all night. Good Luck! 


Edit - My Rockports from year 9 on wards were real!! I needed to clarify that! Haha

Manchester Tattoo Show 2015

Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good.

 - Unknown

To start with I will have to say, after we attended the show I found out that 'Tattoo Tea Party' was also on the same day in Manchester. Rumors are that 'Manchester Tattoo Show' changed the dates on purpose, not sure why but, if this true I am a tad disappointed. It's a bit lame to make unnecessary competition and also I'm gutted I was unable to attend both!

Update - Please see end of article regarding the above rumor. 

So back to Manchester Tattoo Show. Well we all know I love a bargain. The other half is really into his tattoo's, he loves them so I knew this would be something he'd enjoy. Thankfully I was able to save myself some pennies! Both Groupon and Wowcher had offers on the tickets. Groupon was selling for £12 and Wowcher selling for £10 (Direct through the tattoo show website they were £18 advanced and £20 on the door). So obviously that made my decision easy, I opted for the £10 Wowcher tickets, saving myself £16! Very happy girly already! :D 

Okay you don't really care about my savings do you? Haha Ah well, I needed to get that out there. 

We attended just for the Saturday, me being a bossy, control freak, I insisted we had to be there early so we could get our wristbands and enjoy as much of it as we could. We got to the show for 11am, it did start at 11:30am but I'm telling you this simply because there was still a big queue so if you decide to go next year I recommend you get there early! 

Wristbands on and our day began. We were welcomed by lovely staff and two freaky looking tall guys haha. (See picture below) 

Now I don't have any tattoos but I can appreciate great artwork and at the end of the day that's what it is. When you walked in, there was just booth after booth of tattoo artists, a lot booked up already and a lot still having available slots. Majority had their work out on the tables, photo albums of past tattoo's they had done. To be honest they were amazing! Such talented artists. Couldn't fault their work. I was in my element looking through all of their photos. 

A lot of the artist's were also selling framed drawings they had created as well as doing tattoo's. 

One thing I didn't expect was the other types of stalls, I know this sounds a tad stereotypical but I didn't really expect a person covered in tattoo's to be selling beautiful cupcakes with glitter on top! Also there were clothing stalls, sweet stalls, and even one selling his own hot sauces! It was great. I had a brilliant time wandering around. 

In this article I'm guessing pictures speak louder than words. ;) 

Alex and I had a wander around as soon as we went in, having a look at various artists work. Alex had come hoping to get another tattoo. You had a lot that would do a variety of different art work and then some who specialized in certain types of tattoo's. I noticed one did just girly type tattoos, another appeared to do mainly portraits and another did the classic 'biker' type tattoos. All were fantastic! Alex was on the hunt for a script artist and guess what?! We found one of those too!

Pedro Mendonca was his name, Alex knew as soon as he saw his booth, this was the guy. It was him and his wife on the stall, and they were both so lovely and friendly. I personally think that makes a huge difference! I mean if someone is coming at you with a needle you at least want it to be a friendly person! 

He decided on his lucky number, twenty-one. That was it, he booked himself in for 1pm and I was officially ditched! :( Okay I'm being dramatic, I was more than happy to wander off on my own. (Below pictures of Alex getting his tattoo done.)

Now I won't bore you with the rest of my day as I know you aren't interested. You just want to know what to expect if you go yourself and maybe anything that needs improving. So I will keep it brief. 

While he was having his tattoo done I went looking at other artist's work, got chatting to a few and they were super nice! I always get a tad shy and I was worried showing up with zero tattoos, they might think I'm a wannabe, but I was wrong. Everyone was friendly, chatty and more than happy to answer any questions I had. 

Don't tell my family but I might even be tempted to get one myself next year! Sshh. 

Once I'd finished gas bagging aka chatting, I found the tarot card reading booth! Unfortunately I didn't catch the guy's name. There was a queue but it was free! Well it could be if you wanted, the man doing the readings was only asking for donations to charity! How lovely is that? The queue was big and if I'm being honest I was sat in the queue for 2 hours! 

Now I can't knock him for me being in a 2 hour queue, as he was giving detailed readings so didn't rush them, hence it taking so long for the line to go down. Only thing I would say is maybe next year either go straight away, an attempt to avoid the queue or maybe if he did bookings instead it would give people chance to book in and then go for a wander around all the booths before coming back. 

Once I did get into have my reading Alex had returned from his tattoo and was able to cut the queue and come with me. Total rebel! 

The man giving the readings had purple hair and a purple beard, a real character haha but he was lovely. Turned out he bought his crystals for a shop local to me so we chatted a little about that. 

Thankfully he didn't have any bad news for me in my reading, I'm not going to die or anything. Well if I am he didn't mention it! It turned out to be all good, stability, change in career, dream and ambitions coming into place and a gift from a female role model. Oh he also said I'll be invited to a big celebration. Let's see if any of this comes into place. 

Over all I had a great time, was well worth it. There were also a lot of acts on the main stage performing but as I am a rubbish reporter, I missed them and didn't get photos! Just too many things to see and do in just 1 day. Maybe I should have gone for day 2. 

Only things I would say, they might want to add maybe a few more things for the kids. I know you wouldn't think a tattoo show would have many children but it did. They did have face painting but maybe even souvenirs or a drawing station for them. Something to make them feel a little more involved. 

Conclusion, I was impressed and will be back next year! 

Photo of Alex's finished tattoo is below but if interested I have added the link to the artist's instragram. 

Pedro Tattoos Instagram

Oh, one last thing! They didn't sell fridge magnets! :'( This was a real negative thing for me, I love fridge magnets but that's for another post! 

Photos and text by moi! 

Update - I didn't want to change my original article, feel like it's me covering things up so I will instead just like to add this note. Regarding the rumor of 'Manchester Tattoo Show' changing their date to purposely cause competition with 'Tattoo Tea Party', apparently Manchester Tattoo Show had this date for 10 years before Tattoo Tea Party came into place, they changed to August for 3 years but realized it wasn't best for the crowd. After fore filling their 3 year contract, they moved it back to the original date they had for 10 years. Please see this link for full explanation. 

The 14th Manchester International Tattoo Show 2015, date change.