Finally, after years of pleading and planning, I was ready. It was a Friday afternoon during the school summer holidays and I was on my way through town to get my navel pierced.
At A Glance Author tasha2090 Contact tasha.ross@tiscali.co.uk When A week ago Artist Daryl Studio Retro Rebels Location Aberdeen UK It was quite silly really. I had wanted it done for so long, yet my mother had constantly been saying no and coming up with reasons. For years it had been "you might end up with your bowel pierced by accident", a fact which she found to be false when she eventually spoke to someone at the salon I was headed for. She had even been impressed by the place, which is something. So for my Christmas present, I finally had permission to get the belly button pierced.
So why, if I had permission at Christmas, had it taken 6 months to actually have a date planned? Well my mother had insisted I ask my sport teacher if the school allowed it, as this is what the person she had spoken to had said I ought to do. Therefore I had to wait for spring term to start. Then, when I couldn't ever get a minute to speak with my teacher, and after being advised by a friend I thought "What the hell? Other girls in my sport class have it, and what business is it of my teacher?". So I went home and told my mum the teacher had said it was OK, as she knew I was a responsible pupil who could deal with it as it happens, I am sure this would be the answer I'd have received anyway...
But now mum was saying "you have your Standard Grades in May I don't want you to get ill from infection and not be able to sit them", and "and after your Standard Grades, you're doing the German exchange trip what if you got ill over there?" This really left the first suitable time for the piercing during the summer holidays.
And after all that, mum didn't even want to come with me. She simply didn't seem to care anymore.
So now I was finally at the salon well it's not really a salon, it's more like a piercing parlour in the basement of a goth/emo shop called "Retro Rebels". But anyway.
I got to the door, and not wanting to chicken out I pushed it open instantly and approached the counter. I gave them proof that I was 16, and then waited for the piercer, Daryl, to get ready.
After a few minutes I was led down to the basement, and the first thing I noticed was the strong smell of disinfectant. Well that had to be a good sign. Once again I had to show my ID, and now I was ready! I had to fill out a form about the usual stuff (name, address, medical details...) and then I was marked for the piercing. Next I had to lie down on the bed thing...and wait. This is where I did something that was maybe a bit stupid. Daryl told me the best thing to do was close my eyes while I was pierced. On hindsight I think this was incredibly foolish, as not once during the entire procedure did I see the needle. Never. So for all I know I could have AIDS, or get a really bad infection, as I never saw if it was new. Too late now though.
Clamps, long breath in, breathe out. For me it hurt a little more than an injection you would get at the doctors. Then in went the titanium barbell. It is plain, and will be changed in 7 weeks when the healing process should be finished.
There was no blood when Daryl dabbed at it with a tissue, and then he put a plaster on it, which I had to keep on for 2 hours. I had the cleaning routine explained and got a leaflet about it (salt water cleansing) and I was free to go after I had paid (ฃ28).
For the first two days everything was perfect. The piercing didn't show bruising or redness in fact it looked like it had been there for ages. Then I made a big mistake. I mentioned to a friend that I was really impressed at how well it was healing. Well, this just tempted fate.
The next morning I woke up to find blood crusted around it, which didn't bother me too much, as this is of course normal for a piercing. So I went to clean it. And that is when the trouble started. After a few minutes I began to feel nauseous and light headed, so I decided to go and get something sugary to eat as I put it down to low blood sugar. As I walked downstairs to the kitchen I also noticed that my hearing was beginning to go weird it wasn't as sharp as it normally is. I got a doughnut and went to sit on the couch in the living room, and that was when my vision started to cloud over, like it does when you stand up too fast. My mother was in the room at the time and I said "Mum, I want to see a doctor. The piercing is bleeding, and I feel sick and my hearing has gone strange".
I took a little bite out of the doughnut and that was when I decided it might be a good idea to close my eyes...
Next thing I remember is waking up from what felt like a nap, as I was just coming out of a dream. The doughnut was sitting in my lap. "Did I pass out?" I asked my mum.
"Well...are you OK?"
"Yes."
"Do you remember? I think you just had a fit"
"I don't remember that."
This was when she started trying to find the number for G Docs as it was Sunday and the medical practices weren't open and she didn't want to call an ambulance. Eventually she had to call my grandmother for the number, who insisted I had blood poisoning like someone from her work had after a piercing. Meanwhile, oddly enough, I was feeling completely back to normal.
Eventually after explaining to G Docs over the phone what had happened, I was referred to the G Docs unit at the nearby infirmary. Mum decided to call gran again to ask for a lift, as my dad was at work and she can't drive.
I went and got changed. At this point mum was voicing her concern that I might have epilepsy, as I didn't remember the fit.
As it turned out it was neither epilepsy nor blood poisoning. It was explained to me that it was a "vegal vasal attack". I can't remember exactly what the doctor said, but evidently it was an effect of low blood pressure. So my BP was measured and it turned out to be on the low side, although not abnormally low. Problem solved.
After speaking to him we decided that the attack was not a result of the piercing (so don't worry readers), but a result of multiple factors.
1) Low blood pressure
2) Possibly getting out of bed too quickly
3) Low blood sugar, as a result of not having eaten anything before cleaning the piercing
4) Working for 9 hours the day before
5) The sight of blood in such an unusual place
From what the doctor said, I think all this caused my "tenth cranial nerve" to react and triggered the whole thing. (And evidently, it wasn't a fit I had, despite how much it sounded like one mum demonstrated to the doctor what I looked like during it.)
So after all that it turned out I was fine, as is the piercing, though the bruising has sadly now appeared. I also now take juice with me when I clean it, and have breakfast beforehand in the mornings.
Overall I think the whole incident was just punishment for me exclaiming over how well it had gone. At least I have a story to tell my friends when they all get back from their holidays...
Anyway, if you'd like to ask me any questions feel free to email me at tasha.ross@tiscali.co.uk!