Getting My Tongue Pierced

That picture was taken directly after I returned from having my tongue pierced. At that moment I was happy that I had gone and done it, yet at the same time my tongue was throbbing a little bit and I was worried what would be in store for me during the healing process. Because I didn't give you a real account of what happened in my previous post, I'll lay it out here.

The process happened so quickly, much more quickly than I imagined. So quickly that I had hardly any time to process emotion at all. I walked in to the shop, intending to find out tongue piercings, ask some questions, then *perhaps* get my tongue pierced. Instead I wound up sitting in the chair, prepping for the piercing within 10 minutes. I didn't really have time to think or be very afraid of the piercing process. I just kind of took it step by step. First, the Listerine. Next, the clamps. That part was hard, because I'd stick my tongue out, then everytime he'd go after it with the clamps, my tongue would back away automatically. I really had to concentrate to actually let him grasp my tongue with the clamp.

I found the tongue-clamping thing to be pretty uncomfortable. He pulled my tongue out, and at that point my eyes closed until the process was finished. I didn't want to know when he was going to do it -- I'm one of those people that ask not to be told when I'll be stuck with the needle; just do it and I'll be fine (and I promise I won't jump!). So I was there with my tongue clamped and pulled out, eyes closed, and nervous. Oddly enough I wasn't scared, only nervous. I waited, and felt something poke my tongue for a few moments. I wondered if that was it. My question was quickly answered when I felt him start to shove the needle through my tongue. It felt so weird that I can't even explain it. It *almost* hurt, it hinged on pain, but it never quite got there. At the same time, it was very uncomfortable and odd, enough so that I made a "uuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh" sound the whole way through the piercing. It also took longer than I antipicated -- my belly button piercing was done in a fraction of a second, this one took what felt like a couple seconds to get the needle through.

"Okay, okay ... it's pierced! But you have to keep your tongue out so I can get the jewelry in!" I hear the guy say. At that point I was fine. Yes, I was drooling everywhere (and bleeding, although I didn't know that because I had my eyes closed) but the hard and scary part was finished. But it didn't sound like the piercer was fine. I heard him panting very harshly, and I could tell by his breathing he was a bit nervous. Why? Was I bleeding too much? Was it the noise I made while I got a needle shoved through my tongue? Does he just get nervous while he does it in general? I guess I shall never know, but it was very odd to hear him pant like that.

I kept my eyes closed while he threaded the jewelry through. The only thing on my mind at that moment was why he sounded so scared. "Okay, it's done! You can roll your tongue back in now!" I looked down at the kleenex he gave me and noticed how it had blood splats all over it. I knew the tongue was a bloody piercing, but I still wasn't prepared for it (my belly button hadn't bled at all). I got the Listerine again, only this time it was black when I spit it back out. I got up, looked in the mirror and noticed how it was still bleeding. I asked the piercer, who said it would bleed for a while.

Even though the piercing itself hadn't really hurt, my tongue was throbbing afterwords. It felt like I had just stuck something through my tongue and injured it (I know, imagine that, eh?). The piercer made some small talk while I paid for the piercing, but I found it hard and painful to talk already. I knew that would happen, but somehow I expected it to be a delayed reaction and thus wasn't prepared for the immediate change. 20 minutes after walking in, I was headed out the door to go home!

As I walked out, the guy hands me his card. "My name's Biscuit, by the way. Call if you have questions." Wow. First, I let myself get pierced without even asking the piercer's name, and second, I just let myself get pierced by a guy named Biscuit! I struggled with regrets as I drove home -- I was supposed to be a mature mother of two yet I was acting like a stupid teenager, my tongue was injured and letting me know it, I wouldn't be able to talk or eat for a week, and I had to go home and fess all this to the hubby. And the hardest part was yet to come: healing and recovery!

UPDATE (03/26/2011)
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Wow!  I didn't realize that this blog entry of mine had become so popular.  Because this post gets daily views now, I thought I'd give a bit of an update.  It's been close to 3 years since I got my tongue pierced and yes, it is still pierced.  I love my tongue piercing and have no plans to get rid of it anytime in the near future.  I noticed some people had left questions, so here are some answers:

Q.  How long was it before you could eat?
A.  I was on a liquid diet for a good 4 days before slowly transitioning to more solid foods.  Within a week I could eat any texture food I wanted to but I had to be careful of spices.  Anything with too much garlic or other strong spice really burned my piercing for about two weeks.

