Piercings and divacups!

[Miguel]

I give blood. I don't give it as often as I could, which is bad (admittedly my job's stopped me for this last few months, both in transatlantic travel and inability to get to donating sessions). The UK system is split into three regions, so last time I gave blood last month, and again next time once I've moved again, I need to given the new donor spiel because I'm not registered in that region ... sigh. Blood's blood, I get that!

[AngharadTy]

And I definitely trust you, Ty. When I was 16-17 I always wanted a divacup, but being an Australian they are hard to come by. When I saw in your LJ profile a thing saying it was awesome I was like "well, that settles it, then!", and it was the final factor in me buying one literally immediately after I turned 18 and could use ebay. Haven't regretted it. Well, except now I have a contraceptive implant, and I got lucky and was part of the 20% of people who don't bleed anymore, so I won't be using it for a while, but it was great whilst I had it. This thread can also be about diva cups and how awesome they are. Look them up on google orwhatever. They are girly things so boys may not wish to.

<3! I accidentally threw mine away once and had to buy one ASAP. Jessi and FMD can testify! I'm pretty sure they were visiting. I figured they'd think I was insane, but it was far better they realize it ahead of time.

Re. damage to teeth: I used a stainless steel bar, but I replaced my steel balls (hah) with acrylic balls as soon as I got home. I realized when I got home that I could have asked my piercer to do that for me and probably should have. Always make the piercer do as much as you can make 'em do. Cause you'll find a good one (smells like a hospital, clean hands, autoclave, checks ID, etc. etc.) and you want their nice, steady, safe hands doing everything that makes you feel insecure. Downside: you might have to buy two pieces of jewelry instead of one.

Re. infection: Having a tongue piercing made me clean my teeth better than at any other point in my life. I was religious about it. Worshipped the mouthwash and all. Well, okay, but I did have a very, very good routine, and definitely never had any problems at all. And I'm the sort of person who always has problems. I scar like mad. I catch every cold. Sheesh. Protip: make sure to remove the jewelry to clean the balls thoroughly. Plaque likes balls!

Re. kissing: The danger in kissing is foreign germs. I was closed-mouth kissing (after we brushed teeth) after the first week. The next week I made him use mouthwash beforehand and did french kissing. I don't remember at what point I moved on from there... probably the next week. It was very easy for me to keep track, because I was in college and only saw Derek on the weekends, haha.

Re. lisp: The first time I got my tongue pierced, the lisp lasted for about a week. The second time (I wanted it pierced farther back; tongues grow, and it seemed to migrate a little, but I may have been paranoid), I already knew how to talk with jewelry in my mouth, and it only lasted an hour. Just practice talking over the weekend (if you get it done on Friday) and it will be diminished by Monday, if not gone entirely. (I hardly ever talk aloud; I didn't think to practice. But I was working as a TA, and the classes I taught never said a thing about me talking funny. Neither did my professors.) Also, eat a lot of ice, which will reduce swelling (and pain) and make it easier to feel normal faster. Incidental note: I watched Rat Race and the lisp of the characters with tongue piercings is ridiculously exaggerated, made my dad roar with laughter, and made me sigh because he pointed at me and laughed. I did not sound like that.

Like Jessi, I also talked funny when I took it out. And for the first two weeks, I kept sticking my tongue out and folding it back on itself and making weird faces because there was something missing and it felt weird and so very very naked.

[Jessi]

oh, Mouthwash! I forgot. I never use mouthwash, but you have to after you get your tongue pierced, or at least I was told. I think for at least a week or so? So that wasn't too bad at all. Also, ice is a wonder. I sucked on ice constantly the day after I got mine done, and it helped immensely.

[Joey]

Well the most daring piercing I have is a cartilage earring that I love, but I don't want any for other body parts. Though they do look cool on others.

What I will add to this discussion is that I do like donating blood. I usually donate when I'm at science fiction conventions, so possible issues aside, I'll donate tomorrow. It's fun to do in costume :D

[Madge]

Re: Piercings and giving blood: In Australia you can't give blood within 4 months of having a body piercing done if it's done with disposable equipment, and within a year if it's not done with disposable equipment/you're not sure what they did. So it's a 4 month waiting period, which isn't the year I'm barred for, but hey! Also, I'm quite sick, so I need to ring up the red cross and be like "yeah. you don't want my blood, it is full of germs". Lame. But I have codeine! This will be just like old times! Except i'm going to lie down in my bed, like, right now. Well. After I make the phone call.

Also, I probably would get it done on a Monday or a Tuesday as a piercing place nearby apparently has half-price on those days, which is pretty good. Or should I be dubious of a place having half-price piercings? As long as it has the whole "smells like a hospital" thing about it, it's probably ok, yes? A friend of mine is planning on coming with me and getting some form of lip piercing or one of those industrial piercings at the same time.

And, argh! The thought of not being able to kiss for a couple of weeks is very worrying. I am fortunate that my sweetie pie lives a six minute drive away from me, which means that I see him way too often. And thus kiss him way too often.

