I guess that this whole experience started when I was about 17. I don't even know what it was that got me interested in piercing, other than that they were "in style" at the time and with the whole high school thing, style could mean everything. But, being the coward that I was, I decided that my family was too conservative to have allowed for me to feel comfortable getting anything visible to them. Despite that, I felt that it was something that I needed for my self. I was going to get a piercing.
At A Glance Author jhames Contact jhames@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Jesika Studio Saint Sabrina's Parlor in Purgatory Location Minneapolis, MN
As I started researching the different options out their, my first instinct was to go for the nipples. I did them myself and didn't like the result. Minnesota can be cold, and a nipple hard on is never pleasant. My only other option (as I saw it) was to do something that turned my stomach a little. I'd seen the pictures, and they looked cool. I had also read the stories and they sounded like not much fun. Basically, I just didn't want to have to cause pain to such a sacred part of my body. I was scared.
It took a while for me to convince myself that this was something that I wanted to do -- which was all right because I hadn't yet turned 18 and wasn't about to perform an apadravya on myself. Too much was at stake. Then the day came. It was February 13 of 2004, a Friday if I remember right, and I had just turned 18 the day before. I didn't call St. Sabrina's and set an appointment. I just knew that they were open until midnight, and that I had the time and the money to get it done. I just walked through the doors and up stairs. I was nervous, if you can believe it. I had never been in here, in fact, this would be my first piercing performed professionally, and only about my third all together. I spoke with the young woman at the desk, and told her what I would be receiving. We went through all the forms and got everything lined up. Now came the waiting...
It wasn't bad sitting in the waiting room, but I had decided to do this alone, and came to regret that. I still to this day don't know who I would have had come with me, but I just would have liked for there to be someone. I looked at the nice photo albums sitting in the waiting area until I heard my name called. I was escorted to the jewelry counter by an employee, and was met there by Scott, my piercer, and he went through the jewelry options with me. I liked that he more or less told me what he would be using, because I really had no idea what I wanted. He chose to pierce at 10g. and follow it with the same size barbell. I accepted this, and went into his studio room.
Here he told me that I would need to remove certain articles of clothing and proceed to lie on his table. I got up there, and was starting to feel better about it everything already. It was funny how being partially naked made me more at ease. Soon he went to work marking first top, then bottom. He asked me to sit up and take a look and I liked what I saw. I lied back down on the table while he put the clamp on (Scott said that a clamp would be a quicker, less pain) and I started to mentally prepare myself for what I thought would be the most excitingly painful experience of my life. He coached me through the breathing stuff, told me what to expect, and then it was time. I breathed in, and then out. Once more in, and... well, let's just say it hurt. I wouldn't call it pain as much as I would call it "falling off you bike and scraping your elbow" uncomfortable... maybe both elbows and a knee. Before I knew it the whole experience was over.
I was slightly disappointed. I thought this would be a pain I could remember, but turns out it was just like all other types of pain (except burns, oddly) -- quick to subside, and just as quickly forgotten. I don't regret having the piercing done; in fact, it was one of the greatest experiences I had had. The bleeding stopped the very next day, but I was still paranoid about it, so I kept the glove on the whole time. Going to school was a little scary with this thing because urinals aren't as private as I would have liked, but I managed. Healing went great and the aftercare was a breeze. I loved what I had and never thought that I would have to remove it.
Five and a half months later, the healing was going great, I would say it was done. I had downsized the barbell to what would be a snug fit at the right time (I liked it extra snug) and then thought nothing of it, until I ended up in a hospital, awaiting a head scan in the ER. Here it came... the question. "Do you have any metal on you body?" (or something similar). I thought to myself "this will be embarrassing." I told the tech that I had a piercing that should probably be removed. I guess this type of scan uses big magnets and has the potential to suck anything to the center of the machine (which is where my head was, by the way), including stainless steel. I was given some privacy, and removed the bar bell and handed it to her gloved hand. You could call this the Friday the 13th thing coming back to haunt me. Needless to say, by the time I got out of there, there wasn't much of a place to put the barbell back into (except on the underside). I just gave up on the piercing for about a year when I was in my first year of college.
Part 2?
I had moved to North Dakota for school, and when I finally decided that I wanted to go through it all again, I wanted to go back to Saint Sabrina's. It's a long drive from Fargo to Minneapolis and I wasn't going to make it just for this reason, so I waited until spring break. It was a lot less of a choice for me this time. I knew what to expect, and I just had to go do it. So, on March 13th, I returned to Saint Sabrina's. Again it was without an appointment, and without even calling to see if Scott would be in. When I got there, I asked the woman behind the counter if Scott was piercing, and she said no, the only piercer present that night was Jesika. At first I wasn't so thrilled about having this particular procedure done by a woman. It's not that I'm sexist at all, it's just that a guy will be more likely to understand the real things that are at stake (or needle point, I guess).
Well, I was wrong, which I'm getting more and more used to admitting. Jesika was a wonderfully professional piercer, and made everything about the experience just as easy going as the first time. The steps were all pretty much the same, but this time Jesika said that she would be piercing at a 12g. and then stretching to a 10g. It all sounded good to me, and she even said that it may help with any bleeding. We got all the marks in place, and after I requested a quick adjustment to one side, we were ready to go, again. This time was a little more painful because there was scar tissue that had to be gone through. It also took a little longer because she had to stretch and then insert. Now I've just completed 4 months with it and am looking to stretch to an 8g. shortly.
Hopefully this time everything will stay put for a while. I love the increased sensation that this piercing does provide. It really is a different feeling from anything else. I am also thrilled with the professionalism at Saint Sabrina's Parlor in Purgatory in Minneapolis, and the wonderful piercers working there. They are helpful and just really nice people. I would recommend them to anyone. And I would also advise that the prospect of pain during this piercing shouldn't scare you away from it if it is truly what you want. I realize that I may have made it sound like it is not painful, but that was my experience, no on else's.