I had only been interested in mods for a short period of time due to the fact that my parents are very anal about modification. At 15 I didn't really understand the bonding that occurs with your mods until gauging my ears, which is an entirely different story. The summer had been very long and trying, and I worked at the most boring marketing research job EVER. I longed to have a change, to have something different but I had problems figuring out what would fulfill that need. I cashed my paycheck that week and talked occasionally with friends I realized I needed a piercing. I begged my mom to let me get my tongue pierced, that was a definite no. I asked if I could get my nostril pierced, that was accompanied with another expected no. When finally as a last resort I said how about my navel? She asked if she would ever have to see it, and I said no. (of course) I was extra extra nice to her for the next two weeks.
At A Glance Author littlebird Contact littlebird@bme.anon When Two years ago Artist spanky Studio second to none tattoo and piercing emporium Location killeen, tx Then finally the day came, she and I rode to downtown Killeen to see Spanky.We made a detour to drop off all of the crap my horrible ex boyfriend gave me, this was another inspiration for my navel. I had seen Spanky before because he had pierced my ex boyfriend's lip ring. I was so excited to be getting a new hole to adorn with jewelry, this is when the fascination began. I felt a hole on the inside so why not have a hole on the outside as well? We walked in, everything was very clean and you could smell that sterile tattoo/piercing parlor smell. I looked around for Spanky and there he was. This big tall bouncer at a local club with HUGE gauges, a million tattoos, and loads of facial piercings (so it seemed at the time), who happens to be an amazing piercer. I asked how much he would charge me and he said $40,plus tax and jewelry. He joked with me and calmed me down a bit. We talking about my ex boyfriend and how stupid he was, which mad me feel at ease. My mother grumbled on the sofa near the pool table, complaining about how they were freaks and how I had dragged her in there(they were tattooed not deaf). I didn't let that spoil the experience, we filled out all of the paper work, and my mom signed reluctantly then waited in the car.
I walked to the back with him and lied down on the table as instructed. He got out his little purple marker and dotted the entry and exit sites. I nodded the ok, and we were off. He got on those magic clamps, which were uncomfortable and told me to relax and breathe. My mind went in a million different directions. I thought was I really about to get a piercing, was this going to hurt, and should I back out now? But while I was thinking he started to pierce through layers of skin. It was nothing like what I thought it would be. I thought I would feel someone stabbing me, apparently that isn't how piercing works. He pierced from the bottom through to' the top and then inserted the jewelry, which was the most unpleasant part of the whole experience. I had chosen the standard stainless steel curbed barbell, it was gorgeous. I was so happy to finally be, "modified", sort of. I went on my merry way with my cleaning instructions and kept staring at it. While we were in the car I started to feel nauseous. Im not sure whether that was from the heat or the piercing.
Everything was fine until after a week it started to bother me, school had started and I was playing tennis regularly, the sweat may have gotten in it and infected it. It was crusting up really bad and the fistula was getting stuck on the crust on the top and bottom, to make matters worse I lost the ball shortly after. I had no way to get back to Spanky so I waited a day or two until my mom could take me to get a ball, then I lost the barbell all together. Instead she took me to Wal-mart and I bought another one, but it was way too soon to change the jewelry, I had to shove through the already shrinking hole. This made it bleed, and made me cry. All the cleaning didn't help. It started to form regular scabs and forming lumps on either side of the piercing. I tried the LITHA approach but that made it worse. The skin darkened and started to become scar tissue. Still I had no car and didn't go talk to Spanky.
Six months had passed and it was still painful. I struggled for a year and a a half to try and make it work with daily sea salt soaks and regular cleaning, but scar tissue had built up and made it hideous. I stopped caring for another couple months, and then wrestling season started we had to take all of our jewelry out not only for meets but for practice. I took it out, and never put it back in again. Now I am left with what I feel is a horrid scar that I am thinking about getting a tattoo to cover it. Always go to see your piercer at the FIRST sign of infection, or call about discomfort. My navel ring wasn't exactly short lived, but most of the time that I had it, it was uncomfortable. I should have taken it out, then maybe my scar would have been gone by now.