Sunday, October 12, 2008

Piercing

I just wrote a long and quite tedious blog about my navel piercing. Abandoning that version, and trimming it down to the bare essentials, the story goes as follows -

Navel pierced about 12 years ago
Removed it about 8 years ago
Presumed it had healed
Was surprised last month when the old piercing went gunky.
Apparently it's never healed properly
Seems OK now, but not sure if best thing to do is wait for it to heal, or just put a bar through it again
Fortunately
there is a piercing studio in between me
and the place I go for my agoraphobia therapy
But as it turns out
The studio is closed on that same day every week
so it means making an extra journey
am not sure what to do about this
Get another stud put it
or just leave it to close up
hmm.

* Why do you have your navel pierced anyway?
Who do you think you are, Britney Spears? *

Good question. I got it done on a whim, years ago. I went with a friend to keep her company when she was going to visit a body piercing studio. Well when I say body piercing studio, I mean a man with needles in a squat in Brixton. (To be fair to him, he was good at it.) I was only there to lend moral support. But then I apparently suffered some form of temporary madness, and got my navel pierced.

I was surprised that I'd done it. And quite perturbed when I examined it outside Brixton tube station and discovered that blood was dripping onto my trousers. But it was OK afterwards, and I liked it. I should never have taken it out, really.

Actually, that was all quite a good story. It's a shame my longer version was so tedious.

My agents are negotiating a contract for a German translation of Lonely Werewolf Girl. That's good. Perhaps I could supply the publisher with a stylish author-with-pierced-navel picture for the back cover. Hmm. Am really not sure whether to wait and see if it heals, or put something back through the hole.

17 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:17 am

    the 'eeww factor' of this blog is high mr millar. my first impulse would be to say get some disinfectant and then leave it the hell alone! i spent a lot of time surrounded by people with bars and studs bristling out of them and i still don't really get it...but each to their own. i'd be careful about the navel though, everyone i know who had it done got infected.

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  2. It wasn't meant to be too high on the 'eeww factor'... some grim real-life scenes were omited to protect the public...

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  3. If I was your Assistant I would tell you to see a doctor, failing that, clean it, and put some antibiotic ointment on it, and do NOT put something thru it!

    Men. Hee-hee.

    Godd news on the German edtion, go to love all the different countries publishing....

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  4. I agree with Anita and Lorraine - smother with disinfectant and leave the navel bar thingy well alone.
    Euw, yuck, yuck yuck.

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  5. I would not advise cream or ointment for it! Will not help dry up the gunk factor- get some antibiotic powder from the docs or see local chemist. Cooled boiled water with salt to keep it clean. That's my two penn'orth... :-) Good luck with the healing and the decision making! Lucy

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  6. Anonymous12:30 am

    It's funny how we like to prod at things that hurt us isn't it?

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  7. Who needs piercing anyway? Unless if you like being frisked at security checks, of course.
    Clean it up, put disinfectant on it and forget about it.

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  8. There seems to be an outbreak of over-sensitivity here! Don't worry, it will be fine. Hey, it's not like I'm about to stick a cheap safety pin through my ear. As I did as a young punk rocker. And required medical attention afterwards. It's surprising how much an infected ear can swell. But the navel will be fine.

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  9. no antiseptic. that will irritate it. water and salt like someone said.

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  10. Anonymous2:37 am

    I like how everyone wants to rush to your aid- devoted and maternal fan base. Speaking of piercing infections... I had a piercing done on my nose that got a staph infection and holy cow what size my schnoz attained. Just one side too. It was like having one of those airplane wing flaps that are used to slow the plane down. Swell times were had by all.
    p.s. (stik summin innit)tee hee

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  11. Since your therapist is no real help in your battle with the agoraphobia, check this out www.doyletics.com

    This may be complete and utter nonsense, but it's harmless as far as I can tell. Who know, though, it could help.

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  12. I think we need an update, now . . or we will all be worrying that you have fatally succumbed to navel-related infection!

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  13. No update yet... nothing happened on the piercing front...

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  14. Hi Martin,

    did you know "Suzy, Led Zepplin & Me" got a review in today's 'Guardian'? (I think they like it ;-))

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  15. www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/oct/25/millar
    (I can't make it do a proper link..) .

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  16. Thanks for the link Marjorie, I'll put it in my next blog

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