I had the rook of my right ear pierced for a year by Sarah at Sinkin' Ink in Hamilton, Ontario. It had been done beautifully, healed with a little bit of fuss but I thought that the rook and I had made our peace. It was my baby. I loved it dearly and babied it carefully with bactine and avoided sleeping on my right side all night. In the shower I made sure to rinse it carefully and occasionally clean it with mild soap. After a shower it would be lovingly dried with a q-tip and it would sit lovingly in the fold of my ear. We were very happy together.
At A Glance Author Cossette Contact Cossette@bme.anon When A month ago In June I got a new boyfriend who rather enjoyed playing with my rook with his tongue... something that one wouldn't usually complain about but as someone who feels very maternal toward her piercings, I had to protest. I tried to keep his dirty dirty germy mouth away from it, but... hell it felt too good. So I allowed it even though my baby was going to suffer for it. I don't think that is exactly what caused the downfall though... I think it was the general wear-and-tear and bumping it received during the summer. Having my hair over it, swimming, having sunscreen come into contact with it... it was all too overwhelming for the poor lil barbell.
In early July my rook began to swell. I felt it was no big deal but I went to the piercer just to make sure everything was ok. She gave me some anti-keloid solution to put on it and I used it religiously, but in addition to the swelling a keloid started forming. I would like to make it clear at this point that my piercer is wonderful about aftercare and is always happy to see me about anything I might be having a problem with, and I really appreciate all of her help in my time of need.
When I was told about the keloid from my boyfriend peering anxiously into my ear I freaked out. I got more solution, kept him away from it, didn't touch it, put cold compresses against it... everything I could think of to save my rook. Alas, the swelling continued. There was a bit of pain but for the most part it was more uncomfortable than painful, and I could live with that... or so I thought.
In August, the swelling really started to become painful. I was in a state of denial... when people told me my ear looked awful I told them it was on its way back to a healthy state of happy rookness, but I don't think they believed me. The keloid grew larger, my rook was huge, and any time something touched even the edge of my ear a pain would shoot through it. It became hard to brush my hair, pull clothes over my head, and I couldn't even think of lying on my right side, which was becoming a bit of a pain.
It was time.
As you all can appreciate I am very attached to my piercings, in a literal and spiritual sense. I cried when I handed my brother the pliers, cried when he yanked too hard on my tender, swollen ear, cried when the bar came out. I'm such a wuss. My beautiful rook, that had been in my ear and part of my life for more than a year and a half, was gone. I would have gone to the piercer to get the barbell removed but once I had made the decision to remove it (which was very hard to do) I had to go through with it right away, before I backed out.
After the rook came out the road to recovery was rocky. I was hoping that my ear wouldn't be disfigured or anything afterward, and I kept up with the anti-keloid solution. The whole thing scabbed over and I did the worst thing ever: I picked the scab. I'm a compulsive picker. I missed my rook and had to keep touching my ear to make sure it was really gone, and every time I'd feel that damn scab and it just had to go. My ear ballooned up again, the pain returned, and I was severely berated by my family for touching it. The next time it scabbed over I left it, and while that rook is a bit larger than the one on the other ear, I think it has pretty much healed.
My purpose in writing this? Value your rook. If you're considering a rook, go for it. Even after going through all of this I still love that piercing and I get a stabbing jealousy any time I see someone walk by with a healthy rook. Sometimes you just have to let a piercing go.