I have 16 piercing, and all but two (nipples) were done by Amy at Twisted Images. I had both conches, both triages (tragi?) vertical and horizontal, both lobes(00), tongue, septum, labret, both nipples, guiche, three frenums and a prince albert. I put that out there mostly to rep the value of a trusted piercer. When I got my first piercings, my nipples, I didn't do my research and ended up getting them done by an unwatched apprentice. One of them ended up getting infected, they got set too far back, and they were a boatload of trouble all through the healing process. The rest of my piercings were done by Amy. I have never had any grief with any of them, and and any minor complications ("Is this supposed to happen?" "my tongue still hurts!") were quickly remedied by a visit back to the shop, a little more advice on after care, and much reassurance that I was not yet in danger of losing an extremity.
At A Glance Author jordan Contact jordan@bme.anon When A week ago Artist Amy Studio Twisted Images Location Louisville, Ky I decided to get an Apadrayva because it was the last thing I could get that still made my stomach turn to think about. Piercing, for me, has been about conquering my fears, pushing my limits, and expanding my understanding and appreciation of my body, mind, and sexuality. I considered the Ampallang as well, but the Apadrayva was more attractive to me because of its historical context in the Karma Sutra.
I got into genital piercing as a result of the 12 steps of AA (I'm a recovering crack fiend). My sponsor "suggested" (mostly obligatorily stated) that I be celibate until I finish my step work. This was easier said than done for me. A mixture of the stress of early recovery and a desire to try and follow the rules despite the suggestions of my young, male mind finally brought me into the realm of genital piercing.
When I first brought my Apadravya idea up with Amy she suggested that I first get and heal out a Prince Albert to shorten the healing time. The PA went off with out much trouble, save my stress at having a que-tip and then needle stuck up my urethra (a new experience for me). I was anxious to get it moved to an Apadrayva. I came back into the shop two weeks later to get my Apadrayva, but Amy said that just because I could hang my keys off it did not mean my PA had healed. She made me wait about another three weeks to a month before considering the Apa.
When it was finally time to go back in I was more than a little shaky. The theoretical idea of an apadrayva had been an easy thought, and a fun conversation to have with my more conservative friends("Jordan, what the fuck is wrong with you?", but the long walk down the aisle to the back room where the piercings were done was an unsteady one.
Initially, to measure for the jewelry and to so Amy could feel the head of my penis to find where the thick, blood filled cavity of it ended (something-cavernosum) and the rest (less dangerous, less hard stuff?) remained. Getting an erection was difficult. My penis tends to shrink back into itself like a turtle when it knows I'm about to pay someone to stab it, and that day was an exceptional example. With a lot of work I managed to keep it up long enough for a measurement and for Amy to cop a feel.
She told me to lay back and take deep breaths. I looked at the eight gauge needle, then at the cross hairs on the head of my penis, and began to shake all over as I laid down on the table. I had developed a bad habit of biting and clawing at people who tried to hold my hand during genital piercings, so I opted to grip the back of the table.
Amy leaned down and inserted the needle into the old PA hole. It was going to be a blind piercing. She was going to have to feel the needle against the inside of my glans to get it even. "Do your breathing, honey, try to relax" She was quiet for a minute. I counted two breaths. i knew she would start on the third. "Now one more big breath, and hold it--" She started pushing,"--aaand let it out". Air hissing through my teeth quickly became a blood curdling scream. "Scream, curse, cry, just don't move" she said calmly. I like screaming during genital piercings. Don't ask me why. I like moaning for play piercings, if that's any kind of insight.
There were a few painful moments and then one VERY painful moment when the needle came through.
"Look its already done, we just have to thread the jewelry through". I looked down at my shrivled, bloody penis. "Calm down, you're fine" she said. My hips were still shaking when she pushed the jewelry through. "I'm calm bitch!" I growled. The jewelry going through wasn't exactly comfortable.
She and the apprentice cleaned me up and told me I was done. There was no more bleeding, so I opted out of the gauze they offered me. They gave me a minute to catch my breath and walked me back out to the front, where everyone was grinning at me. They had heard me screaming.
I hung around for awhile, gave Amy a hug, apologized for calling her a bitch, and left. I was a little wary of the way I walked, but the pain was minimal. There was some uncomfortable pressure, and it hurt a little to pee the first day, but it wasn't too bad. The next morning, my erection was really soar. Making the (probably poor) decision to masterbate that morning was also abit painful, though seeing my semen mixed with blood was sort of neat.
I pissed out some tissue and blood for the first few days. At one point it got really painful to pee because my urethra had become swollen (a rare complication I'm told). Some naproxen or ibuprofen cleared it up. It still hurt a little, but was completely bearable. A week and a half down the line, it doesn't hurt to pee anymore. I don't piss blood anymore. Erections aren't painful but I still have to be a little delicate when masturbating. It's still draining out lymph ("crusties") but even thats slowing down. The really nasty part of the healing is already done, and its just a matter of half-way decent hygiene, from here on out. I don't soak mine in saline, because urine passing over it should do the trick, but if anything starts to get soar again down there I'll probably soak it. I still pee straight with no problems. I can't wait to try it out, but I'm going to be responsible and wait till it's done healing to have sex.
The apadrayva was probably the most painful piercing I've gotten so far, but I don't even notice it down there anymore. I know I made the details of my own drama with it sort of morbid, but all said in done, it was totally worth it for me. I suggest it to anyone who can take care of it who isn't a professional bull rider. If you're considering it, a word of advice: decide, and if your decision is yes, stop thinking about it and do it.