I have wanted my tongue pierced for about 4 years now. When I turned 14, my mom said that she'd let me get it pierced. I was shocked and so happy. She's a teacher and she thinks piercings are stupid, but she said she'd let me get it done! Anyway, I looked in the yellow pages and found a place in Mukwonago, Wisconsin and decided to call for prices. He informed me that in Wisconsin you have to be 16 with parent. Damnit. Ok, so I wait. So now I'm 16 and my mom says no. Well, I talk my grandma into pretending to be my mom and taking me to get it done.
At A Glance Author Trav Contact Trav@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Brent Holmes Studio Avant Garde Location West Allis, Wisconsin So it's Friday, December 27, 2002. I didn't get any sleep because I was so excited. I got up, showered, and headed to my grandma's house. We left and after a really long ride, finally got to 76th and greenfield, aka Avant Garde!
I walk in. There is a girl are her mom wanting to get her nose pierced and some preppy girls wanting belly rings. Brent is the piercer and he was showing the girls the belly rings. Brent is a cool guy. He's about 28 or so. He has everything pierced. HE has huge stretched lobed. His septum is pierced. Everything. It's crazy. He is kind of intimidating looking, but he is really nice! Anywho, One of the girls takes the ring out of the package and he basically says "ok, you just ruined that one because now I have to re-sterilize it..." so my grandma felt better because they are obviously very clean.
Brent asks me what I want done. I say "tongue. you pierced my friend." he says "I'm sorry." Brent is cool -always making jokes which is nice because it is very relaxing. Some older guy comes up to Brent and just to make sure I said "Brent, you're doing the piercing, right?" and he says "I'll try to" Again, very funny.
"Have a seat, I'll be right with you" Brent says. So, I sit down on the futon. About 10 minutes pass and he's ready for me. I go back to the room and sit on a table thing that is similar to a dentist chair - covered in fake leather - you know the kind. He asks me to stick out my tongue as far as I can. Using a toothpick and ink, he makes a cross on the top of my tongue and a line on the bottom. He says to swallow (this shows him the center). So, he puts the clamps on and says take a deep breath. On the exhale, he sticks the needle through my tongue. No pain! Just some pressure is all! He puts the Barbell in and the needle falls out. He screws the bottom on, and puts my tongue back into my mouth.
Next, Brent handed me some after care info and tells me what to eat, how to wash it, etc etc.
So, It's been 3 days now. It's a little swollen. It's sore, but not painful. Eating is hard. Soup, mashed potatoes, and pudding are the easiest, but I have had a burger and popcorn, too. I bit it a few times. That hurts. I think I split the hole a little bit, because it's not a tight piercing like my ears, but there's a crack in front of the barbell. I'm going in today to show them and ask if something is wrong. If you want to know, contact me and I'll let you know. I don't think it's anything major, or it would hurt, right? Since I have to use mouthwash after i eat or drink, I've been sucking down water because that's like the only thing you don't have to rinse after. So thanks to all this water I am peeing like a racehorse!
As for talking, I sound so stupid. I actually sound like my 2 year old cousin - some letters don't come out, and I just sound dumb. Plus, talk does hurt a little. I should be fine in a few days. If not, I know I'll be fine after I downsize.
I get to downsize my tongue barbell on January 10th. My choir teacher is going to kill me, but oh well. Our concert is Jan 6th, so it'll still be the 7/8" barbell for that. I'm waiting to color my hair blue, so he should be thankful for that at least, right?
One last thing and don't try this because it hurts -
I CAN STILL CURL MY TONGUE!!!! woohoo
*If you can't do this, it's okay. It's a recessive trait so unless both of your parents were dominant for the trait either homozygous or heterozygous, you wouldn't be able to do it in the first place.