Q.  Is it easy to hide?
A.  Yes.  As long as you're aware that you need to hide it you shouldn't have a problem doing so.  Practice talking in front of a mirror and you will see how liberally you have to talk to show your tongue piercing.  While you will be able to visibily hide it, your speech will most definitely be affected.  You will have a serious speech impediment while your tongue is still swelling.  I recall being in the elevator one unfortunate day with my boss's boss, 3 days after getting my tongue pierced.  I was praying he wouldn't talk to me but he did.  It took every bit of effort to try to talk with as little slur as possible but I didn't fully succeed.  If you have a job where you have to talk (telemarketing, sales rep, etc) then you'd better plan on 5-7 days to be able to control how you speak.  If you wait 4 days or so, you'll be able to speak, but your customers will probably assume you have a speech impediment.

Now that I know this page is very active I will keep an eye on it.  Please ask any questions you have and I'll try to address them.

Trim Up Tuesday (Week 3)

This week has been super hard, because I couldn't eat solid food until Saturday night. So many people said to me, "Oh, just have a milkshake ..." or ice cream, etc etc. The problem is when I get hungry, sweet things are just not appealing -- I want REAL food. My "real" food this week consisted of chicken broth. The thing I liked about this week is I could drink all the soda + energy drinks I wanted without feeling guilty about the liquid calories. And I did! I only worked out a couple of times because I knew my body was stressed (my hair started falling out by Thursday) and I didn't want to make it worse. So, in the end I didn't gain and I still wound up losing a pound.

As a side note, I had a goal to lose 4 pounds by August 8th (I Will). As you can see, I have already surpassed that goal by 1.5 pounds, and I still have this week and next to go.

I'm shaping up this week for a float trip this weekend. I'll have details about that trip up in a day or two, along with details of my first Mystic Tan experience and updates on my tongue piercing.

Weight

• I have lost 5.5 pound(s) since I started!
  
• I lost 1 pound(s) this week!
  
• I am 5.5 pound(s) away from my ideal weight.

BMI

• My BMI is: 21.5. This is considered normal.

Exercise

• I worked out 2 time(s) this week.
• I did 1 hour(s) and 25 minutes of cardio this week
• I did 1 hour(s) and 20 minutes of brisk activity this week

Goals

• I did meet my last goal
• My Last Goal Was: Stay healthy, since my diet is mainly liquids. Focus on nutrition and not weight this week.
• My new goal is: Work it hard Mon, Tues, Weds and Thurs in preparation for this weekend.

Trim Up Tuesday (Week 2)

I lost another 1.5 pounds this week! That's not as good as last week, but I gave in ... a lot! I had McDonalds and Dairy Queen. One night I went to Steak and Shake and had fries + a hot fudge brownie sunday as my dinner! So if I can induldge in all of that and still lose one and a half pounds then I think I'm doing damn spiffy. I have to be careful this coming week. I want to keep working out for my own good, but I'm on a liquid diet because of my tongue piercing. So this week I'm focusing on maximizing nutrition, and not making myself pass out from too much exercise and too few calories!

Weight

• I have lost 4.5 pound(s) since I started!
  
• I lost 1.5 pound(s) this week!
  
• I am 6.5 pound(s) away from my ideal weight.

BMI

• My BMI is: 21.7. This is considered normal.

Diet

• I ate out 4 time(s) this week

Exercise

• I worked out 6 time(s) this week.
• I did 2 hour(s) and 20 minutes of cardio this week
• I did 0 hour(s) and 15 minutes of strength training this week
• I did 2 hour(s) and 25 minutes of brisk activity this week

Goals

• I did meet my last goal
• My Last Goal Was: Continue my exercise regimine.
• My new goal is: Stay healthy, since my diet is mainly liquids. Focus on nutrition and not weight this week.

