On a random whim, I had my navel pierced last August. I am sad to say, it did not heal well at all. I kept telling my parents (who are not thrilled about any new additions I come home with) that it was fine and the reason why it was red was cause I got it caught on the sheets when I slept which was partially true. But it was like that all freakin' day long, whether I was sleeping or not. There was not a lot of pain associated with the barbell twisting around except when something would hit the top of the barbell and pull down. There was this one incident where I had had too much to drink and some asshole decided he would try and make a move and in his attempt to feel me up, yanked down on the barbell resulting in *PAIN*. I swung at him for that and connected fairly solidly. Bastard did not try and fool with me since then.
At A Glance Author Teresa Lee Contact Teresa Lee@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist Chris Studio Sins of the Flesh Location Whittier
The top of the piercing protrudes slightly more than most normal navel piercings do and the piercer who did it said it was because of the way my navel was shaped. It seems correct, I have a deep navel with no significant "ridge" above it, it's like the skin just collapses into a hole. That description sounds kind of science fiction and weird, really, my navel looks pretty normal, I just suppose it isn't the standard type of navel to be pierced.
But since the head of the jewelry sticks out, it gets caught on everything. Sheets, towels, clothes, whatever touches my stomach. So it was a constant battle to keep my navel infection and irritation free. I kept it clean, didn't screw around with it and did the occasional salt soak (I should have done more, they always help) but it would still ooze icky crap every now and then, or I would find the barbell covered in "crusties". Occasionally there would even be a secretion of blood, as if a pocket of blood (or a blood blister) would form at the top or bottom of the barbell where it entered the skin had popped. Gross, I know, I know. Any time there would be anything like THAT happening, I would race to the salt soaks and soap and all that, but I can admit that my care, though decent, was not as attentive as it could have been, especially since my little navel deemed particularly sensitive to the world and its effects.
I started to think that maybe the barbell was too long and for Christmas, my brother's fiancee gave me a new barbell, which was slightly shorter than my current one, with larger acrylic balls at the ends. So I put it in and almost immediately, my navel situation improved, woo hoo! I had it in for nearly a month when one night I looked down at my stomach and realized (Quelle horror!) that the top ball had come unscrewed in the course of the last few hours and was missing. So I searched. I looked in the bathroom, down the hall, in my room, in the living room, every concievable place it could be, but of course it could not be found. Better believe I was upset.
So I had to put in my other barbell, and while my navel didn't suck as badly as it had, there was a difference from the last barbell, the Wonder Barbell. You might ask why I didn't just buy a new one. I don't know. I don't much money and these days it seems like I am just paying off parking tickets.
But I didn't have too many problems (beyond the crustie thing) until the other week. I was, er, well, in the middle of having sex and then the gentleman I was with exclaimed, "Hey, think ya lost something" and held up the top ball from the barbell. I did not feel it come out or unscrewed and I have to say, I am a little surprised that he felt it hit his side and knew where to find it. So, many thanks to him! However, I didn't feel like screwing it back on JUST that moment (You understand, right?) and held onto it until a more appropriate time. For some reason, attempting to screw it back on became the most difficult task I had ever faced. I would get into more detail and all that great stuff except, even with the anonymity of the internet, I might blush. Besides, I don't divulge too much details unless my tongue has been loosened by some Jack.
So I have decided to continue wearing the current barbell and do more salt soaks until my financial situation allows me to attempt to duplicate my former Wonder Barbell.