This past weekend was possibly the best time I have had in a long time, at Vampys Birthday meet in Norwich.
At A Glance Author Emzy Contact emzy@theice.co.uk IAM Emzy When It just happened Artist Vampy Location Norwich I witnessed my first suspension at Vampys house earlier on in the year, and I knew then that I had to do it. I talked to various people there about their experiences, and I decided then that I would have 4 hooks, as 6 seemed like too much for me. I also decided then that I would be taken up fast rather than the slower walking backwards and forwards. People say the moment before you leave the ground is the most painful, so I wanted to get it out of the way!
Id been so excited in the few days before, but I was trying not to think about it, as I didn't want my expectations to be so high, that when it came down to it, the sensation wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Up until the morning of the suspension I was feeling fine, but that morning I started to feel nervous. It was a horrible feeling, and I also felt a bit ill.
I wanted to be one of the first of the day to suspend, as I knew my nerves would be playing up, so I was number 3. I decided that I would be topless for the suspension as this was something else I discovered from talking to people at the last meet, that bras and tops can make you feel restricted when your skin is being pulled from the back. I wore my lovely red French knickers, and I was body painted.
An idea for my next tattoo is of a red swirly pattern running down the side of my body, in an attempt to see what it would look like we decided to paint it on. To suspend with the body paint was an added bonus, and it really completed the experience by making me feel beautiful with everyone watching me. That morning 3 of my friends were painting my topless body, and it made me relax, I loved it.
Time for the hooks. I was told that the hooks were by far the most painful part, but I was also told, that I'd be able to handle it compared to other mods I'd had. So I was a little nervous but not scared.
Vampy pinched my skin in a potential place for piercing and I was shocked. Her just pinching my skin actually really hurt. This was the point when I started to get scared. I told her it was painful, so she moved about an inch upwards and pinched again, this was a lot less painful and so I said ok. She said id be wonderful to pierce cos my skin was springy so that was good, however I was not prepared for the pain of the first hook. It was not what I imagined at all. Not like any other piercing I've had. I could feel a lot of resistance, and I remember thinking that it didn't seem like an easy piercing to me at all. One by one I had all four done, and they were all as painful as each other, but I kept going cos there was absolutely no way id back out now.
After the hooking I stayed laid down for a while because I was beginning to feel so scared now, and the thought of these huge hooks moving on my back freaked me out. But I faced my fear and got up, and it wasn't that bad. They asked if I want to chill out for a bit first or just go for it, I asked them which they thought was best, and they said to do it now, so I went for it.
Walking up there my brain was so confused, a mixture of emotions, I didn't really know what was happening as everything went so quickly. Standing in the spot while they were tying me up, my emotions got the better of me and I started crying because by this point I was so scared and confused.
I knew I wanted to go up fast, but when Vampy asked me how I'd like to do it, I did hesitate before saying fast. This part is a bit of a blur now, but I did go up fast. Everyone was so impressed at how fast it was for a first timer, but it was so fast that I don't actually remember! I want to watch the video, so I can see what happened.
I wasn't up for very long, possibly about 2 mins. I remember my legs curling up into a ball, and I thought that it was amazing, that the natural position of the body with no restrictions was to curl up. I had a bit of a swing which was cool, but the pain got the better of me. The intense pressure of my back was uncomfortable and I felt a bit ill, so I came down. They asked if I would like to go up again, but I didn't think I could handle it, so I said no, and I don't regret it.
The removal of the hooks was great! It felt nice having the metal removed from my skin. As people were massaging the bubbles from my back, I was giggling away, it tickled lots, I liked it. My right shoulder produced a lot of blood, but after that they didn't bleed at all.
Afterwards people kept saying about how fast it was, but I didn't know what to say because I didn't really remember what had happened. They also said that I must be feeling amazing right now, but I felt totally normal. Compared to feeling nervous earlier and compared to the pain earlier, I felt completely and utterly normal, as if it had never or was ever gonna happen. And this was weird cos I had expected to be high in the clouds. But it was a long weekend, and I got my adrenaline buzz from other activities.
I am so glad I did it, and my curiosity has been fulfilled. I believe I will suspend again one day, but I have no need to in the near future. When I do suspend again, now I know what the feeling is like, I can concentrate on having fun while in the air!