Skewered, Starving, Swollen and Sore

Saturday we forced Alexia to get her other ear pierced. She had both of them pierced, but then she wouldn’t let us put an earring in one of the ears and it closed up. One and a half year later and she still has a single earring. On Friday I let her get her hair cut short – I watched, trying not to cry, as her mid-down-the-back length hair fell to the floor in a new shoulder-length bob. It’s cute, yes, but it also makes her look a lot older, which is sad in it’s own way. Anyways, I was going somewhere with this, and that somewhere is that the one earring thing was suddenly way noticeable. So we said enough was enough, and took her to the mall, and literally held her down while she screamed and got her remaining ear pierced. I had to fend off a few comments from parents who “wouldn’t do this to *their* child” as well as those who agreed that 1.5 years was long enough, and it was time to get it done. When it was finished, Alexia was as good as new, and smiling and happy, and “my ear doesn’t feel funny at all, mom.” Well thanks, dear … now if only you had been so compliant during the piercing, I wouldn’t see visions of DFS calls coming soon in my future.

They had such gorgeous body jewelry there. I have my belly button pierced, and I love it. But as Alexia is getting pierced, and I see all these barbells, I think again on how I’ve always kind of wanted my tongue pierced. We get home at about 7:30 pm I jump online to do some research. I notice that there’s a body piercing shop 1.5 miles away that’s open till 10 pm. So I decide what the heck, I’ll drive up there and talk to someone about the whole thing. I walk in and tell them “I’m thinking about getting my tongue pierced.” The guy replies, “What do you mean you’re *thinking* about it?” Before I can blink, he’s setting up the paperwork and is leading me into the chair to get it done. Getting pierced is always scary for me, but the piercing really wasn’t that bad. Uncomfortable, yes. It hinged on pain, but never really got there. Before I knew it my tongue had been skewered and I was out the door, 15 short minutes after I walked in the place.

Now I’m sitting here with a tongue swollen to over 2 times it’s normal size. I’ve hardly eaten anything since dinner on Saturday (before the piercing). I can barely talk, and people are having much fun at my expense. The boss lady asked me what the “appeal” is for a piercing such as this one. I kinda shrugged, thinking, if she doesn’t get it without me telling her, she’ll probably never get it … even if I told her. So I kept my mouth shut, cause I didn’t want to explain *that* to my boss!

For the most part the soreness and pain is gone. That was the first 24 hours. Now I’m left with hunger and a serious speech impediment. 3 days more and I should be able to talk normally. In 4 or 5 days I should be able to eat something that requires chewing. I’m laughing at my own stupidity right now. I realize I did this to myself so I’m taking it with good humor and biding my time. I think it’s going to be totally worth it, I know I’m going to love this piercing!

If I Never Made It Home

Yesterday afternoon there was a horrible accident just a few minutes away from where I live. There was a line of cars sitting in the exit lane to get onto another highway, a situation that is never uncommon for this particular highway. As these cars sat, a semi slammed into the line – literally running over the cars. 11 cars were involved in this accident. 2 people are dead, 3 are in critical condition, and another 11 people have sustained serious to moderate injuries. The semi driver was uninjured and sent home for the evening. This accident caused the highway (a major highway) to be shut down for 6 hours. Why or how this happened has not yet been released to the public. And the semi driver has not yet been indicted for any charges. (Please note, I was not in this accident, I'm just writing about it)

This accident is really bothering me. I worry about this type of thing a lot, and a situation like this only cause my thoughts to worsen. I drive 60 miles every day to get to work and back down these interstates. Almost everyday I sidestep accidents, left and right. I like to think of myself as a good driver, who plays both the defensive and the offensive, always on alert. You HAVE to be on the constant alert … I don’t see how people who aren’t manage to drive around all day without getting into accidents. I guess it’s us folks who watch out for them that saves those people. Regardless, I could be the most alert driver in the world, but there wouldn’t have been a damn thing I could have done to prevent myself from being a part of that accident. Not. One. Single. Thing.

It pains me to think of those people who didn’t come home. Those people were probably just coming home from work, like any other day. But they never made it home. I think about what would happen if, one day, I never made it home. I think about this as I kiss my girls each morning before I leave for work. Each morning as I leave, I think to myself, “I hope they know how much I love them. I hope they FEEL how much I love them. I hope, that if something happened, they would at least have this to carry on.” And then I pray that I make it home safely, and that they are always there to greet me.

