The Misadventures of a Body Pierce | Do Try This at Home: The Misadventures of a Body Pierce

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

The Misadventures of a Body Pierce

A couple of friends have asked now if I’d be writing about getting my belly button pierced. While getting holes poked in one’s abdomen does sound terribly exciting, it turned out to be pretty tame. The body piercer, Jesus, remained matter of fact throughout, despite my efforts to joke about how reliable a center point for his measurements could be when he appeared to be navigating directly from my chest. Still, I’m inclined to think that “matter of fact” is actually a desirable quality when it comes to people who are about to poke holes in my body.

Mostly it seems like people want to know if it hurt. Well, yeah it sort of did. While I’m not so much afraid of pain as I am of needles, I can never turn away. Luckily for me, my view was totally and completely blocked. Maybe men can see what’s happening to their abdomen while lying flat, I wouldn’t know. But once the fear of watching the needle was removed, it wasn’t all that bad.

No, most of the pain has come from my adventures outside of the piercing studio. I wouldn’t describe myself as a klutz so much as I would distractible to the point of not finishing sentences, forgetting to press “send” on emails, and letting whatever happens to be flitting by at the moment grab my attention just long enough for me to look like I’ve lost control of my limbs…that last one being how I came to walk into the security system of the public library, causing a whole new round of bleeding. You’d think that since the security thing is sort of tall, my chest would have protected me some, but no. Apparently I walked into it just so, the angle being absolutely perfect for a nice hard slam of the jewelry.

Within the first week of being pierced I learned my lesson about rollerblading with a new tummy ring: when you’re finishing up your rollerblading expedition on a busy street corner because the trail doesn’t arrive exactly at your doorstep and you’re wearing your favorite jeans ‘cause the junky ones go up too high for the new piercing and you swerve to avoid a pedestrian while watching to make sure your son doesn’t get run over by a car and your first thought when you realize that you’ve swerved a little too far over is, “MY JEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”…

…so yeah…I’m not actually going to finish this story, ‘cause it makes me out to sound a lot less graceful than I actually am on those things. And as I’ve clearly stated here, I am ever so graceful. Well. I may or may not be graceful on rollerblades. I’ve been told I’m a graceful swimmer. Put me in a library, however, and I can’t be bothered to watch out for inanimate objects strategically placed so that I’m sure to smack right into them at navel level as I make a beeline for nonfiction.

Last but not least, let’s all remember the importance of sun safety. I had very specific instructions from Jesus not to put anything on the piercing besides plain ole’ Dial hand soap. Forgoing sunscreen altogether didn’t seem like such a great idea, so I took a swipe at it, careful not to get too close to the actual metal.

Did I mention I’ve never worn a bikini in my life until this year? Definitely not good enough for skin that has never seen the sun before. Maybe it was because I spent a fair amount of time napping on the beach, or maybe the jewelry itself made a little reflecting oven out of my belly button…either way I was so burnt it was still tinged pink a month later.

They say it can take four months to a year to fully heal a navel piercing. Somehow I don’t think that four months thing was decided with me in mind.

21 comments:

toners said...

Jill, I love your entries :) You always make me smile! BTW, the challenge at 2 peas is just titled 7-3-07 today.

Have a great day!

Maureen said...

Ouch! You are describing it all too well... I feel your pain (and nausea). I allowed my daughter to get her navel pierced last summer (she is 16). All was fine until about a month later; it would not stop bleeding, got crusty, even with multiple soakings as directed by the piercer who thought she may have had an allergic reaction to metal (BTW, I love it that your piercer's name was Jesus....that's just too cool). Anyway, a friend who has a nose ring suggested Spectro Gel. And it worked like magic! So if you ever have any problems, try it out.

And stay away from Library security systems in the meantime, won't you?

Anonymous said...

Jill

Straight down to business: what was your rationale for having a piercing? (Male curiosity, that's all).

And another thing: you may not be particularly graceful when it comes to roller-blading (and I also have my doubts when it comes to swimming), but the words you choose to grace this very readable blog are more than eloquent...

Oh, and next time you want a book please use a service such as Amazon.com and not a library (that's just my *2 cents*).

Maybe you're not as graceful as I earlier gave you credit for....

Whatever. I'm still waiting in anticipation with respect to reading the next post!

Jill said...

Toners - Thanks! And found it!

