Getting my dolphin

At A Glance Author Chris Contact toad2088@yahoo.com Artist Noah Babcock Studio Evolution Inc Location Albuquerque NM

One Sunday afternoon I wandered in to chat with the guys at Evolution on Central Avenue, Albuquerque, NM. It is a very bright and well presented studio/shop and a pleasant place to natter about piercings, especially when they are not busy, as was the case on this hot autumn afternoon. I had already had them stretch my PA up from 8g to 6g, which greatly enhanced the comfort and feeling, as well as the looks. They had also inserted a halfada on the right front of my scrotum. The initial 12g ring I found not very pleasing, so I got them to replace it with a curved barbell. This has turned out to be a great improvement to the appearance. Funny how you can't always tell whether you will like the jewelry in place. And they had replaced the 14g ring on the back of my scrotum with a similar 12g barbell. The ring had been my initial experience of piercing, and while I really liked it (you could feel it hitting my scrotum when I had loose clothing on) it had proved a "pain" for many months - not real pain but just discomfort when I sat on it. It's amazing just how much you sit on your balls, and in my job I do a lot of sitting at computers or in cars. It had healed really well, but just would not stop being uncomfortable. The bar solved the problem in a stroke. [Now, over 4 months later, I have gone back to the ring with complete comfort, which is great.]

Deciding.

So now I was idly wondering what next. I asked Tyler about a PA wand. I didn't really know much about them but had seen reference to them. But I was attracted by the diea of the jewelry stimulating the inside of my eurethra. It quickly became clear that Tyler didn't know what it was either. He is a beaut young guy on the desk who is not (yet) a piercer. So he and I got confused. He asked if I meant a dolphin. I had never heard of that. Noah, one of the piercers, came to the rescue and explained what both were, and discouraged me from the wand. The more I heard about the dolphin, the more it appealed. I had initially wanted a piercing further down the shaft but the guy in Sydney had put me off the idea, saying you often got 'rejection' of the jewelry. Now it appeared I could get what I had wanted. Noah was honest in saying he had not done a dolphin before, but that he was planning to do one on himself and would love the opportunity to do one for me too. Well, being a scientist, I liked the idea of an experiment. So we set up an appointment for the next afternoon at a time when it would be quiet in the studio.

The piercing day.

I arrived at Evolution next day about 3pm ready to have the piercing. I was much more relaxed than when I had the PA done. I was pretty confident that I knew what I was in for, and that it would not be bad, whereas for the PA I was hyped up for the unknown experience and worried about how much it would hurt and for how long. As a result, I got a tremendous high after the PA. I walked on air for 24 hours. The first night I couldn't sleep because I was too excited and just lay on my back getting erections as I relived the experience again and again in every detail. I wrote an account of that for a friend, but it is too mundane for these pages I guess.

At my suggestion, Tyler was to take photos of the piercing in progress. And another client who was going to get a dolphin asked to observe. Fine by me. It made it more of an interesting experience. So first we discussed the placement. Noah marked where he thought it ought to go, but this seemed too close to the top piercing, so I got him to move it lower. Eventually we decided on a position 23 mm lower than the PA, just on the edge of my circumcision scar. I am very cleanly circumscised with no frenum or lose tissue at all when I'm erect, which rather limits possibilities for jewelry. Noah had decided to insert a synthetic tube into which he screwed metal beads. The idea was that the tubing would be very inert and nice and flexible for insertion and cleaning. The piercing was done at 12g. They all said they found the entry of the receiving tube to be the most unpleasant part of a PA, but it didn't seem to worry me at all. It was a bit uncomfortable getting it down that far, but once it was in it was fine. In fact I found it quite erotic, so that for much of the time I had a partial erection. Tyler took some photos of Noah about to pierce. Then Noah asked me to do the repeated deep breathing. He said he would pierce on the third exhale. For my PA I was given no prior warning. Just "take a deep breath" without explanation, and I had hardly started the first draw in when Wham - through went the needle. I think I prefer that approach. I initially felt a small prick, but that was just Noah positioning the needle. Quite an intense momentary feeling was followed by a bit of stinging. No blood at this stage at all. Photos. Then he fed the tubing through with one bead to retain it. Now some blood about that had to be mopped up. Then Noah captured the end of the tube with a taper that had a thread put on it so he could screw it into the end of the tube after inserting it through the PA piercing. This was a very simple process and the second bead was soon attached. Some more mopping up and some photos. Then the usual wrapping in tissue, glove and rubber band. Then a very nice photo with Noah posing close to my head - showing me full length on the table with glove and all.

