Because 56-year-old Brian Andrianos has heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure, he's more than used to being in Syracuse, N.Y.-based Crouse Hospital's emergency room, according to Syracuse.com.
When his physician of 25 years, Mark Erlebacher, MD, jokingly suggested he get a hospital-related tattoo because of his frequent visits, Mr. Andrianos took his words to heart and did just that.
He headed to Liverpool, N.Y.-based Dawn of Time Tattoo and asked for Crouse Hospital's slogan, "Take me to Crouse," tattooed on his chest. He also capitalized the letters "m" and "e" in "me" and put them in black to represent Dr. Erlebacher's initials.
"I really feel without his guidance and help, I would be just dirt these days," said Mr. Andrianos, who has nine other tattoos. "The tattoo was really more about my doctor and the bond we have."
Dr. Erlebacher was certainly in for a surprise when he saw the tattoo — in fact, he said he nearly fainted. "It was still fresh and had inflammation around the letters," Dr. Erlebacher said, according to the report. "My first thought was, 'Oh my God, what have I done?'" But after the initial shock wore off, he emphasized how happy he is to have a patient as grateful as Mr. Andrianos.
But the shock hasn't worn off with everybody. Nearly every time he's in the Crouse ER, a nurse typically asks if she can bring in other nurses to look at the tattoo.
The tattoo remains a not-so-subtle sign of Mr. Andrianos' loyalty to Crouse. When he went to Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center for open heart and back surgeries, staff members told him he should get a St. Joseph's tattoo, too. "It got to be a running joke," Mr. Andrianos said, according to the report. "I should have charged people to come in and look at my tattoo."