I started getting pierced in September of 2000, and it's been a non-stop trend since then. First a simple earlobe (16ga SSS circular barbell with ball-spikes), then a labret the next month (12ga SSS labret stud with 1/4" spike), and an eyebrow the next (14ga SSS curved barbell with 1/8" spikes on both ends). After my eyebrow labret, my 'fear' of piercings went away, and when I found how easy it was to care for my 3 facial piercings, I decided to start looking for another. Just a few months ago I wouldn't have ever considered a genital piercing -- even the thought of it grossed me out. I wanted my next piercing to be a little more major than the simple ones I already had (the labret being the most 'extreme' of all until now, but it seems that since I got it I've noticed more and more people with them...) and I started researching 'below the neck' piercings. I didn't want a torso piercing like a nipple or navel because neither of those appeal to me, so I decided to check out genital piercings. I didn't feel very serious about getting one done, but I looked into all the different ones I could get, and tried to decided which I would like the best. I don't like the PA/reverse PA at all, dydoe seemed interesting but too simple, frenum seemed almost too easy, etc, so I was left to decided between an ampallang or an apadravya. I decided that I was only going to get my penis pierced once, so I wanted to get the best that I possibly could - I picked the ampallang. Now that I have it, however, I've decided to get an apadravya, frenum, and dydoe pair to finish the project off.
At A Glance Author anonymous Contact bme@anon Artist Patrick McCarthy (president of the APP) Studio Piercology Location Columbus, Ohio When I decided to get an ampallang, I made sure that I told a few of my friends so that I wouldn't be able to back down because of fear... I 'slept on it' for a month or so (continually researching the ampallang) and finally went to Piercology in Columbus, OH on January 6th, 2001. I chose Piercology for all of my other piercings based on 'inspections' of other studios in the Columbus area (Evolved, Stained Skin, Skin FX, some others). None of the other ones that I looked into compared to the cleanliness and professionalism that I noticed when I went into Piercology. When I went in on the 6th, I had only planned on asking and getting some information, and then coming back to get the piercing done the next weekend (I belive that this was mostly due to fear). However, after talking to Dave and Ryan (the piercers who did my other three piercings), I was told that only Patrick McCarthy, the owner and master piercer at Piercology , and also the president of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), was insured for doing the ampallang and apadravya. Needless to say, Pat (who I had never met) sounded like the man for the job... president of the APP is no small task. Pat is available to do piercings by appointment only, but -- lucky for me -- another person had made an appointment for an ampallang piercing at 4pm - 10 minutes after I arrived! It was arranged that we would both get pierced that day. I spoke to the other young man who was getting his ampallang pierced, and we both expressed nervousness about the procedure, but when Pat arrived we were both very happy about his professional approach to the procedure.
Pat took us both into a private piercing room and explained the entire procedure to us, explained the aftercare, and also gave us a few tips based on his own personal experience. He explained to us the advantages to trans-urethral ampallang piercings, and we both agreed to get trans-urethral. He also told us his personal jewelry suggestions, surgical stainless steel barbell, from 14ga to 10ga. We both decided on 10ga. After a few more questions to make sure that we were ready for the procedure, we went through the normal 'ID please, read here, sign this' process, and Patrick took us both (individually) into the room again to begin marking.
I was initially uncomfortable with the idea of dropping my pants in front of a complete stranger, but after talking with Pat my fears were eased. He was very sensitive to the fact that the procedure is very personal, and made me feel very comfortable. He made entry and exit marks and made sure that I agreed to the placement, and then instructed me to attempt to get an erection so that he could measure the width of my penis with the calipers (for proper jewelry sizing). He left the room and instructed me to knock on the inside of the door when I was ready so that he could come in and measure. This process was impossible - after a few minutes of trying to get an erection, I found that I was unable to -- performance anxiety. Pat came back in and explained that this was very common (in fact, the other young man who was getting his ampallang pierced had the same problem) and he estimated the jewelry size based on his professional experience. He showed me the barbell and then had me wait while the jeweler was in the autoclave. Meanwhile, the other young man getting the ampallang (I wish I would have asked for his phone number or email address so that we could compare healing progress... hopefully he will read this and email me!) talked about it a little more and he was finally called in by Pat to get the piercing done. I wished him luck.
