Just back from a lovely impromptu swim in the sea.
Hadn’t planned to get in the water, just have an evening walk with the dogs on the beach, but it was so warm I couldn’t resist it. No togs, of course, but I’m hoping my undergarments were dark enough to appear like a badly fitting and unflattering bikini. Luckily there was no one around. Usually I only swim in the river up here, but unfortunately there’s been an algae outbreak in the region recently – two poor dogs died over in the wairarapa today, sadly – so a river swim was out. The sea is lovely to swim in, and often warmer than the river, but the downside with the dogs is that they think you are drowning when you are splashing around having fun, so they swim into the waves to save you. When they finally reach you, however, they look so miserable and sorry for themselves you have to curtail your swim and take them back to shore. It didn’t happen today, though. I think this was because we left the old limpy dog behind (snacking on a consolation dog treat), and the schnoodles didn’t feel quite the same pressure to perform heroic deeds without her. They just sat there by my clothes, looking forlorn, as if to say “we’ve warned you so many times, and yet you persist in this dangerous behaviour. We’re not angry, just disappointed.”
Unfortunately, I managed to get seawater splashed on my ears during my swim, something which is expressly forbidden in my “care for your piercing” handout I was given when I got my ears done a few weeks ago. The Flesh Wound motto is “A little pain never hurt anyone”. I wonder if they considered “What’s a little Hep C between friends?” as an option. Anyway, apparently all bodies of water contain large amounts of bacteria.
Both my and my daughter’s handouts are very strict about piercing care. We are meant to be using saline soaks several times a day – non iodized sea salt only, although my one says Himalayan pink rock salt will do at a pinch ( Pinch! Get it?). I managed to do this about three times before I got bored and gave up. Even my daughter, who is much more of a rule follower than me, only lasted a week. I guess these places are covering themselves in the event that your lobes (or other body parts) swell up and become purulent. (“My ear lobes fell off!” “Really? In spite of following our strict regime of multiple daily saline soaks and regular cleansing with our own brand of Safe Care piercing wash, wearing gloves and drying only with sterile gauze?” “Ummm…”).
We are also recommended to reduce our intake of aspirin, alcohol, drugs and caffeine; get enough sleep and eat a nutritious diet. Seems a remarkably monastic lifestyle for a wild anti establishment millennial. 100% pure emu oil can also apparently be very beneficial. The mind boggles. How do you get oil out of an emu? Doesn’t sound very vegan.
The section on care of piercings elsewhere on the body is particularly eye opening. “Genital piercings – especially Prince Alberts, Ampallangs, and Apadravyas – can bleed freely for the first few days. Be prepared. Avoid contact with your partners body fluids.” I’ve led such a sheltered life! I’m just glad the pamphlets weren’t illustrated.