So, after managing to put off getting my tongue re-pierced for an entire year, I finally found myself back in the old dentist chair a couple of weeks ago. I was rather annoyed that I had to go through the whole experience again as my previous one fell out whilst I was sleeping and had closed up by the time I woke. After trying in vain for over an hour to shove a needle through it I admitted defeat and let it completely heal.
At A Glance Author moi Contact moi@bme.anon When N/A Location Edinburgh The fact that I knew exactly what was about to happen: sticking my tongue into a giant pair of torturous looking clamps for it to be yanked out before it's skewered with a giant knitting needle made it all the more odd that I was practically shaking with nerves. But by this point I was sitting in the chair and I don't think my legs would have moved even if I wanted them to so.
Then it began. The actual piercing wasn't too bad, the clamping was definitely the worst part: it felt like the piercer was trying to yank my tongue out. At this point, wimp that I am I shut my eyes. I felt the needle go in and had a slight twang of pain but it only lasted a couple of seconds. Then the bar was shoved in and a tiny bit of adjusting later voila I had my wonderous tongue piercing once more. And I'm proud to say there was only a tinsy bit of blood!!!
And so I skipped home, with the all to familiar sensation of a suffocating swollen tongue taking my mouth hostage, knowing I was doomed to a couple of days of nothing but fruit juice and sorbet. As I kinda knew what to expect this time round I'd stocked up on all the essentials: mouthwash, soup, milkshakes etc. And so ensued a not so pleasant two days of drinking all my calories. The week after starvation hit in so I returned to normal eating, just cutting up all my food into tiny-weeney pieces before catapulting it to the back of my mouth so I could avoid any chewing. I got more than a few odd looks at work.
The next morning I woke up to find my tongue had tripled in size, pretty much what I expected. It also felt like it had ran a marathon and the thought of food was totally repulsive. Another benefit of tongue piercings... the weight loss from lack of eating!
It's been really easy to keep clean - I just had to lug around a bottle of mouthwash to use after eating/smoking/breathing (!) for the first week. The mouthwash also did wonders if my tongue ever started to twang with pain, it would stop it for a good half hour.
It has to be said I'm not so good at looking after piercings. I admit I'm a total chain smoker and within an hour had already had a cigarette, possibly not the best idea but what can I say, I'm an addict. I also ate lots of curries (yum :)) which I know you're not meant to do as they make it swell right back up (I can testify that's not an old wives tale!) but nonetheless my tongue, after nearly two weeks, has returned to near normality.
I'm thinking I could have possibly planned this piercing at a better time. Having just started a new job where I'm constantly talking on the phone with a giant bloated tongue whilst trying not to spit everywhere isn't the easiest thing. This combined with my dashing off to the toilet every couple of hours with a suspicious bottle of blue liquid to clean my beloved piercing has probably left them thinking I either was dropped on my head as a baby or am an alcoholic.
The worst day was definitely after a heavy nights drinking about a week after I got it done. The night before my tongue had just about returned to normal size but that morning I woke up with not only my usual hangover (killer headache, temperature soaring and the urge to spew upon sight of any food) but my tongue also seemed to develop its own pulse and had returned to the nasty swollen mess it was to begin with. Right back to square one!!! Oh well, at least I'll know for next time....
All in all I love my piercing- I like the way it's not blatantly obvious (especially to mum: I recieved cries of "body mutilation" when she saw it first time round) but with a quick flick of my tongue I know it's there. I can't wait to go back and get the smaller bar put in, my tongue has become so unswollen now I'm super scared I'm going to bite on in when I eat and crack a tooth :( At least if I ever decide to let it close up, it'll only take a night!