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!