At A Glance Author nightshade Contact nightshade@bme.anon When N/A Artist me Studio camper at the river Location illinios I am a green piercer. I do not currently work at a shop and other than family and friends have had no repeat clients. I am very green. I have had some medical and anatomy courses and taught some by professional piercers, but that is pretty much the extent of my tutelage. Knowing all this, my sister-in-law tells me she wants me to pierce her nose.
Now, this woman is a walking montage of every horror story you have ever heard about the worst client. She has pain issues, she has trust issues, she has body image issues. Add in alcoholism, paranoia, and being by-polar, She is the last person I would ever want to pierce. So of course, my husband says " Oh no problem. She can do it the next time you visit."
Now in the best of conditions this would have been hard but I got the added joy of piercing in a camper next to the river. She wouldn't come into the city because she didn't want her family to know she was in town. ( remember the paranoia) She insisted I do it at the river.
Now I live in a rural area. A very rural area. Not "Deliverance" but you can hear the pig squealin' from here. County fairs. Apple and Pork festivals. (no joke. every September)Covered Bridge festivals. All the rustic delights you might find featured on public access cable.
Now don't get me wrong, I love it all. Crafts, food, and music of the country are often ignored when we think of true Americana but, in my opinion, nothing fits the title more. The one thing that bothers me about those little shindigs is that in the past few years, little booths popped up next to the fortune tellers and leather sellers are traveling piercing booths.
This is to me much like the traveling snake oil men a century ago.Some fast talking carny, concocts this juice in the back of a dirty wagon, poured into a used bottle and popped the cork down with his teeth. He then pulls into town promising his wares will fix all your problems even the ones you didn't have until 5 minutes after he starts talking. You buy it and in the end you are left with nothing but, disappointment, an empty wallet and possibly some sort of new species of infection with no recourse what so ever.
Given the fact that I am not that skilled, piercing at the river made me feel like just another carny in a tent. However, she is one of those who can whine until you feel your head is going to pop so, I agreed.
I swear it is the most uncomfortable situation I have ever faced. I had very little supplies with me. Just some odds and ends left in the car from a piercing I did earlier in the week. I had all new sterile: needle, jewelry, gloves etc. but we were still at the @#%ing river!
I kept messing things up. I couldn't find the right needle. I didn't have the right jewelry. I couldn't get the placement right. My panic made her panic. She started to wiggle around. That made me upset so she wiggled more. Finally, I just did it.
I got the needle through straight which I was afraid I wouldn't with all the wiggling. I pulled it out too soon and had to fight it a little bit to get the screw in that wasn't the right size anyway. Then she starts bleeding like a stuck pig. More blood then any piercing I have ever seen. I'm thinking she is gonna pass out from all the blood. Then she tells me she was put on 3 different mood stabilizing drugs by her shrink 2 days before. Fantastic!! I guess it is too late to be worried about that now. I force the screw just a little bit and it goes in. Not long after the bleeding stops. Then I notice it is over just slightly from were we wanted to put it. I ask her if she wants to take it out and try it again another time and better conditions. She says "Hell no!! Not with as much as this hurt." With this comment I'm thinking "Here we go." but, it was just that she watched me do my own 7 years ago and it didn't seem like it hurt that much. Well you know you have to give the blanket " every piercing is different and every person is different" answer but you know I was thinking "I'm not a pussy." and " Don't ask me to pierce you again, wacko" but I did the "make the client feel more comfortable" thing instead. I gave her the after care speech and the dos and dont's, answered any questions. You know the usual. Then after I was done putting the stuff away she starts asking me about what happens when you pierce. She wants to see the needle. She thinks you take a piece out when you pierce. I tell her no it is more like a surgical incision. She just keeps giving me all these technical questions some of which I'm not totally sure about. The whole time she is looking in her mirror, finally she says "It's perfect." A wave of relief floods over me. I got through that without a dramatic episode. I still think it is placed a little off but I keep that to myself.
Now other than having a little trouble getting the screw in, it was one of the most perfect piercings I have ever done. The next day the swelling was way down and it seemed to be exactly where I wanted to get it in the first place. Everyone, even my mom who hates piercings, says it looks good.
I guess it wasn't so bad. Nobody went to the hospital and I got some more piercing experience. Nothing like target practice in a fox hole hun?