On May 17th 2004 I had 2 lower outer labia piercings done by Elayne Angel. It has now been over 2 months since that day and a lot has happen and now I'm back to regale you with part 1 of my healing process in a detailed journal that has been kept since day 1. I realize this is a rather large follow up so I've titled some of the more significant days.
At A Glance Author Elizabeth Contact Elizabeth@bme.anon IAM purrtykitty4m When N/A
Day 1: First day and night
I woke up early to go to the bathroom and check how my new piercings made out their first night. Sleeping wasn't a problem. At first I opted to sleep with a pillow in-between my legs so I could go about my regular sleep position (on my side) without causing discomfort to the new piercings. Some time during the night I woke up and decided to remove the pillow so I could move about more freely, I had no problems becoming comfortable once again. Urinating hasn't been a problem considering I live off of Coke (caffeine free, since caffeine can cause bleeding) and only drink water once in a blue moon. I had a good bit of blood, some dried and some new that I temporally cleaned away with a few wet Q-tips.
That night
Later that afternoon I went to the store and the piercings are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. The left labia, which was pierced first is slightly bruised and is making walking into a less desirable task. They have swollen to what I believe is the largest they will get (crosses fingers). The bleeding has stopped, for now anyway. I've done 2 soaks today and just cleaned them for the first time with Satin. It didn't burn or cause any discomfort to clean them, they are still pretty stiff though.
Day 2
Today has been agony! I had to wake up at 4am to get to work. All of the walking and running about between a hot kitchen and the banquet room has made my piercings very sore and unhappy, not to mention more swollen then the previous day.
Day 3: Panties and vitamins.
These last 2 days have been brutal. I've been working and all the running around as well as my work pants have not helped my poor piercings. Today I had to fight back the tears as I put on a fake smile and went about my busy day. Every step, every bend or wrong motion rendered me aching. I'm still very swollen though it looks like the left labia which was previously bruised (the bruising has gone away as of today) is starting to reduce in size. I've been taking Ibuprofen religiously, once before bed and once in the morning after waking up, the last 2 day I have been taking one in-between my regular dosing in hopes of some relief.
I have found much relief in wearing a panty liner even though I have no more bleeding. The panty liner provides the type of support that my bikini underwear just isn't giving me (thongs are a bad idea!) and it also aids in a bit of padding against the crotch of my pants. Going commando is unbearable just the same as wearing my panties without the liner. I've been taking a multiple vitamin with iron as well as zinc which will help to boost the immune system and vitamin E, every day. I don't get to do as many sea salt soaks as I like however the ones I do get to do help out a lot.
Day 4: Urinating, soaking and cleaning, oh my!
The nights haven't been bad. Sleeping is surprising easy and comfortable considering the positions I sleep in and the amount of moving around I do. While it rarely stings to urinate the act in itself and the process of removing the cloths, wiping, readjusting the panties and piercings so they sit comfortably and then taking those first few steps afterwards is painful to say the least and it takes a good bit of time for things to go back to normal before pre-urination. Since there isn't much I can do while at work aside from taking Ibuprofen, waddling around when no one is looking and sitting when I have the chance I've been using H2Ocean every so often when things tend to get very painful ( evil crusties mostly) and I can hardly walk more then a few steps without distressful facial expressions and the need to readjust ASAP, which always seem to come at the most inappropriate times. At home I've been working to get a routine down for these specific piercings.
Urinating: I purchased a bottle of Blairex, pressurized, sterile wound wash saline, preservative free, and drug free (from Walmart by the first-aid section). After urinating I squirt it over the piercings to slightly clean and remove any debris, this also feels good as its a cool stream of saline (I did this for the first 2 weeks). After this is done, with clean hands (I wash with Provon before I go to the bathroom or use Germ-X) I slightly separate the labia so I can wipe without knocking the jewelry around (I still do this 2 months down the line), I also dab off the jewelry. After that I slowly put my undies back on and readjust so everything sits somewhat easily, it evens out and becomes more comfortable after walking or in my case waddling.
Soaking: Since I have had 2 genital piercings prior to my outer labia piercings I have had a good chance to master the fine art of awkward soaking. Soaking in a bath tub is not recommended as it can harbor bacteria (so be warned, do this at your own risk), so that was out of the question for me. I tried squatting over a small wash tub but that was annoying, I also tried to just squat over a cup but that was painful to hold the position for 1-3 minutes. I eventually came across a Mason jar. You can find them all over, they are used for jellies and preservatives, and other such items which need a screw on top, they are often all made of glass. The opening of the jar is just right to fit over my genital region and create a good seal. After making my soak, (1/4 teaspoon, to 8oz of hot/warm water) I simply sit down on the edge of a stool and slowly bring the jar up to my crotch and position it so it seals nicely then I can sit back and relax, without being in an awkward position, the only thing that is needed is your hand to hold the jar in place. Once the soak is over (provided I'm not taking a shower afterwards) I rinse out the jar, fill it with some fresh water bring it back to my crotch and give it a few good shakes to rinse the piercing clean.
