Like many, I first started out being put off by any sort of piercing or tattoo. I though it was a fad and that no one in their right mind should be sticking needles through any art of them just to look cool or tough. I clearly remember seeing a girl with a labret, medusa, septum, bridge and stretched lobes at a bar some years ago and thinking at the time, "what a waste of a pretty face". Now of course I think, "what a waste I didn't go up and talk to her". I guess the whole thing didn't fit in with my preppy lifestyle. Association and a need for belonging was a stronger guide for my preferences than it is now.
At A Glance Author internorange Contact internorange@bme.anon When A year ago Artist tracy Studio metal machine Location cape town Years later I read an article in a mainstream magazine on a couple who had gone through a piercing procedure together as some sort of commitment to one another. She was having a hood piercing and if I remember correctly, he opted for a foreskin barbell. Looking back on it though, it was pretty tame, but at the time this was radical stuff! Their description of the event and their reasoning behind it intrigued me. It seemed far more than the skin-deep fad I'd always thought it was. They appeared to feel that this common bond would bring them closer. From the article, it seemed she was more keen on the affair than him and I was amazed at how open minded and sexually empowered she was for taking such initiative. We live in a society with a fairly rigid general sexuality. Even now, after the elections and more free from the Calvinist church influences, women are far less likely to take charge.
Anyway, as time went on I began to see more and more body mods, both in the media and in life, but the turning point I suppose was when the rave culture hit us. From wandering around in chinos and a blazer in clubs I had within a week been convinced that a tracksuit was a far more practical outfit for dancing in and lounging around in chill rooms. Oh, and I met a great girl with a navel piercing. She let me play with it and [obviously under the influence] I thought this was the most erotic thing I had ever done.
Now we make a quick jump to a year ago. I had flu and was bored at home. I logged on to look at some parties that were coming up and came across a link to BME. I was riveted. Fascinated, squeamish, excited and afraid, but riveted. Two days and a hefty dial-up bill later I had met someone online and she inadvertently encouraged me to get something radical done. I agreed that I should jump right in so after reading up on numerous genital piercing I had decided on a PA. This was to be a project so I'd eventually be able to get a Wand. So I went down to metal machine in town, looking around hoping no one from work would recognise me [I was supposed to be ill]. I had a nice chat with the lady behind the counter. She was very helpful and advised me on gauge size, jewellery type and all the things that one should know about getting a PA done. She explained that it would take a while to heal, that I should avoid sex for a while and that it was more or less a permanent. That part see med the most exciting somehow. I booked an appointment.
I arrived on the big day shaking like I was mad. There were quite a lot of people around which made me nervous. I whispered to the man at the desk that I had made an appointment to get something done. He asked what and when I told him he, in classic comedic style, repeated it loudly, so the whole shop could hear. I was thrown. Why would he do that? Perhaps the tattooing noise had made him a little dead. He led me to the piercer's room, which was clean and hospital-smelling. This is was a good sign. I had read that one should choose a studio first on hygiene. She sat me down and I asked her about the needles and she gave me a long spiel that more than satisfied my concerns.
In went the receiving tube. Then came the pinch I had read so much about. Then the 10 gauge CBR and finally the condom. It was all a blur really. I downed a can of coke after reclothing and walked out carefully. Some of the people who'd seen me go in were still hanging around. They looked at me in a strange way and I have to admit, I felt quite hardcore.
I think that the worst part was the wait. The bleeding stopped soon and the crusties were not too bad. But everyday I checked it and it seemed to not be healing. Also, every time I bumped it or caught it with a finger or something I felt I had set the process back again. I just wanted to get the damn thing healed so I could get the princes wand that had caught my imagination. Every day I got more excited about it. The idea of a hollow sound, fixed in place all day was making me more and more impatient.
To quell some of the anticipation I decided to buy a wand in the meantime. I went to every studio I knew about and the ones I was referred to and got the same answer. No stock as it is a custom item. I was surprised that so many had heard of them. It seemed like a pretty specific item to me. On further investigation I found that www.cadewalk.com was a local manufacturer who specialises in such things. Called the lady up and we talked about gauges and dimensions etc. She emailed me a diagram showing all the possible measurements and I returned it with my painstaking specifications – a 6cm main shaft, 10g fixing bolt, hollow tube. 10mm ball on the end etc.
It took a few of weeks as it had to be shipped from up country and when it arrived I was delighted – just in time for me healing. I was at work at the time and took an early lunch to go home and install it. When I got there I laid everything out, lubed the shaft with KY and pushed it down. There was some mild stinging at first but I was used to it by the time it was far enough down to attach the 10g fixing stalk. This took forever. I think I uttered every curse I knew and made up a few new ones. Especially when I screwed in the thing along with a piece of my skin. Eventually I managed it and got dressed and went back to the office.
When I got the urinal at first I was surprised at how the whole setup looked. It seemed like I was half man, half tap. I had to unscrew the ball and only then could I relieve myself. I was amazed at how far my urine stream could reach with the wand.
If I was to go back and redo the whole thing again, I would have stretched to an 8g CBR earlier and ordered an 8g fixing stalk. I would have also made the main shaft a little longer. Mine seems puny compared to the ones I saw on BME. If you are considering this mod, I would encourage it wholeheartedly. Most women I have been with love it. The physical feeling is worth every bit of the discomfort and the psychological sensation of knowing there's something that sets you apart from the average man is more than a mere additional benefit. But just believe the thousands of stories when they tell you, get it done by the pros.
I am sure I speak for all readers when I say that the BME site is a fantastic service. It is an asset not only to the mod community but also to the community in general. Thanks to all.