Trim Up Tuesday, Week One

Trim Up Tuesday has started with a bang! As you recall, last week I gave my prelude to Trim Up Tuesday, in a rant where I told everyone how I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror anymore, and wrote out my fitness goals. Well, I worked hard and lost 3 pounds already! I don't expect results like these each week, but I am heartened by the fact I was able to make such a big difference in only a week's time. Of course, I've been (literally) working my ass off at it! I don't have the stamina to keep up that pace, but I should be able to tackle at least a pound each of the future weeks. And, FYI, I already feel worlds better in my bikini. Let me finish by saying that I won't point fingers, but I know a couple people who need to think about getting back on the Trim Up Tuesday train with me. Comon, you know it's for your own good!

Weight

• I have lost 3 pound(s) since I started!
  
• I lost 3 pound(s) this week!
  
• I am 8 pound(s) away from my ideal weight.

BMI

• My BMI is: 21.9. This is considered normal.

Exercise

• I worked out 6 time(s) this week.
• I did 2 hour(s) and 40 minutes of cardio this week
• I did 0 hour(s) and 30 minutes of strength training this week
• I did 1 hour(s) and 0 minutes of brisk activity this week

Goals

• I did meet my last goal
• My Last Goal Was: Create an exercise plan and stick to it.
• My new goal is: Continue to meet my exercise goals for the week.

Not As Young As I Used To Be

It seems I lived up to my last post. Particularly #11, where "Aint Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up" found itself right in the spot for the "What's your life story" question.

On Saturday night, the hubby's sister (Laura) calls, begging for someone to go out with her. So, eventually, I oblige. After all, I hadn't been out since a few weeks before my surgeries -- i.e., about three months. So Laura comes over and we head out to a bar/club where we dance and listen to a band (coincidently, she's crushing hard on one of the members) for a few hours. Closing time rolls around, and I get begged to go onto another bar, this one right across the river (i.e., in Illinois instead of Missouri, where the liquor laws are different). Needless to say, she won, and we went over to the east side of St. Louis.

We got there and we were having a really good time, dancing a ton and enjoying ourselves. Then, at some point, we realized it was 4 am! At that point I tell Laura we need to be getting ourselves home. It took me an hour and a half to get her out of the door. The sun was actually up by the time we left at 5:30 am! I didn't get home till 6:00 am! 6:00 IN THE FREAKING MORNING! I couldn't believe it.

I don't even know when the last time was that I partied all freaking night long, but I sure as hell can't party like I used to. I forced myself out of bed at 10:00 am Sunday morning, lest I mess myself up for the entire work week. I was like the walking dead yesterday, but somehow I managed to get a lot of crap done. Pretty impressive, I think. Then I crawled into bed for the night at 8:15 and crashed right away. When I woke up at 5:30 this morning, I couldn't help but think how I wasn't even home yet a mere 24 hours before. But, so far, so good. Except for my stiff neck from a bit of headbanging (oops, I told myself not to do that! I know it hurts for the next 4 days, but I just can't help myself sometimes).

So, it seems I'm not as young as I used to be, but apparently I'm still not as old as I feel, which is a relief!

Wake Up Call

I picked this one up from Lynda. First you shuffle the songs on your Ipod, and then you fill in the blank questions, one by one (in order -- no skipping or cheating!) as they come up. Play along, if you like!

Okay, I swear I own more than just Will Smith and Christina Aguilera! Just the way the mix is, I guess ...

