I've been surrounded throughout the years by many friends with piercing all over the most popular and private parts of the body. While I always admired the beauty as well as the vanity that goes along with piercing motivations, I remained resolute in my conviction that all things must pass. I waited until I was 30 years old before I got my first tattoos. My artist told me with no uncertainty that,"When the tattoo god speaks, there is never just one tattoo." And he was so right. I finally ended up with 5 of them calculated to be the basis of an eventual full body armor design. Still no piercing of any kind, though, until more than a decade later...
At A Glance Author saladin Contact saladin@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Tyler Studio New York Adorned Location Manhattan, NYC I am now in my 11th month of deployment in Iraq just recently stationed at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison facility just west of Baghdad. I am living in cell block "P" with my comrades when my XO introduces me to a young buck corporal named Chris just moving into the cell across the hall from me. My civilian skills lend themselves to improving living spaces and Chris is told that I can hook him up settling in with ease. Such is the case and we become friends instantly. Now Chris just got back from leave in the States and he got a Prince Albert piercing while he was gone in Atlanta. Naturally, he is preoccupied with it and readily talks about all aspects of the procedure and subsequent care. He shows it to me rather proudly and unabashedly cleans it while I visit. He has a 10 gauge, surgical steel captive ring with what appears to be a hematite ball adorning his proud member. Now, I am a
photographer in one of my other lives and I talk him into letting me do the first shots of a photo essay of his healing. In the past, I wondered from time-to-time about the piercing as I had seen it many times in hot tubs and at naked parties. Yet, I never discussed in depth the experience with anyone before. Along comes Chris and now my feelings are piqued. He answers all my curious questions. Finally, after he relates how bloody his first few days were, I share that he is just the catalytic force in my life at this time to commit to getting one. I ask him if he would accompany me to his artist, whom he glowingly speaks about, in Atlanta to get the PA and then look out for me for a bit afterwards while I bleed.
He gladly agrees. He even quips about setting off the metal detector at the airport
security and had to show the guard his "jewelry down there."
I am due to go on leave in about a week's time. I promise myself a decadent time being civilized in New York City – using metal forks, wearing nice threads, going to Broadway shows, eating lobster, steak and sushi incessantly while drinking single malt scotches in real glasses. War is hell, my friends – not to mention uncivilized (for my tastes, anyways ;-) Of course, I'm thinking about the PA always now and I'm getting anxious.
I go on leave and arrive in Times Square to stay at a fine hotel. Over a drink, I look up in the yellow pages for some piercing studios. I figure I'll stop by and look around and ask some more questions. Also, I've already decided that I'm going to have an 8 gauge, 18K gold captive ring. A bit large by usual standards for an initial piercing but I am going spend big bucks on something I want to admire for a long time. I call around Manhattan in search for one. I figure I can buy it in advance of the Atlanta visit. Lo and behold, the shops I call do not have any in stock – a way expensive item and must be ordered. A pleasant fellow named Tyler from a shop in the village called New York Adorned assures me on the phone that one can be ordered, made and delivered in time for me to make my flight back to Iraq. He tells me that I need to come in to be "measured" for the appropriate diameter ring. How exciting! This, of course, will reflect on how much gold and, therefore, how many dollars go into it. I need to pre-pay, of course, in order to make this happen.
I'm on my way to see "Witches" on Broadway this evening and I stop by Tyler's shop on 2nd Avenue beforehand. I walk in to nice storefront of display cases, pierced customer assistance representatives and the buzzing sounds of tattooing in progress from the rear of the shop. I ask for Tyler and a tall, young man greets me with a smile and gives me a quick double take as I am wearing a 3 piece suit – not your average looking customer. He takes me into a private room and says, "Let's take a look." With a caliper he determines that my size is either 5/8" or ¾". Which do I want? I say, probingly, that larger might be a better bet in terms of undesirable stretching during an erection. He agrees. Up with the pants and back to the counter where Tyler places a call to order the ring and determine its price. $488 plus taxes, shipping and installation. Installation? Do I want to get the piercing before I go back? What the hell, I'm going to enjoy it for a long time, eh? I commit and Ty ler tells me he'll give me a call when the ring is delivered to arrange an appointment. I tell him that I need to have it at least 3 days before my long (23 hrs) flight back to Iraq. I dread the thought of bleeding in an airplane seat... He assures me that there will be no problem. I have to trust this guy.
