Shelby (our friendly neighborhood piercing chick extraordinaire) had told me on a couple of occasions that "a poke is a poke, right?" Seeing the point in that (pun), I was then able to convince myself that there wasn't going to be a real big difference between a 12 ga., and a 10 ga. needle poke. Not being totally happy with previous 14 & 12 ga. Guiche piercings, I decided that I needed to "Go Big or Go Home" from now on - and so I did.
At A Glance Author daballsak Contact daballsak@hotmail.com IAM daballsak When A month ago Artist Shelby Studio Hoops Proffesional Body Arts Location Kennewick, WA Leaving work a bit early, I made my way to the shop were Shelby and Lon renders the services of which I have grown to crave. On this particular day, I was getting another Guiche piercing. I had two Guiche piercings previously, but I had to take them out a couple of months earlier. Incidentally, I had a PA which was also removed at the same time. With no holes in my body for what seemed like forever, other than the ones thoughtfully provided by the good creator, I was feeling naked and long overdue for the needle.
Arriving at the shop, Shelby greeted me warmly as she always does. We chatted for 15 minutes or so about her vacation and then got down to business. We contemplated the jewelry issues – size, length, placement, and future additions to the same area. During these discussions, we discovered that she didn't have what she believed to be the ideal length of 10 ga. jewelry for the piercing that I wanted. This meant that I had to re-think my approach to becoming holy again, or re-scheduling the piercing.
After about half an hour, we decided to look at the area of interest and see if we could accomplish what I wanted. The piece of jewelry selected was a 5/8 inch curved 10 ga. barbell which was to be placed vertical (lateral) as far back as possible allowing room for hopefully two more Guiche piercings in the horizontal (normal) orientation. The reason that I selected a lateral placement was that I found that more than one Guiche in the same orientation close together tended to be a problem, at least for me. The last two that I had (both horizontal) got tangled frequently; thus really irritated. The best fix, in hindsight, would have been to wear barbells for the entire healing period, or one in the vertical position.
With somewhat of a game plan in mind, Shelby and I walked into the studio and prepared for the piercing. She did the usual setup - chair, instrument tray, etcetera - wile I yanked off my pants. She attached the stirrups to the chair, and I sat and positioned my legs as required (If you haven't been through this guys... it's a weird feeling!).
As Shelby finished her prep work, I began to get a little nervous. The moment was nearing where I find out if "a poke is a poke." I tried not to look at the needle and other instruments, but I couldn't help it. While out in the waiting area, I saw some pretty big needles of which I wouldn't want to experience - and I now had to wonder what a 10 ga. looked like?! By now Shelby perhaps noticed that I was getting a little nervous, so she offered to numb the area for me. I really didn't want anything... but dammit it sure was tempting. Thinking about it for a second; wasn't this a ritual? A right of passage into manhood in some cultures? I quickly decided that I would shame myself, and the many before me, should I elect to have the numbing agent. I said no, a poke is a poke, right?
Preparations were completed, and we were ready to begin. With instrument in hand, she held the barbell in place for my inspection. I held a mirror between my legs (which were jacked up in the air and spread open wider than a sleazy barely legal loose tart at a third rate south Texas nudie strip bar) and surveyed the proposed location for jewelry placement. All looked well, so gave her the OK, and she marked the spot.
The procedure went pretty much as all piercings go, except I was really nervous this time. Shelby made sure I was comfortable, and offered to adjust the chair. The area was then cleaned real well, clamped tight with an instrument, and re-checks performed. A cork was placed on one side to receive the sharp end of the needle after passing through the skin, I'm guessing to protect the worker. With this done, it was now the moment of truth. Shelby asked if I was ready, prompting an unsure answer from me I'm sure. As she started pushing the needle through the skin, a wave of pain shot through me like a hot knife. I remember thinking - this ain't no fricken 12 ga. needle. And - son of a b(expletive) this hurts... expletive, expletive, expletive. Instead of saying anything, I instead let out a long OOOOOWWW! I also remember thinking "a poke is a poke, right?" Ya right!
After the jewelry was placed, I hopped off of the table and quickly got dressed. I was a little embarrassed for vocalizing my discomfort as I did, so I really just wanted to get the heck out of there. Had I shamed myself by vocalizing my discomfort? Would it of been proper to keep my shut and instead bite my lip? Was I a pansy?? Hell, I don't know, but I had another doohickey - and I felt good about that. Funny think is, is that I was already thinking about the next two piercings before I was even half way down the block... Go figure?!