1. What would describe your personality? Summer Love (Justin Timberlake)

2. What do you like in a guy/girl? Nice & Slow (Usher)

3. How do you feel, today? Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Kylie Monogue)

4. What’s your life’s purpose? Fantasy (Timbaland)

5. What is your motto? Gettin' Jiggy Wit It (Will Smith)
That sounds about right!

6. What do your friends think of you? Angry (Matchbox Twenty)
Goodness, I hope not ...

7. What do you think of your parents? Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)

8. What do you think about very often? The Way I am (Eminem)
Nice coincidence there

9. What do you think of your best friend? Too Bad (Nickelback)

10. What do you think of the person you like? Won't Go Home Without You (Maroon 5)

11. What is your life story? Ain't Goin Down Till The Sun Comes Up (Garth Brooks)
Aint that right! Whoot!

12. What do you want to be when you grow up? Fighter (Christina Aguilera)

13. What do you think when you see the person you like? Men In Black (Will Smith)

14. What do your parents think of you? Out From Under (Incubus)

15. What will be played at your funeral? Freakin' It (Will Smith)
Haha ... nice, very nice.

16.What is your hobby/interest? Infatuation (Christina Aguilera)

17. What is your biggest secret? Sorry (Buckcherry)

18. What do you think of your friends? Same in the End (Sublime)

19. What should you post this as? Wake Up Call (Maroon 5)

(Not) So Patiently Waiting

We've been under a re-org at work -- basically, they're shifting people, projects, reporting structures, etc, around because our organization got a new VP. There have been rumors rumors everywhere about what will happen to the project I work on. I've sat back, relaxed, and waited for the announcement to come out. No point in worrying and useless speculation. Then the announcement came out.

They are picking up my project and moving it to a new leadership sector, who has their own plans (whatever they are) for the project. They are also moving everyone who works on the project. That is, everyone BUT me. My name was disturbingly absent. On top of that, no one knows what they're going to do with me. You see, I was fine with all this sitting back and waiting crap, as long as everyone else was waiting too. Now I'm losing my patience!

No one thinks my job is in jeopardy. My feats and skills are well known to those decision makers. Besides, even if they didn't want me in their org, there would be plenty of places I could relocate to within the company. I've heard some speculation (funny how I'm interested in that now, huh) that my boss's former boss plans to keep me for himself to work on new, individual contributor projects. Which I'm hoping means that a team somewhere would like to see a process automated and I'll get called in to design and implement a brand new system and show off my mad skills. What will actually happen, I have no idea. But hey, I can dream.

I've been playing the waiting game since Monday. I wonder how much longer it will last?

I Will

I am sick and tired of looking myself in the mirror. These surgeries kept me down for more than 2 months, and it is time to bounce back. That time is now, and I am determined to work it as hard as I can. If I work hard this month, I can still enjoy myself in the warm August and September months. I just have to remember this summer isn’t yet a total loss. Normally I spend late April and all of May working into shape for the summer. Unfortunately the unforeseen circumstances made it impossible for me to exercise during my long, slow and painful recovery. I am almost recovered, and I will force the last of it away as I work back into my routine. This is my Trim Up Tuesday prelude. Stop back in one week to see how I did as I start using the Trim Up Tuesday tool again.

1. I will incorporate exercise back into my life by creating a daily exercise plan and sticking to it

2. I will see my tummy tightened, my dimples decreased and my thighs trimmed

3. I will lose no less than 4 pounds by this time next month

4. I will see my confidence increase and my self doubts decrease.

5. I will get my caffeine from calorie-free tea, instead of energy drinks and sodas

6. I will cook healthier meals, and stop relying so much on fatty fillers, such as heavy whipping cream (a personal favorite, unfortunately)

7. I will eat healthier lunches at work – whether going out or bring my food in

8. I will focus on portion control

9. I will re-examine these goals in 1 month, crossing off completed goals and making new ones

10. I will not succumb to laziness, tiredness, or excuses.

Branson

We arrived home around 4:00 pm yesterday from our Branson vacation. It was very nice to just to get away for a weekend and do something different and together as a family. It's made me realize that I need to shift some of my priorities. This was our first family vaction -- and Alexia is 5 now!!! It's pretty bad when you call two nights away a vacation. We're just so focused on our immediate lives that whenever we come into money -- be it tax time, bonus, etc; we always spend it on what *needs* done, what *needs* fixed, or what we *should* do with it. It's not that we don't have time or money for a vacation, it's that we don't ever spend the money on it. Well this obviously needs to change! My husband and I both agreed that a yearly family vacation is in order, and from here on out we will make it one of our priorities.

