I am the proud owner of a pair of venom piercings, and I am writing a week long journal to describe the experience.
At A Glance Author Bear Contact Bearisgod@hotmail.com IAM Bear151556 When A week ago Artist Brian Studio Mind Altering Tattoo & Body Piercing Location La Crosse Wi, 54603 Day 1, Fri., March 12, 2004 I wanted to get my Ampallang tonight, so I called Mind Altering Tattoo & Body Piercing to see if Brian was available. I had talked to Eric, the artist who had done my PA.(See "Still Standing, P.A. And All" in the Prince Albert experience section on BME for details) the night before about doing it and he had told me that he had never done one and that Brian could help me out. I went in and Brian asked if he could examine my PA to see if it had healed enough to survive the clamping that the Amp would require. And of course, since I really wanted one, it had not. Guess I should not have played with it so much.( Always follow your aftercare instructions, kids, they will heal faster.)
So anyhow I could not get my Amp, and Brian was going on vacation tommorow until the 22nd, so I was screwed. But since I was there, I wanted to ask about a tongue piercing, and that is the beginning of my story.
Now when I asked about it I was only talking about the usual, boring run of the mill center placement, and Brian was more than happy to oblige. So we were looking in his portfolio, and lo and behold, He had pictures of people with venoms. I had seen venoms on BME, and really liked the way they looked, but I had not really thought of them since I had not really been planning on a tongue piercing for quite awhile yet. But since I was there, and I really wanted a new hole in myself,and a friend had just gotten his first genital piercing, which reminds me, do not tell all your friends that piercings do not hurt if you are getting one to be different, because sooner or later, someone else will have one too, and then you are not different anymore.Especially if you pay for it. But he is my friend and he wanted it, so what do you do? So I got to thinking, if I want all my piercings to be different, then perhaps I needed to get piercings that were a little more elaborate than the on es my friends would be willing to get. And so after talking with Brian, it was decided, instead of a simple center piercing,I would get my venoms pierced.
I waited while Brian had a smoke and then while he was getting ready, I had one too, as I had read that the pain of the swelling often makes this simple,yet disgusting, habit of mine (can you tell that I will be quitting soon? Thank god for Zyban.) almost impossible.And god knows, that would be terrible.Then Brian came for me, and we went back to the piercing room at the rear of the shop and I sat down as Brian prepared his equipment and my needles and jewelry. Once again, we decided on 14 ga., since I can always stretch them later, and small gauge piercings seem to heal faster, I feel.
As always it was really clean and Brian was very careful to show me that all of my things and all of his equipment had been autoclaved and was sterile. Many times on BME, I have read that people waited while their things were autoclaved, so I asked about their proceedures and was told that only one person in the whole shop was allowed near the autoclave, so that the risk of contamination was lessened. I thought that was a really good idea. Brian went on to tell me that their autoclave had just been spore tested and passed. So we were clean and ready to go.
Brian started by asking me to disinfect my mouth with what tasted like mint flavored battery acid and which burned like it too. 60 seconds of that was way intense, but hey you got to do what you got to do, so I dealt with it, and besides, my piercings are all about overcoming things, so this needed to be overcome too. I lived , and then Brian wanted my tongue, so out it came and unlike my prior experience, there was no shrinkage here. Just drool. So he grabbed a couple of paper towels, one to dry my tongue and one to use as a bib, and after drying my tongue, ( which really is a weird feeling, by the way) proceeded to start with the marks. Apparently Brian is a perfectionist, because it took 4 tries until he was satisfied. Then came the clamp and we were ready. As always it was take 3 deep breaths, hold the third and I will go. So on breath 3, I developed a 14 ga. hole on the left side of my tongue, and quite a bit of pain. I actually almost retracted my tongue and I did fli nch pretty good. I guess that getting my tongue pierced in the center 20 years ago did not quite prepare me for an off center placement. Honestly, while Brian was resetting the clamps for the left side I thought about backing out, but I had paid already, and the pain on the right had faded already, and like I said, it's all about overcoming for me, and pain is something to overcome, so we proceeded. And also just like always, the second one was worse. I actually did try to retract my tongue, but Brain held the clamps, and disaster was averted. Then came the jewelry and it was done. This time, while the endorphins ran wild, I was actually able to listen as Brian explained all the aftercare instructions, and how long I had to wait to play with them or change jewelry. Then we talked about my Amp, which I am getting on the first day he is back off of vacation,and after a tip, I departed. I had no pain at this time, and while my tongue did not hurt, it was sensitive and felt he avy. But hey it was ok, and I could still talk clearly without a lisp or anything. In fact it has been 4 hours and it still has not swollen much, but everyone says days 2 & 3 are the hardest, so I will see what tommorow brings. But I was able to eat tonight, and I have been rinsing constantly with salt water and taking my Ibuprofen, so maybe I will luck out here too.
