Where do I start? I been wanting a septum Punch for 3 years now. It is always something that has been on my mind. I wanted a large gauge septum when I was a child. I would watch the tribes on Discovery Channel, some had large lip plates and some had these beautiful large bone tusk and some wore large wooden plugs in their septum's. I found this amazing as well as stunning. It was amazing to me and I focused on that as a child. I did in a sense, by putting things up my nose and watching it stick out. Pretending that I had one. As I grew older, I stopped sticking things up my nose for the desired effect and just researched tribes and such. I learned more about it through that, until I turned 15. I came across BME, and I saw pictures of it. I became impressed! It was just beautiful seeing all these wonderful septum's. Some large, some not. Then I did not know about dermal punching or what it was. Me and my mother and father, all of us had conversations about this and one day when I was 15, I got my septum pierced with consent. It took some slight nagging, but I made it there. It was pierced by a horrible shop that I will not mention here, It came out crooked so I took it out to let it heal. The second time I had it done was at a place called Ink Gallery. While he did a good job, It got caught on my shirt as I took it off and it got slightly ripped. So Out of fear of keloiding, I took it out. I gave up on septum piercings. I loved them, but it seemed like I was destined not to keep one. This lasted until I saw a BME cover pic of phil barbosa septum Dermal Punched by Blair! My first reaction was "Wow! What happened to his nose?". I then fell back into the septum and read up on Dermal Punching. I found out what Dermal punching was and in the future, I had my outer conches dermal punched. So Im no stranger to dermal punching. So for the next 3 years, until I turned 18, I would read up on Dermal Punching and Septum punching. I would re-read stories and look at pics of large ones. Read up on aftercare solutions and so forth. It was a very good time to study and prepare myself for it. Time passes and I soon was 18. I felt great, having the freedom to sign for your own work is amazing. A few months after I turned 18, I was looking for a reputable shop to do my septum punch. After looking around for some time, I really could not find anyone I liked. My original plan was to visit Blair or Tom Brazda for such a procedure, that was until I remembered this studio BodyRites in New albany, Indiana. I been there before and I know how clean they are, Supersonic cleaner, auto-clave, spore testing done weekly, proper jewelry, great piercers and very friendly. So being that it is, I called and spoke to a piercer that was in that day. Zak was his name. We spoke for some time and since I been there before and we spoke on IAM when he had a page, he knew me, so no consultation was needed. That and being I lived 4 hours away. He was going to do it that following friday, just before he moved and goes to portland to work. But that fell through because I could not borrow a decent car. So That was dead, the week after I could borrow a decent car and called back.....only to speak to this piercer Named Doug. We spoke for some time over the next few days. And He agreed to do the septum punch. But it would take a week, because he was expecting jewelry. He recommended I get it done at 2 instead of 0 gauge and heal it with a hollow plug. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. I had a hollow plug so everything was a go. That following Wednesday . This was the day I set up. I spoke to my father about taking me and he agreed. Me and him are getting this bond, and this was another way we could do that. He drove me over there. 3 hour drive was uncomfortable but it would be all worth it in the end. I finally made it to BodyRites and I started to get Nervous. I took a few deep breaths and I went in. It only took a few seconds for Doug to come to the counter. "May I help you?" I smiled with happiness. "Yeah, I'm the guy who has been calling about the septum punch." "Oh hey James." And from there I gave him my hollow plug and he put it in the auto-clave. For the next hour we spoke and further more discussed issues that we deal with in piercing, BME, Ignorant close minded people and where were from. We discussed my procedure, aftercare, jewelry and such. A hour passes and so he now goes back to put it in the supersonic cleaner I believe. He does and I wait another 20 minutes. We speak some more and I really get to know him. It was great. Time came and he had me sign the proper paper forms and he went to setup everything in the back. After setting up for some time, He came back and we both went back. I was very nervous by this point. My heart was pumping faster. And I saw on this medical tray was gauze laid down and on it was the punch in its package and other things like gauze, q-tips all in a sterile package. He washed his hands, He then gloved up and put on a surgical mask. He then double gloved over that, and we spoke for a few more minutes. He asked me how I was. He then said he was going to feel around. He checked around my septum, He cleaned it with this horrible smelling agent. He then he told him he would begin marking. He opened up a new taper pin and used the blunt end to make the circle marks on the entrance and exit. This process took a while. Only because Doug is a perfectionist and wants everything perfect. After that was finished, He told me to look at the markings he made on the outside as well. Told me where it would be and if it looked ok? It did and so he continued. He took off the glove and gloved with a new pair. He then opened the punch package and the other gauze packages. He told me to start taking slow deep breaths. He had my lay on this medical slab, like at a doctors office. He had my head tilted off the edge of it. While I am doing breathing. He put something as a back on the exit of the punch to catch. I cannot remember what it was. He then told me he was just going to line the punch up and he told me he would tell when he was ready. He placed it on the inside, lined it up and he told me take some more deep breaths. Time was drawing near and he told me to take a big deep breath and let it out slow. He then said, he was ready. He begin to push and I felt it go through the first layer, my eyes waters and I felt it in the center and I cannot lie.....It was was intense once it hit the center. It felt someone was ripping my nose off. It was agony! Almost like a hot branding piece going through and I felt it come to the end. The end of the punch was here and it came out as the most painful of it all as it cut through the final layers. More so then the center. It all happened in a mere few seconds. He then asked me if I was ok, and I was. He told me I took it like a champ. He picked up the gauze and started cleaning me off, drying up the blood and using q-tips I believe to soak some more blood. He then took a scalpel and removed a small piece of flesh hanging. It cut it off there. It wa s hanging by a thread. He then asked if I was ready for the jewelry to go in? and I was. He gloved again, took out a new taper pin front his package, followed it through and the jewelry came behind. It was at a 2 gauge and the only worst part was the punching. I sat up slowly and we spoke a few more. I felt something running down my throat, it was blood. I told him and he opened up the trash can. Oh my! It was a lot of blood I spit up. After that he had me relax for a few then I went out in the dinning area. Waited for him, paid him, tipped him. I waited a little longer to make sure I was going to be ok and I was. My father drove me home and I drunk some juice and ate something sweet. I can say with ease, that this changed my life. The moment I had with Doug...changed me somewhat. It was very spiritual moment in my life. Dermal Punching is very permenent, so if you are thinking of getting dermal punched, research it at bmezine.com and see if it is for you. Be safe and be smart. -James Norman