After reading the other comments made on this message board about Rick's work, I decided he would be the safest bet for a precedure as delicate as a PA. For those with a short attention span, I'll save you some reading and say I definitely recommend Rick's work and the experience was definitely positive.
At A Glance Author StealthDevil Contact stealthdevil@asia.com When A week ago Artist Rick Gilmour Studio Adorned Precision Location Calgary, Alberta, Canada I called earlier because I wanted to check if it was necessary to book an appointment and Rick himself took the call and answered a few questions that I had. His demeanour over the phone pretty much clinched the idea that I would go there as he was very knowledgeable and had a very calming voice (which I would appreciate during the procedure). My wife had convinced me it would be interesting to have a few piercings done at once but Rick pointed out that certain penis sizes and shapes preclude getting them done due to comfort issues or the like (an example is the Dydoe, which I considered as well but he recommended against it for my situation - it would be uncomfortable during sex with a partner).
I drove down to where the shop was and concentrated on my breathing to keep my nerves calm. For myself, there was a bit of trepidation mixed with the exhilaration of doing something which I consider brave and adventurous and a very new experience. Walking up the stairs, I suddenly felt very calm and saw two people seated at the counter and I asked for Rick.
For a complete novice like myself I don't know what I was expecting for a piercer but Mr. Gilmour has some pretty fierce (for lack of a better term) looking piercings and tattoos. In thinking it over it seems a very good thing that the person doing a piercing on your penis at least have some experience with the procedure on his own body. Despite my imagined 'ferocity' at the piercings he was wearing, I found Rick to be a genuinely nice person with excellent 'bedside manner' during the procedure. A first hand lesson to never ever judge a book by its cover.
We discussed what was to be done and talked about concerns that I had and everything was answered in a very straight forward manner. Customers are required to read a piercing care information sheet BEFORE the piercing and fill out a consent form. One of the things that caught my eye on the info sheet was a bold typed line that you do NOT move the piercing jewelry back and forth during cleaning while the piercing is healing. Quite a few sources that I investigated while researching the procedure before having it done suggest that you do move the jewelry. I asked Rick about this and he said it is due to the fact you would be damaging new tissue that is being built when you move the jewelry during this delicate phase. That one incident seemed to make all the sense to me in the world and I was definitely 100% confident in Rick's ability to go on with it.
The whole shop suite is very neat and clean and I was shown to a private room that had some interesting piercing art and a movie poster of the film "Baraka." One of my favorite films so I felt it was a good omen.
Rick's voice is very calm and he makes an effort to explain every step he is performing. He washed himself up for a few moments and I was told to pull my shorts down to my knees and lie completely back on the table. He cleaned the area with a cleanser to remove natural oil and another to sterilize (I don't recall a sensation of numbing so I don't know if there was any anaesthetic in the cleaner or not). Of course, at every step Rick explains exactly what he is doing and there are no surprises, although there are some clever things that he does to make your mind go elsewhere and voila, he's done the step. I won't point out where or when he does this as it would probably lessen the effect and I found it immensely helpful. He mentioned that the receiving tube necessary to keep from damaging the inner urethra would be uncomfortable to insert but it was bearable. I should mention that, at least for me, there was pain involved in a few steps, but I will emphasize that the sensation is literally a fraction of a second and gone. The receiving tube phase was a discomfort and not really a pain, but also a very short lived sensation.
At this point Rick went over a set of instructions he wished me to perform and made this clear before even beginning anything. While it may take you a while to read through this explanation, you should know that from this point to having a finished piercing takes no longer than 20-30 seconds. He does mention that he'll be working fast to cause you the least discomfort. At this point I was to breathe in very deeply through my nose and exhale through my mouth while a surgical needle tip was placed at the point of the piercing. At the 4th breath I felt the needle push all the way through, and again I'll mention these sensations are the ones that last a portion of a second. It's still a little shocking and Rick reminded me not to hold my breath but to continue breathing.
The next step the skin is stretched over the receiving tube and a stretching needle is forced through the needle hole. I had decided on a Captive Ball Ring earlier and this is pushed backwards along the withdrawing stretching needle through the piercing within seconds of the start of the whole thing. He then said that he was done and I was the proud owner of a 6 gauge CBR PA piercing. When I looked down I was struck with the surreal feeling of seeing the piercing on my own penis that I had seen on several pictures on the internet while researching the procedure. He cleaned me up and 'bandaged' me (details below) and sent me on my way, after paying the bill of course. While there may be a strong urge to rush home and start having fun with it, this is very far from the way things have to be done in order to keep from becoming infected or agitated, lengthening the healing time.
This is all discussed beforehand and if you are contemplating this piercing you should be aware of it as well. You are NOT to touch the piercing for some time unless you are cleaning it and using the proper cleaner (which you can purchase from Adorned or at health food shops). You cannot have sex for at least a couple of weeks to a month and even then for weeks to months after you must wear a condom. I'll note too that for the journey home, Rick uses a purple surgical glove (which he jokes about) instead of a condom, over the penis. He held it in place over the shaft with a loose fitting elastic and mentioned there would be a bit of a mess when taking it off at home. I was expecting a lot of blood when I removed it but instead I had lots of very faintly blood stained prostate fluid. The exterior of the piercing was already congealed and dried.
I followed this method at Rick's request of using a piece of gauze in a surgical glove to 'bandage' the area while dressed or sleeping the next few days, in addition to wearing dark clothes, just in case. There were various random flows of blood ranging from a few red spots on the gauze to lots of red or pink gauze with almost no white spaces left. I used the lavender tea cleanser in the shower and haven't really found it necessary to do the soaks that are mentioned frequently in other places, although, my showers are generally a half hour or longer which may account for not having any problems. There hasn't been any sexual activity aside from oohs and ahhs of admiration from the missus...so it isn't all bad. I do tend to notice that ebb and flow of erections does increase the amount of blood in the surgical glove so if you have the will power, maybe watch a few days of consecutive C-Span or other boring TV to avoid this effect.
There hasn't been any aches or pain other than when I accidentally move and my clothing tightens or if I bump too hard in the shower. When I squeeze the muscles that stop urine flow, I don't feel anything inserted, which is opposite of what I was expecting. I also haven't had any problem with the stinging that many people mention feeling when they urinate, however I tend to drink a lot of only water, milk or cranberry juice, which would be less acidic anyway.
It is Saturday afternoon and I had the piercing done on Thursday and there is a slight and very slow pink trickle so I still have the surgical glove thingie on. I have been able to move about almost normally but still take caution when sitting down or other similar movements to make sure my pants or underwear don't tighten. I am planning on trying a short bike ride in a day or 2 and still looking forward to the 2nd Thursday from now to see if things are safe enough for my wife and I to lightly try out the PA to see if we both like it during sex.
All in all, a worthwhile experience for both of us. For those concerned or phobic, you'll find no better or capable a piercer than Rick at Adorned. And for those sitting on the fence, just do it! If I had known what the experience and sensations (physical and mental) afterward were like, I'd have done it long ago with no anxiety.