After he was done, he told me that it was less painful than he had expected, which eased my fears greatly. Pat called me in, and I headed for the piercing room -- this was my last chance to get out without being skewered. I decided that I wanted to go through with it, and went in.
Pat had me take off my pants and shoes and sit on the 'operating table' with my feet on his knees while he sat on a stool next to the table. This seemed unusual to me, but was in fact very comfortable, and gave Pat the perfect angle to do the piercing. He had me start breathing carefully, and I was very nervous. When the clamps went on, I jumped a bit - the pressure was very intense, but I tried to stay calm. Pat had earlied explained to us that he could do the procedure with clamps in about 3 seconds, but freehand it took a bit longer. Needless to say, we all agreed on using the clamps. Pat had me close my eyes and continue breathing. After a few breaths, he pushed the needle into the glans of my penis.
My legs began to shake and my eyes and mouth clenched shut at the sensation of a needle tearing through the flesh of the most sensitive part of my body. I could feel the needle going all the way through, and I could feel the tissue being pierced as the needle passed through the urethra and out the other side. Surprisingly, I only let out a quiet 'oh fuck' during the procedure, but the entire thing seemed to be done as quick as it started. After the jewelry was on, Pat had me lay down with my knees above my head so that I wouldn't get lightheaded or feel sick, and he kept talking to me to make sure that I felt OK. I looked at my penis and was amazed that there was now a barbell sticking through the head of it. After a minute or so laying down, Pat put a rubber glove over my scrotum and penis to catch the blood, and I got up and got dressed.
I was very happy that it was over, and it didn't hurt as much as I had expected. I walked out of the piercing room into a large crowd of people who had apparently just arrived (college kids all wanting a trendy new piercing), and everyone went very quiet and watched me as I gathered the two young ladies who came with me and walked out the door. This was unusual to me, but apparently they had all found out what I was getting done and were in awe (or something similar to that...). I walked gingerly back to the car and then stopped at a pharmacy on the way back to my dorm room to pick up a box of rubber gloves, a box of unlubricated condoms (both to catch blood during healing), and a bottle of ibuprofin to ease the dull pain (three items which made the cashier giggle).
It bled a bit for the next few days, but has stopped bleeding since then and now only bleeds or hurts occasionally (after just over a week). The bleeding wasn't as much of a problem as I had expected - I now have a greater appreciation for the troubles that women have to deal with every month! I expect all bleeding and pain to be gone by the end of the week. My body seems to be dealing with the piercing quite well and each time I see it, I am amazed that I finally had the guts to get it done.
Everyone asks questions about it (the obligatory 'did it hurt', 'do you pee out three holes', 'can you still be sexually active', etc) and I am happy to answer them all. No one else has seen it yet, but I expect to start 'showing it off' after the bleeding and pain has stopped completely.
I clean it daily in the shower with Provon (Pat was nice enough to give me a free bottle) and soak it in sea salts each night. This seems to keep all the 'crusties' and dried blood off of it and it is healing quite well. Overall, it has been more time consuming to care for than my other piercings, but I am still very pleased with it.
I plan to get an apadravy as soon as the ampallang has healed and my body is ready for another piercing -- my fears of pain have all gone away! I know that I got the most extreme and painful piercing of all, and it wasn't so bad, so now I am ready for anything. I am VERY happy that I got it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who plans on getting a genital piercing. I also recommend Piercology for anyone in the central Ohio area, or anyone who wants the ultimate piercing experience. Pat, Dave, Ryan, and the rest of the staff at Piercology have been very good to me and they are definitely going to receive my repeat business.
This is my favorite piercing yet!
anonymous -- bme@anon