Furthermore, I think my parents may not approve. I'm an adult and all, but I still live at home, so I probably should let them know I'm getting it done rather than show up with a piercing in my tongue. Except I know they would not give me permission, but I don't need it, but I also don't want them to be pissed off at me. Advice? Thoughts? How do I say "I'm getting my tongue pierced, and there's nothing you can say to talk me out of it, I'm an adult and if I want to waste a hundred bucks then that's my business" without saying it in so many words?

I think I probably will get it done, but probably not for another month or so so I can really mull it over. It is definitely something that has received glowing reviews by all. The oral hygiene will probably be a little bit of an issue as I'm never quite sure where I'll be sleeping that night when I wake up on any given day, so I'll have to take mouthwash and toothpaste and such everywhere with me just in case I make an unscheduled sleepover at someone's house.

Also, the LHC has been turned on and we're not dead. Me and my friends had a huge party that, despite a lack of alcohol, was awesome fun. We all danced and sung and at one point everyone took their shirts off including this really hot lesbian with really nice boobs in a really pretty bra. I was wearing one of my lame bras so I felt a little sad.

Also, does this thread have a topic?

I THINK NOT.

[Jessi]

As a small thing I'd like to add, Madge, don't necessarily be weary of a piercer who has no piercings. The guy who did my piercings in Ohio had absolutely none - because he worked at a doctor's office as well, and they had a no piercing rule. I felt very safe getting pierced by him xD It was a very sanitary situation. They even had a dentist/doctor type chair for me to lie down on, since I almost passed out after getting my tongue pierced.

The most important thing is how sanitary they are - they should go over everything they do to make sure you know the piercing supplies/needles they use are sterilized, and shouldn't be afraid to ask ANY questions. They always went over this with me, even though I had several piercings there, and I always felt good about going to this particular shop.

[danceu4ia]

I've donated three times now, and I got a special pin!

Couldn't donate for a full YEAR cause I was on their malaria quarantine list after my trip to Costa Rica...

I don't know if it's different in Australia than Canada, but if you get a piercing, tattoo, you have a waiting period before you donate again, rather than a blacklisting, if you will. ^^

**TMI STARTS
I'm too much of a chicken to try the divacaup, I have a hard enough time with tampons, but I LOVE lunapads. So soft...and just buy the black so you can just throw them in the wash with everything else. XD
On the nipple piercing note, if you wanted sexy-boob time without the wait time, can't you get nipple clamps, etc. that don't need the piercing in order to be utilized?
TMI ENDS**

Things I never thought I'd be discussing on the NC boards. XD

*EDIT: oops, the donating blood in Australia question was already answered.

[Wingsrising]

I only have my ears pierced. I got them done in college and probably wouldn't do it again if I had it to do over. So I can't help there.

I will, however, happily testify to the greatness of both Diva Cup and cloth pads (I use cloth pantyliners as Diva Cup backup.)

[Huggles]

The diva cup sounds interesting. I might try one, although I prefer pads. I don't like tampons because I'm paranoid and would use liners. I figure it's simpler to use a pad if I'm going to wear liners anyway. And do you rinse the cup out every time you empty it? What exactly do you do with a used pad when you're not at home and can't wash it right away? If I carried a purse to work, it'd have to be made out of clear plastic and very small and I'd feel a bit weird carrying around bloody cloths next to my keys and gum. And what do you do when you are at home? Do you wash them straightaway by hand? Because putting it in with other laundry is an obvious no-no for me, and washing them alone seems like a waste. And what is the point of all those pretty colors and designs if they're just going to be covered in blood and stained anyway? I'd also end up buying just the black.

[AngharadTy]

Tampons made me feel ill, but pads made me feel like I was wearing a sticky diaper. Honestly, whoever designed those things must have been male. They're ridiculous. We can put a man on the moon, but... anyway. I wear a liner sometimes (with the cup) as backup--generally unneeded backup, but I too am paranoid, and I don't even notice them. I noticed pads! ;P

I rinse the cup out every time. I scrub it with the plainest soap possible and an old toothbrush. Some discoloration happens over the months, but meh. I don't wear it to be purdy. ;) But it's really handy to use the cup because I don't ever have to wash it in public; I can wait until I get home, because it's not like tampons with TSS risks.

I have some cloth pads; they're better than the plastic-y, horrible ones you can buy at grocery stores, but still not my preference. I rinse them first by hand, then wash a few in the sink with Woolite, then toss them into the laundry. By that point they're not, y'know, leaking on other clothing. Heh.

[Wingsrising]

If I do need to empty the cup in a public restroom, I just dump it out and put it back in again. Nothing bad has happened because of it to date.

Like I said, I wear the pantiliners only as backup (they're very thin, just a few layers of fabric, and thus quite comfortable) and thus generally don't need to change them when I'm not at home. At home I have a little lidded wastebasket in the bathroom: I fill it with water mixed with detergent and let the pads soak there until next time I do laundry. Then I just throw them in with the rest of the laundry: by that point they're not going to stain anything and that's all I care about.