I soon left to walk to the bus stop back to work, but I had hardly gone any distance when I felt damp in the crutch. When I felt inside my pants my finger came back bloody. Quickly back to Evolution to investigate. The bleeding had started in earnest, filling the glove in a few minutes and staining my briefs and a little on my pants. I got back on the table and Noah quickly stopped the bleeding with some pressure on the piercing with sterile tissue for a few minutes. I rested quietly in the lounge watching the customers come and go, some TV and chatting to the guys. Eventually Noah insisted on driving me home so I could clean up, change and rest. Now that's what I call personal attention and after sales service! More work today might be unwise it seemed.

Noah is a great guy, and I thoroughly recommend him to those in or near Albuquerque. That goes for Crystal and Shaun too - they are a really nice professional and friendly team. I had each of them do something for me while I was in ABQ.

While I was sitting resting in the shop I got into conversation with a group of girls in for their first piercings. There was a lot of talk and trying to decide whether to go through with it. Noah was lecturing one of them who wanted her tongue pierced about the necessity to pass up smoking, alcohol and even full kissing during the initail healing stage. She was mortified about having to give up smoking and kissing for even a short time. But he was being very insistent and I was impressed by his professionalism. "If you had a new cut on your arm, would you allow others to spit on it", he asked her. I guess she wondered what I was doing there, not having anything visible in the way of body jewelry. "Are you here for a piercing?" she asked. "Yes, I've just had one done." "What did you get pierced?" At this the others at the counter, including Tyler and Noah, stopped talking and turned to see what I would say. "My penis" I answered blandly. There was a gasp and then great hilarity amongst the girls. Noah said to them, "Ask a question and you get an honest answer". The girl who asked the question had to leave the shop because of giggles, and kept giggling each time she looked at me when she came back in to join her group. After that I guess a pierced tongue didn't seem too outrageous.

Soon after I got home I had my first urination - a pretty bloody affair, but the bleeding didn't restart. But at the end I had this long blood clot hanging off the end of my penis. Noah had warned me about the likelihood of this, but I'm afraid I did a rather silly thing. Having tried to shake it free, I grasped it between two fingers and pulled it off. What I should have realised was that it went right up inside the eurethra to the piercing, and was attached to the wound. I felt it pull inside my penis as I pulled it away. Immediately the profuse bleeding started. It would have filled a glove in a few minutes. So I just did what I had seen Noah do. Gently squeeze my penis vertically on the piercing using fresh tissues. I held it for about 5 minutes. This did the trick. I cleaned up a bit, though not too thoroughly so as not to restart the bleeding, rewrapped, and then rested for a period watching news on TV. It was now about 5.45pm. I had a very slight ache in the penis, but no stinging. The bleeding was stopped. After an hour I walked back to work (about a 25 minute walk each way) to pick up my case and discs so I could do some work at home. Came back to write this and now I shall make dinner.

10.30 pm. I checked a few times but there was only a small amount of bleeding after that. Just had second urination. Very little blood at all. A little congealed at the opening of the eurethra which I wiped away with a clean tissue. No stinging or ache now. I'm just aware that it is wrapped up. Sitting down to do some work. Have been wondering whether to have the first salt bath tonight. Think perhaps that would be a good idea. But do I soap up and move the insertion about? Will see how it goes.

Later. Well, I lathered up my penis with antibaterial soap very gently and was able to withdraw the tube at each end and clean it by pulling the bead. Then I gave it a good long soak in sea salt solution. It all came up looking very nice and clean and there was no bleeding. Now to bed. I have wrapped it in clean tissue held on by a band, but no glove. Will sleep on my back.

Healing.

Next day was okay, although I wore the glove all day and there was a very small amount of bleeding into the tissue. The following 2 days I wrapped my penis in fresh tissue and held it on with my briefs, but no glove. I repeated the clean and soak each morning, lunch time and night for the next 2 days, and then just twice a day - 10 to 15 minutes in salt solution each time. After the initial 3 days I dispensed with the tissue. There was some crusting over the first ten days, but no infection or any problem.

The method.

