Ever since I was 13 or 14 I have been interested in body modification. I can remember sitting in my junior high classes planning out exactly what I was going to do. I wasn't stupid though; I knew I had to wait until I was old enough to have the help of a professional. It was a long wait.
At A Glance Author doria Contact doria@bme.anon When Two years ago Artist rooster Studio old anchor tattoo Location battle creek, michigan In March of 2000 I turned 18 and was very excited because now I had legal license to be a part of the body mod community. I knew I was going to get a piercing and a tattoo but I wasn't sure what I wanted...there were so many to choose from. In April of that year I dove feet first into body modification and decided I was going to get one of my nipples pierced.
Once I had the money I needed, my friend Rochelle and I drove out to Battle Creek to go to Old Anchor Tattoo. I decided to go to Old Anchor because it was highly recommended by other kids I knew at my high school.
I was blown away when I walked through the doors. I had never been in a tattoo shop before and I just figured it would be laid back and kind of skanky. When I walked into Old Anchor it was like walking into a dentist's office. Everything was glistening clean and it smelled like a hospital.
I walked up to the counter and in a very shaky voice I told the guy standing there (I later found out he was the owner) that I wanted to get one of my nipples pierced. That's when Rooster appeared out of a back room. He was the resident piercer at the time and he seemed happy to have a client. Rooster gave me all the forms to fill out and whilst I was filling them out he somehow convinced me to get both nipples pierced.
I was directed to the back room where the piercing was done and very anxiously waited while Rooster did all the sterilization procedures. I was literally shaking with nervousness by the time he was done.
Rooster had me take off my shirt and bra and marked my nipples where he would be piercing them. Throughout the whole thing he explained to me exactly what he was doing. After the preparations he had me lay on my back on the table (I don't mean like a dinner table...it was your standard examination table they would use in a doctors office). Rooster then proceeded to tell me that it would hurt a little bit but it would be really quick. So I started a conversation with him about what he thought was the most painful piercing. To my surprise he said that cartilage ear piercings are what most of his clients have the most trouble with (and I have since learned that they hurt A LOT).
Then it happened, and it was very quick. Yeah, it hurt quite a bit at the time but Rooster was right it didn't last very long. I now had two lovely 14g captive bead rings adorning my nipples.
Rooster then explained to me what I should do to ensure that they would heal successfully and he gave me some provon soap and I was on my way. I was now a proud member of the body mod community.
In the following months I took meticulous care of my newly acquired piercings. I washed them two or three times a day and made sure they healed properly. Everything was going great and they were both very close to being completely healed when I had to remove them.
In December of that year I had to have emergency surgery for a genetic defect that I had been living with since I was born. I was rushed to the hospital and had to take out all my jewelry, which consisted of my three ear piercings and my nipples. I was deeply disappointed. I was given an epidural (the anesthesia that they give women when they go into labor) and went into surgery. Many hours later I awoke in the recovery room to find I couldn't feel anything from my waist down. It was horrifying. I had never felt so helpless before. By the time I retained feeling in my legs and tried to re-insert my nipple rings the holes were already partially closed and trying to place the 14g hoops back through was extremely painful--it felt like I was inserting a piece of razor wire through my nipples. I lost my first piercing that day and have missed them ever since.
It has now been a little over two years since my first body modification experience and I have acquired other piercings and tattoos but I still wish I had my nipples pierced. I will get them done again...it's just a matter of time.