A week of decadence goes by and Tyler calls me for an appointment: Friday night at 6PM after he gets out of school. He does not usually work on Fridays because of school, but he is coming in just to do my piercing because of my 3 day in advance request. What a sweet guy. My mind is reeling. I make arrangements to have another dear friend, Kent, meet me at the shop during my appointment who offers to take me out to dinner and drinks afterwards. The gods bless friendships, people. Friends are where it's at. Now I'm really excited.
It's late Friday afternoon and I grab a train to Grand Central. After flagging a cab, I arrive at the shop at 6PM. Tyler arrives shortly afterwards and is warm as could be. He says it'll be a moment and he'll be ready for me. He motions for me to go into the back room. He shows me all the sterile equipment. Then he shows me the ring and invites me to genuinely admire it as he obviously does. He has not installed such a large gold ring before. He tells me that he wants to use a technique of piercing me with a smaller than normal gauge needle and then fit the ring into place by stretching the piercing. He will use an 8 gauge receiving tube instead of a 6 gauge while piercing me with a 10 gauge needle. I have to trust this guy and I do.
OK. I remove my pants and drawers and sit on the bench. He takes my penis and a pen and we discuss where the hole will be. I'm comfortable with my choice. Tyler sanitizes my equipment and tells me to do deep regular breaths. He says the receiving tube may hurt but it does not. Next is the pinch from the needle. It's actually brief and tolerable but my body knows something was just violated. The room is starting to get warm. He says we're almost done. He attaches the ring to the rod and pulls it through the hole. Another warm sensation fills my head. Sweat is appearing. Tyler takes the gold ball and pliers and closes the ring. 2 minutes, maybe 3 tops. He says, "Would you like a glass of cold water?" Of course, and a little ice on the forehead fixes me up in a couple more minutes and I'm standing in front of the mirror. Wow. Tyler is clearly pleased. He says that I'm done. I ask about wrapping it up for the impending bleeding. He says the already stretched piercing shouldn't b leed. I'm incredulous and after he takes a bunch of photographs of it I hand him a $30 tip.
Kent is waiting in the front and he is contemplating buying a beautiful snake ring in the display case. I'm high on endorphins at this point and you can't wipe the smile off my face. Kent takes me out for sushi, sake and Italian pastries. I have to go to the bathroom at one point and I see that my underwear is not bloody. Just a tiny amount in the initial pee stream but no pain. Amazing. After dinner, Kent wants to go back to the piercing studio to buy the snake ring after all. Done. We go back to Kent's apartment for some more drinks and a movie. Of course, I show off my PA and even take a photo of it with Kent's new ring together. When it is time for bed, I brought one of those Dependz diapers just in case for the night. Chris's story about his bleeding is stuck in my head. A very funny aside, Kent has a video clip, or egg I believe its called, from The Lord of the Rings DVD – one of the characters got drunk on mead the night before and took the Ring and got a PA with it! I roar.
The next morning I awake and quickly inspect things. Not only is there no blood but I am truly marveling at my adorned erection. Talk about one of the seven deadly sins, folks. Well, very, very little blood appears in my urine from time-to-time over the next two days. Now there is none. I am following Tyler's advice to clean with the antimicrobial cleanser once a day. I soak the critter in sea salt solution a few times a day. And I take 3000mg of vitamin C and 100 mg of Zinc once a day to boost the immune system.
The flight back to Iraq is without incident or discomfort. I note my disappointment that my solid gold ring does NOT set off the metal detector at the airport. I was looking forward to being pulled aside. Sigh... I do experience a tingling sensation when I bump the ring against the inside of my trousers for the first two weeks when I am walking. Some of my fellow PA brothers might identify with me when I say that it is very easy to have multiple orgasms when taking matters-in-hand. It seems that the placement and weight of the ring has its consequences. I am truly looking forward to some sex when I get back.
Now it is only 3 weeks since my piercing and all seems to be going well and without any complications whatsoever. I like the weight sensation for sure. The gold adornment I don't think I'll ever want to stop admiring. "Vanity, my favorite vice!" someone once said in a movie (Pacino).
Chris and I go out today to a remote place by a lake on our base here in Baghdad. He ordered a curved barbell that was delivered and he is ready to change his jewelry. Out comes the camera for documentary sake. Another soldier even gets a photo of the two of us proudly flashing our jewelry side by side.
I toast to Tyler for his professionalism,
I toast to Chris for his serendipitous nudge to get a PA
I toast to the pierced Army soldiers.