[Huggles]

Interesting.

Although I'd never toss on a pad when I'm not on my period for funsies, I find the ones nowadays to be much less insane than the ones from back in the day. You know, the kind they sell in old quarter machines in gas station and mall restrooms? They're like 2 inches of plywood between your thighs. My mother actually used them up to a couple years ago, and I remember not being able to fathom why she'd choose to use them over the ultra slim ones.

[danceu4ia]

TMI for boys...


All I use is the cloth pads...like I said, I just can't get comfortable with tampons, so I can't figure how I'm going to get a bowl shaped object...anyways.

For my pads I'll rinse 'em a bit in the sink, then leave them in a lidded container (I think it was a peanut butter jar) with water and some soap, until I'm ready to throw them in the machine. I usually wash them with my socks and underwear load, cause really, it's all the same. Throw them in the dryer for fluffiness, and done.
Will never EVER go back to regular pads. Had to, once when I'd forgotten, and could not run home fast enough. Who ever thought putting adhesive plastic down by the naughty bits for hours was not the brightest bulb.

I like the black designs the best, actually (midnight pansy and leopard) Though the pink disco dots one washes well too.

...TMI done.

WAAAYYY off topic.

On the topic of tongue piercing, this is beginning to intrigue me. Are the statistics for infections bad? Cause you know that's the first thing that will come out of any adults mouth when you say "tongue piercing".
And (maybe a dumb question) does it make your tongue more sensitive to temperature? ie. Hot coffee will be hotter due to the fact that there is now more surface area of tongue (once it heals around the jewelry)?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but it was a convenient place to ask...

[Madge]

Yes this is a very good place to ask these questions!

TONGUE PIERCING:
What is the best way to bring it up with my parents? Especially in the context of "I'm an adult, I can do whatever the hell I want, but because you guys feed me I really should let you know about this in such a way that you feel like you have an input but really don't".

And, would you consider it 100% necessary to check out the proposed piercing salon before you go there, or is it adequate to go there to get the piercing done and check it out at the same time? (So you rock up intending to get pierced and then you find out there's spiders and dirt everywhere and then change your mind, or you rock up and everything is sparkly clean and you smile and nod to yourself and say "yes, this will be good" and then they pierce your tongue using a SPIDER. I am in some sort of odd mood at the moment.)

And what is the pain comparable to? It is making me shiver a little bit, the thought of metal thingy going into my tongue.

MENSTRUAL CUPS:
I tended to empty my cup in the shower, which was the best way: rip it out of my loin area, empty it out, let the highish pressure of the water in the shower clean away all the redstuff, then put it back in.
Because with menstrual cups you keep them inside your party zone for the most part, there's not much issue with storage. When you buy one, you get a free little carry bag for it, which is small and cloth and drawstring. I myself keep mine inside an old coffee jar when not in use, and when I was "on the cusp" of needing to use it, I would put it into a cloth carry bag for pokemon marbles with a scizor on it, and all my friends (who are male) were told not to ever look in my scizor bag and everything worked out well.

To clean it, I bought some sort of steralising solution from the baby section of my supermarket - they were little tablets, and I left it in them overnight and it turned from an off-yellow/brown to a nice white and smells like a dentist now, which was very helpful. So I would definitely recommend buying some sort of baby bottle steraliser to use to keep the cup nice and clean as things can crop up inside there

[AngharadTy]

Statistics: No idea. I don't pay attention to them. What do I care if X% of people don't know how to brush their teeth? I do. ^_~

Temperature: Not that I ever noticed. Hmm. I think it was fun eating ice cream. Mostly because I liked to lick the scoop and see the furrow my piercing dug, but it also made it pleasantly cool. It re-warms to body temperature really fast, though. And I never noticed that hot things were hotter.

Parents: I was away at college, but I wrote an email to my mom when I got home to tell her what I'd done. I much preferred the method of telling her after it was already pierced, because that way she'd start off resigned to the fact. Hee. I said that I'd done my research, that I already had supplies (good mouthwash, etc.--I used Biotene, because it's really gentle for use several times a day, and some mouthwashes are really too strong for that and will kill even your good, helpful bacteria), and that I'd gone with a friend (girls going to horrible skeevy tattoo parlors alone?!! never!). Parents tend to flail and then sigh and accept it. In general, of course. Specific experiences do tend to vary.

Of course you can check out the parlor the same day/time you plan to have your piercing done. You can make an appointment ahead of time, some places. Arrive early, wander around, observe, be polite and smile at them. Good places, they don't care (or are even pleased) that you're concerned for your own safety.

The pain was not terrible. It made tears spring to my eyes because it was sharp and sudden, but honestly, I've had just as bad experiences simply biting my tongue. (Or worse--there are more nerves at the edges of your tongue than in the middle. I've heard. I haven't personally counted.)