Maureen - Yeah, the friend that brought me also thought it was all kinds of funny that piercer's name was Jesus, especially considering I'm Jewish. There's irony around here somewhere...I just couldn't pinpoint it well enough to work in. :-)

TS - My rationale was that a facial pierce wasn't going to fly in my religious teaching environment...KIDDING!!! I really didn't have a rationale. I like the way they look. I'd been wanting one for about 4 years & letting one person or another talk me out of it. When I got divorced I figured, "Forget it! I'm doing what I want!"

As for my grace or lack thereof (arms crossed, pouting)...I'll have you know in my whole LONG skating life I've only fallen twice on those things...Ok, so they were fairly spectacular falls when they happened...

THANKS! On the rest though...you're good at that flattery stuff, huh? :-)

As far as Amazon vs. the public library, I'm going out to spend the $5 I saved on beer just now...Kidding! The book is actually marked $18, so that's more than one beer. :-)

Lora - Wait! I thought my point was that it wasn't all that bad?!? :-)

CircesMagic said...

I read all that and no photo at the end?? Its like dinner with no dessert (J/K)

Congrats on your new jewerly!

Jill said...

Circesmagic - if you click on the little flickr photo bar up in the top right corner there's a picture! You can watch for it & click on the one with the four women on the beach. :-0 :-0 :-0 :-)

Irisi said...

Your peircer was really named Jesus? That's pretty awesome.

I was thinking of having my navel done, but it seems like the healing for that is weirdly complicated (it seems like it should be so simple..!). Instead, I'll do my nose, and march forward with the tattoos.

So how long ago did you have the peircing done?

Jill said...

Irisi - I can't do a nose one bec. it wouldn't be allowed at school. Well. That and the fact that I didn't really want a nose one. :-) :-) :-)

I think nose pierces probably heal a lot more easily. Belly button rings move around a lot more, so I guess they just get irritated a lot.

Yes! Really named Jesus! It's not an uncommon name around here really though. :-) Got it done just before Easter, so presumably if I had treated it a little better it could possibly be healed by now...

DJ Kirkby said...

Urgh Yuck! I have seen too many of these infected to want one myself... but they look so sexy (the not infected ones obviously!)

dom said...

i see your blog

http://blog.libero.it/120ANTHRACITE

Lara Neves said...

And these are just some of the reasons I will never attempt a body piercing anywhere other than my ears.

I am a completely graceful (cough, cough: KLUTZ) person, too.

Drunk Mummy said...

There would be no point in me getting my navel pierced. I fear that even if I went through all the necessary healing procedures, the jewellery would never be visible, unless I lifted up a few loose folds of skin.
I am impressed that you have a pierced navel, wear a bikini and go roller-blading (all at the same time?)

Jill said...

dj kirkby...yeah, they can be kind of icky at first even without infection. I love it though!

Dom - I see your blog too! I'd even read it if I knew Italian...that colors bomb thing is all kinds of cool! I'm glad it turned out to be a commercial though - I was thinking that would probably be bad for the trees and other plants if it were real?

Lara - yeah I think I've pretty much used up my possibilities for body pierces. I'm not actually willing to risk infections right on my face even if they were allowed where I work.

Drunk mummy - a tummy pierce is a *great* motivator for sit ups! :-) :-) :-) :-0

Anonymous said...

Jill

I'm a 'Total Charmer' (I think you bring out the best in me!)

Anonymous said...

I can't take needles so no tattoos or piercings for yours truly. Eeee!

It took me forevah to get my ears pierced and I finally can deal with getting a cholesterol test without feeling nauseous.

Nothing against piercing on others, though! As long as you like it...

But when it comes to libraries, THEY ROCK. I can't believe they are free and the fines for being late? Minuscule! Internet access, movie rentals, music rentals, story telling...

Have library card, will read!

Anonymous said...

This post made me laugh out loud! You are too funny! Absolutely fabulous entry!

Jill said...

TS - Total flirt! Watch it bud - My pro-NFL football player cousin stalks this blog! KIDDING!!!! (Sort of...) :-)

Ms.Q - Hate needles!!!! The jewelry was definitely all kinds of worth it though.

Thanks Milkcan!!!!

Carey said...

Hilarious, but ouch! I personally try to stay away from needles especially when the one holding it is named "Jesus," either one might make me pass out! ;)

Saradevil said...

Psh. You haven't leaved till you have watched yourself take a curved twenty gauge hook and shoved it inches away from your eye, into your face.

That is living.

And ow, belly burning rings do not sounds like a good idea.

Saradevil said...

You also haven't lived...fucking tequila.

Jill said...

Sarah...there goes my PG-13 rating...

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