Cleaning: I am a firm believer in treating your 'wounds' like a wound, which means I give my piercings and other mods the proper attention. Always better safe then sorry, in my opinion at least. When in the shower I clean my piercings as the last thing I do before getting out. For these piercings I sit down in the tub, legs spread and I apply small dabs of Satin to each side of the piercings, I rotate the jewelry back and forth about 5 times and then I rotate the jewelry back and forth about 5 more times under the water to remove all suds and I'm done. I've come to find from a little trial and error, Satin is a great cleanser for genital piercings as it contains skin hydrators so not to dry things out, its also antimicrobial so it is effective in safely fighting infection causing bacteria.
Day 5: Time to ice things down.
Last night and today I have been icing my crotch in hopes to reduce swelling. I've been using a reusable, cold pack you just stick in the freezer and take out when you need it. This one in particular is great for my specific use because it doesn't become hard but rather stays soft and jell-like so you can manipulate it to fit you just right without the discomfort of hard ice pushing on your piercings. I can happily say that this is working well, the swelling has gone down a considerable bit, though the right labia is still a bit more swollen then the left.
Day 6: Return of the thongs!
I wore thongs for the first time since I was pierced and it wasn't all that bad, though maybe I should have worn a tighter pair because these didn't give me the full support I needed. Swelling has gone down more. Work was still a pain in the butt but not nearly as painful as Wednesday and Thursday. The icing really did help out a lot, I can't say that enough!
Day 7
The piercings are now 1 week old and are finally settling down. The first week is always the toughest, though this can be said for just about any type of piercing. Had these been pierced much further up and adjacent to my VCH rather then being adjacent to my vaginal opening I wouldn't be dealing with so much discomfort and pain. However I love where they are and its worth everything!
Day 7,8,9
These last few days have been pretty uneventful. My left labia is slightly sore from some "crusty trauma." Other then the crusties I have no pain and everything seems to be doing just fine.
Day 10, 11, 12: Attack of the itches!
Again pretty uneventful. Last night I went to a concert and all the walking and climbing up and down the stairs in the stadium got things a bit sore, coupled with some crusty trauma. Things have been getting a little itchy. Its taking a lot of self control to hold back from scratching. If it gets bad I usually do a salt soak or I apply a tiny amount of hydrocortisone to the surrounding area.
Day 13, 14, 15
Nothing new. Crusties suck and my left labia is still sore from all the crusty trauma. As I went to do a soak and inspect my piercings I noticed a small amount of blood on the right labia on the inner side. I don't know whats caused the bleeding, maybe a crusty however I don't remember any pains. I'm thinking it might have been in an awkward position. Though still to early to tell.
Day 16-26
Things haven't been bad. Crusties are pretty minimal and seem to only occur when I'm at work. I hardly ever have any pain from walking. I still have yet to 'try out' (which is good timing because my boyfriend's PA is still healing) the piercings. I feel its still to early and the friction would probably become very irritating if not right then and there but possibly later on.
Day 27: Smooth at last!
Today was the first time since I was pierced that I was able to actually shave. I've been making due with a Finishing Touch electric razor to get up close to the piercings without causing any problems. Its not a close shave, but it gets the job done. Today I was able to put bodywash (for me this works better then shaving cream) over the site and shave. I avoided getting to close to the piercings themselves as not to accidentally pull something but the bodywash didn't cause any stinging or pain. They are coming along nicely.
Day 28-31st
Things have been somewhat quiet, I've noticed a bit more blood on the inner sides of the piercings. I have a feeling this could be more then just some crusty trauma. For the next week I will be in Disney World, with all of the walking, lets hope for the best.
Day 32-37th: Traveling and trying things out
My suspicions have been confirmed and my piercings have developed granulomas on the inner sides of the outer labia. The excessive walking coupled with the sweltering, humid heat of Florida has taken its toll on the piercings and the granulomas are flourishing. I am unable to do a proper sea salt soak, all I have to rely on is my Satin and H2Ocean. I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation when this is all over with.
I tried out the piercings for the first time. It was a little awkward as I had to hold the labia apart so they wouldn't be hit. Even being careful they still bled a small amount.
Day 38-42th: The turning point
These granulomas have proven to be very stubborn. I do not have the time to do several sea salt soaks a day which seems to be what I need to battle them. From my research granulomas are not uncommon with genital piercings, moist areas that are subjected to pressure, friction and or stress are most often affected. This is a major set back as it will hinder my healing.
I realize some of my diary entries are a bit intimating. Lets face it the mention of on going pain is never really a good selling point, especially when we're talking about genital piercings. My specific piercings, as I mentioned before are adjacent to my vaginal opening. They are much further down then the normal positioning and that is a huge contributing factor to my healing experience. As I'm finishing the first part of my follow up, I am now reaching the 3 1/2 month point of my healing. As I predicted in my last journal entry, the granolmas have hindered my healing, but there is a sliver lining to this experience. And there is a happy ending that is nearing in the last part of my follow up.