Day 2-Sat., March 13, 2004- This morning I woke up after dreaming my tongue had been ripped out by the root and it was unfortunatly, not true. It is swollen, sore and I sound like I have never spoken clearly. Now I know what people were talking about when they said that people had mistaken them for mentally challenged persons after a tongue piercing. My friends all think it is very funny, since I am known to have an extreme pain tolerance. Not today kids, this thing really hurts. I am thinking about pulling them out. But nope, I will overcome this , I just will. Salt soaks help a bit, but wow this has been quite a day. The best part was my mother's reaction. She lost it. Thank god that I did not tell her about the PA, She probably would have had me committed. But she got over it, she always does, and besides, I am 39 years old, all she can do is yell or pray, neither one of which works on me , nor have they for many years. But now I am off to bed, hoping for a better day tom morow, and I still love these venoms!
Day 3-Sun.,March 14, 2004- The pain is much better today, but the swelling is worse , So I have not talked much today.But most people think that is an improvement so I just smiled a lot and gave them the finger. I have discovered a way to completely eliminate any pain. I have a bottle of liquid lortab. I got it this winter after I coughed so hard that I ruptured blood vessels in my throut. Don't try this at home, you will need the lortab, cause that one hurt worse than my tongue has. But if I take a swab and dip it the lortab and then rub it on the piercing sites, the pain is gone for and hour or two. I know it is cheating, but hey I am not a martyr, I just like a bit of pain now and then , but I have things to do today and I need to talk to do them. Also, I am really hungry. I still cannot eat solid foods, so meal replacement shakes are my only sustinence. That and ice cream which I am convinced was created just for this occasion. And so I tried to eat. Major mistake. It w as a mess. Between the drooling and the pain, I gave up and had another shake. I guess they were not kidding about that either.
Day 4-Mon.,March 15, 2004- Well today is a lot better. Less pain( Thanks lortab) Swelling is better( I think), and I have begun to speak more clearly, so it is getting better. I still cannot eat, and if I talk too much, my tongue gets tired, plus, now all I want to do is play with them.But salt soaks and Ibuprofen help and I still have my bottle of liquid painlessness so I have done really well. I have been showing them off, and most people think they are cool as hell. And a few people think they are gross, but I do not think they will ever understand, so fugum. I like them and they are mine, so I am the one who gets to decide. That is the really cool thing about all body mods, whatever you do, it is your choice, and no one can make it for you, and if you are an adult, no one can take them away. So keep on doing what ever makes you happy to yourself, and so will I.
Day 5-Tues., March 16 2004- The pain has all but disappeared, but the swelling is still here. I can live with that, but I hope that leaves soon also. I guess that it probably would, but I just realized that instead of Ibuprofen, I have been taking acetaminophen. I guess that the first day I grabbed the wrong bottle and just never looked again. My roommate actually made me look, all he could find was ibuprofen and he wanted acetaminophen. So now I am taking the right thing for the swelling, finally. I guess that I should have looked a little closer when I was grabbing pills. I can eat soft foods if I chew very carefully, but I think that I will wait another day or so before I go crazy on grilled chicken, which is what all of the non-oral pierced people in the house are enjoying tonight. I would be upset, but they don't have venoms, so I think they are the losers. Ha.
Day 6-Wed.,March 17 2004-No pain if I do not play too much and the swelling has really dropped. my voice has just a hint of a lisp and that will get better as I get used to the steel in my mouth, now if I would just quit drooling, I would be all better. That too will pass, I guess, so it is almost done. I even got to eat a piece of leftover chicken today and I will eat a normal supper tonight. It is all good.I am very happy with the progress my little friends are showing and I cannot wait to try them out. I have been told that women love them, so we will see, in time.
Day 7- Thurs.,March 18 2004.- One week ago today I went to get one piercing and wound up with another. I was kind of disappointed then but I am not now. I do not think that this piercing is for everyone, but it is perfect for me and I do not regret it at all. I can eat solid food, and most of my friends think they are great. And I have yet to see another pair in this town , so now I am different again. Mission accomplished. I did notice something today, and I really hope that this stays. When I brush my teeth, I brush my tongue. Now when I brush it I have a really ticklish spot right between the venoms. It feels awesome, and I really hope that that one side effect sticks around. All in all this has been a really positive thing and I am glad that I did it. It has brought me in tune with myself in a different way than the genital piercing has . Now I get to try them out in public, as we are going to the bar tonight. I do not think they are ready to be used sexually yet or even kissing, but just to show them off is a big thrill. As I said, they were painful but they are worth every second. And If I had been taking the right pills, maybe there would have been less pain, so I guess all in all I would have to tell anyone looking into getting their venoms pierced, go for it, you will love them.