In retrospect, Noah decided that the excessive bleeding was caused by the synthetic tube being slightly smaller in diameter than the 12g needle so that it didn't properly seal the piercing. I observed the next one he did on the guy who had observed mine being done. This time Noah pierced at 14g and then threaded the same tubing through. The guy said passing the tube through was about as intense as the original piercing. But there was virtually no bleeding at the time and he told me subsequently he had little or none later. In fact he was grinning and bragging that he had "used it" after one week, and that it was fine. So Noah's technique has developed in light of my experience, and you should be aware but not put off.

My assessment.

6 weeks later. After 3 weeks I went back for some follow up photos. It really looked great now. It was, however, a bit tender when the skin was manipulated on the shaft, and this has lasted for quite a long time. The piercing still looks quite red inside around the tube when I stretch the insertion out from the lower end. I had my first gentle masturbation after 10 days. I had to develop a new technique, but I found the area between the two piercings to be very sensuous and pressure of my hand on the top bead which forced it down into the original PA was very erotic. Yes, even initially it was quite good. The first few times the bottom piercing became very tender after masturbation, but you don't notice it before you climax (perhaps I suppressed the pain), and the discomfort is very minor afterwards. But the really big positive of the dolphin is that you can pee standing up without wetting your shoes (as I've read in other accounts), and without wetting your pants, which I find much more embarrassing. Yes, that alone is a great plus for the dolphin. And the sensation from the bead at the glans I find to be better than I got from the PA.

Development.

Now the synthetic tubing was always designed as an interim measure that would be replaced by proper metal jewelry. I must say that the flexibility made it very easy to clean. You could easily take hold of each bead in turn and stretch the tubing well out of the piercing to clean it with no pressure on the piercing itself. I think this is a good idea, although I have not experienced the alternative of going straight to a metal barbell.

10 weeks later. I continued to experience some discomfort at the lower piercing, so that when I got back to Sydney I decided it might help to have a metal barbell made and inserted. I also decided to have the lower piercing stretched up to take an 8g barbell. This is based on my experience that thicker is usually better - less of a "cheese cutter". I discussed the shape, but when I saw what they made I was rather surprise. However, when the synthetic tube was removed it had taken up the shape of the piercing and was a very good match with the new jewelry. The stretching gave me quite an erotic feeling, although not nearly as intense as when my PA was stretched from 12 to 8g. And since the piercing was still really a bit new (8 weeks), it had to be done very gently and with a long pause in the middle so I could stand it. It got pretty sore at the end of the stretching. I probably should have only gone to 10g in such a new piercing. I found it very funny to have this metal taper passing in and out of my intensely erect shaft. The moment they start stretching a piercing on my penis I get an uncontrollable and intense erection. I expect everyone is different, but that is my reaction, even if it hurts. They found it a bit difficult to get the insert in, but eventually it was in place. I was a bit sore, having sustained some scratching inside the eurethra, but it was now in and that was fine. The stretched feeling in my penis lasted all the rest of that, but was not an unpleasant sensation. Next day it was fine.

But the very next day I had to go for some medical tests including an MRI. 'No metal allowed on your person' read the sign. I discussed it with the attendant, Dan, who said I really should remove them all. I tried to bargain to leave the dolphin in since it was so new, but he shook his head. So nipple and genital jewelry had to come out. Bugger I thought. So that afternoon I was back at the studio to get it all put back in. I certainly couldn't do the dolphin myself, since it was so fresh. But the reinsertion went smoothly, and the dolphin has settled in tremendously well. It is shaped so that it holds that part of the underside of my shaft extended, so it doesn't protrude either end when I'm not erect. I quite like this look.

January 2000. All the tenderness at the lower piercing very quickly disappeared. I attribute this to the inflexible jewelry. The synthetic tubing allowed the lower bead to flex against the sides of the piercing, whereas now it was held firmly. The feeling in sex has gone up amazingly. I tell you it is really great. Almost blows my brains out. The bead I have on the lower end on the shaft is now smaller, because it stands out very proud and was just a bit too big for comfort. The bigger one (8mm diam) remains at the tip because it sinks well down in the original 6g PA piercing during sex. This I think adds a lot to the sensation.

Advice.

So my advice is certainly to go for metal jewelry, either first up or after an initial synthetc insert. But a dolphin is a really good piece of genital jewelry for those so inclined. And it isn't quite as obvious as a PA if you think that is a positive. One of my gay friends certainly thought that was a good feature. He has no real experience of body jewelry and had imagined from my description something much more obvious and perhaps gauche. When he saw it he approved.