I've always had a fascination with piercings, I tend to stare at pierced people, not because I think they're freaks, but because I think it's so beautiful and fascinating. I remember looking around on bme long before I was old enough to. About a year ago, I decided that I would get my nipples pierced. But I didn't have the money to get them done professionally, so I asked a friend of mine if he would do it. He has done lots of his own piercings, and friends piercings. He even pierced my own little brother's nipples. So I trusted his work and that he was capable. We had even talked about it a year before then. He lived across the state, but I was going to be in the area so we agreed to do it then.
At A Glance Author MzArmageddon Contact mzarmageddon@hotmail.com When A year ago Artist Logan Studio Home Location South Dakota During my lunch break, I walked to a store down the street and bought two 14 gauge rings and two 12 gauge needles. I had plenty of time to be anxious, but I was on my way to his side of the state before I knew it.
We arrived late at night, and I gave him a call and he said to come right over. There were 5 of us girls, and we all went up to his room. He boiled the needles and jewelry, and he washed his hands in anti-bacterial soap. I took of my shirt, and he had me stand and he marked my nipples. And I got really nervous. I gave myself panic attacks for about two hours before it happened. But he was very patient and understanding. No pressure or anything, he just waited until I was ready. I finally laid down, and two friends get on both sides of me to hold their hands, and I told him to do it. I should mention that he lost his clamps, so he was doing it without them. He held my nipple, but not pinched, and pushed the needle through. It hurt more than I expected, and I screamed and almost started crying, and I was whimpering. He followed the needle with the ring which hurt too. Then, it was done. I sat up slowly and looked down. It was bleeding a bit, but it was pierced a nd it was wonderful. I requested a glass of water, and a clove to smoke. After that, they asked me if I was ready to do the other. I said no, maybe tomorrow.
The next day, he announced that he'd found his clamps. He boiled the other needle and ring again, and I took off my shirt again. The marks were still there, so I laid down. He put the clamps on, and they hurt, so I said just do it. It was quicker and less painful with the clamps. It was all over in less than two minutes. From clamping to jewelry in.
I was very satisfied with them. I flashed anyone who would look. I washed them diligently, put ointment on them regularly, and was careful of clothing and protecting them while I slept.
A month later they were doing great, and I was off on a three day camping trip. I brought along some soap, but I only really rinsed them with water while we were out there. Bottled water.
Two weeks later, I noticed pain in my left breast, I thought it was just my bra being too tight. A week later, the pain was still there. And I felt a lump in my breast. So I went to the doctor who felt it and said it was a cyst. She was sure it had nothing to do with my nipple piercing, it looked fine to her. So I went to a radiologist to have an ultra sound. The radiologist was sure it was because of my piercing, and that it was an infection. After seeing the ultrasound she made an appointment for me with a breast specialist in town. I saw him a few days later, and he did another ultrasound and said he thought it was a cyst. He wanted to take a sample and I said sure, the pain was getting worse. He numbed the area, and he stuck a huge needle in and withdrew some green/gray thick liquid. He said that it was normal for a cyst, but that he was sending it to a lab to have it tested.
It had been a week and I hadn't heard from him. I was in constant pain and my breast was very swollen. My aureola was pushing out farther than my nipple, and it was red and hot. The jewelry was putting too much pressure on my breast, and I cried and cried and took it out. I know you're not supposed to take out an infected piercing, but it wasn't the piercing that was infected, it was my breast. Nothing was draining from my piecing.
I finally heard back from my doctor who said I had to leave work and come in immediately, I had to have it cut open and drained. I left and arrived with my sister. When I got to see him, he explained that it took so long because the lab in town he sent it to could not identify what it was. He sent it to the Mayo clinic in MN and they said it was a very rare infectious bacteria, that lived in dirt. A very dangerous one too.
I got in the smock, which was useless because they had to pull it down anyway. He numbed the area very well, and got a scalpel. The nurse had me look at her and she patted my forehead. My sister almost screamed, not because I was being cut, but because it was oozing orange liquid. He used several gauze pads to soak it up. He squeezed and mopped it up several times. When it was all over I looked down, there was a half inch deep cut on my aureola. He explained that it had to be kept open for over a week with sterile strips of cloth an inch long and two centimeters wide inserted into the incision, because it had to continue to drain. I would have to come in and see the nurse who would change the dressing, and then I could do it on my own at home with the supplies they gave me. He gave me a prescription for Percocet, so that I could handle the pain on my own.
This is what I had to do to myself: Take off the tape and gauze, and pull the strip of cloth out of my body. I would then unwrap a medical q-tip and dip it in hydrogen peroxide. I had to insert the whole head of the q-tip into my incision and twist it around. I would do that about three times until it didn't bubble as much. Then I took another strip of cloth and pushed it down into the incision with the wooden end of the q-tip. I would bandage it all up, until the next day.
Also, I had to weekly have my blood draw for a month, to make sure I was getting better. And then every other week for another month. I was on anti-biotics for over a month. The friend who pierced me was back in town for the summer. He came with me to the doctors, and watched me change my dressings. He swore he'd never pierce another girl's nipples again.
But, the moral of the story has nothing to do with home done piercings. I spoke to my doctor about it and he was certain that there was no other way than camping that I could have gotten it. The bacteria does not grow anywhere else that certain kinds of dirt. It is not present in peoples houses, on peoples hands, no where but dirt. The moral of the story is, even if you think your piercings are healed, don't go camping for a very long time!!! I went through a great amount of pain, not to mention the doctor bills, because I was careless.
Camping is fun. Piercings are fun. Camping and piercings are not fun.