We had a good time in Branson. I didn't get the pictures loaded yet, but when I get those I'll post some and write some more about the trip. I can say that 3 days didn't even put a dent in all Branson has to offer. I feel like we touched the tip of the iceberg. Branson is for sure an on-the-go destination! If you want a trip packed with things to do to keep everyone busy and happy then this is the place for you. If you'd rather quiet time spent together as a family, then camp out at the Ozarks instead.

My only complaint about Branson was the traffic. It was HORRIBLE. Bad, long, terrible, no excuse. The main strip was one lane each way, and that strip, along with any connecting points to it, were consistently backed up. We literally spent hours in the car fighting traffic in Branson itself. There was more than one occassion where it took as an hour to travel a single mile. So my advice is come prepared with a detailed map -- the ones they give you only show the main routes. You'll want to find the back way around the place. Also, make sure you fill up as soon as you get there, because you don't want to be stuck in that traffic on a low gas tank. The gas stations aren't as close as they should be, that's for sure. My gas was getting low, then finally the gas light came on, before I could ever get to the gas station. Finally I found one and got in (thankfully) on time. I was afraid I'd be pushing my car to the nearest gas station. But hey, at least if you have to push it in, you won't be holding up traffic!

The scenery around Branson is pretty. It wasn't *that* impressive to me, but I've lived over a lot of Missouri anyway, so I'm used to this endangered thing they call scenery. Guess I'm spoiled when it comes to that! The prices for things weren't too horrible, considering it's a tourist town. The buffets were about $12, which is about $3 more than the average buffet in these parts, but $8 - $18 less than the buffets you'll find in other tourist spots, such as Vegas.

Once I get the pictures loaded I'll do my reviews and suggestions for the (very little) part of Branson I got to visit!

Spontaneous Vacation Time!

I called a friend while driving home from work last night. She was talking about her 4th of July plans, and I was feeling a bit "blah" about my plans. Then I thought, I'd like to go back to Kirksville to visit my friends. I went home and suggested to Alex that we go to there for the weekend. He disagreed, saying he had no desire to go hang out in Kirksville.

I then thought, well we should go somewhere at least. The last time we were out of town at all was on July 28th last year, when we took off to Vegas together to get married. The 4th is on a Friday, so that's a long weekend for free (i.e., no vacation time spent). But where could we go within a 4 hour radius?

The answer is Branson Missouri. I've actually had little desire to visit Branson, even though I live fairly close (3.5 hours by car). But I was trying to find something to do, and checked it anyway. That was when I saw something I had forgotten about: Noah The Musical! I recalled seeing commercials for that and really wanting to see it, but I put it off out of the way, because, frankly, we've never taken a vacation of our chosing. Anywhere we've gone is to fulfil obligations, or for our wedding (but that wasn't a family trip). But here it was, my interest in it renewed.

Unless you get ads to visit Branson on your local televsion, you might not have heard about Noah the Musical. The awesome thing about this show is that it's in the brand new Sights and Sounds theater. The ark is 4 stories tall, and the wraps around the audience in a 300 ft wrap around stage. They have over 80 live animals and over 50 animatronic animals, as well as a cast of 50. The show has got to be spectacular!

So I called the center and luckily snagged one of the last 2 rooms available for the holiday weekend just a couple days in advance. We're spending Friday and Saturday night in Branson, and our package includes 3 tickets to the Noah show as well as 3 tickets to the scenic railway. The railway is a 2 hour, scenic train ride through the Ozarks and missouri & arkansas. The passenger cabins have a glass roof and sides so you can take in all the scenery as you go along. I chose that as our other ticket set because, well, Alex would shoot me if I chose "Hits of the 50's" or anything Elvis, and because I know experiencing the enjoyment Alexia gets out of it will be enough for me to enjoy it. And I've never actually been on a train before!

So, to wrap all this up, about 2 hours from first thought of leaving town I had our vacation booked, from hotel and shows to food everything in between. Now that's what I call a spontaneous vacation!

Return To Trim Up Tuesday?

Hey folks, I need to know if you still have an interest in Trim Up Tuesday. The tool and page is still there, and I'd hate to scrap all that work. Thoughts/opinions?