SAN ANTONIO — This is Jennifer Comley's second time in Terry Lively's chair.
It's been two years since her first session with Lively.
Back then, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery left her without areolas and nipples, so the tattoo artist gave them back.
But this touch-up session comes with some not so good news.
"Since the last time I saw you I was re-diagnosed, so I went through traditional therapy the infusions," Comley said. "That's why I am rocking this short haircut."
The cancer spread to her bones, lymph nodes and lungs.
Keeping this former runner and mother of three in the race for her life.
"It's like running a race and you have to sprint this marathon, but you never ever know where this finish line is at," Comley said.
Lively can relate to clients like Comley. She lost her grandmother to breast cancer.
Then Seeing her mother beat breast cancer only to lose the fight against pancreatic cancer 12 years later, inspires her work today.
"Back then I was doing more cosmetic tattooing, and [my mom] encouraged me to move to the medical side of tattooing for breast cancer survivors," tattoo artist, Terry Lively said.
Knowing her 3-D art is helping to give both women like Comley and even men a sense of normalcy.
"It's like a cake that doesn't have the frosting on it yet, and I feel like I'm doing the frosting, the good stuff at the end," Lively said. "And so they'll start crying and sometimes they'll hug me, and it's just really rewarding work when you get that type of reaction."
Each time she's able to "give back" to someone fighting cancer, it helps Lively keep the memory of the women in her family alive.
"I think if [my mom] and my grandmother were here today, I think they would be really proud of what I do," Lively said.
"Having the tattoos and having them look so realistic helps you forget that there are these big scars underneath," Comley said. "Scars you know you appreciate them because they are symbols of what you have been through but...it does make me feel good. To look somewhat like I did before because you are never the same mentally."