First, a look back. My resolution last year was to get my transdermal implants out, and boy do I wish I had gone through with it. I don’t know if it’s my lifestyle or diet or astrological sign, but this last year has been transdermal hell. TMI warning! They have been been bloodier, crustier, and more swollen then any other time since I had them put in. I wake up with goo stuck to my chest, and when I gently remove it the damn things bleed. I have to sleep in a sports bra otherwise the irritation gets so bad that they hurt all the time, and swell up, and bleed more, and crust more, and look like crap. I can endure the blood, crust, and pain, but the looking like crap is getting to me. I like to wear low-ish cut shirts but this last year I’ve had to retool my wardrobe, because I didn’t want people commenting on the bloody metal sticking out of my cleavage. It’s frustrating because I want them to be there but I also want them to be maintenance free. I’m under the impression that this type of body modification isn’t common, and I like being a rarity. I’ve decided to suck it up and have them taken out on my terms, because otherwise I’m afraid they’re going to have to come out on not friendly terms.

Enough about (what I didn’t do) last year. This year is setting up to be fantastic (if you ignore the general state of the economy). Here are my resolutions: 1) Work my butt off till my trip to Japan in April, so I’ll have maximum funds. 2) Attend my closest knitting group (Purly Girls) at least twice a month (everyone is so nice, I think I’ll be there every Monday I can). 3) Finish this ESL certificate and decide if I want to go to grad school for ESL or Adult Education or Linguistics. If school isn’t in my future figure out if I actually want to be a teacher. 4) More friend time. 5) Knitting/Spinning/etc. 6) Get back up to an acceptable level of fitness.

and seven is the big one: 7) Get a drivers license, swallow my pride about the environment, acquire a car, and have at least 2 more hours of free time a day.

All in 2009, I think it’s doable and I’m excited.

The implants are a flat base which lays under the skin, and a piece of whatever size sticks out through the skin. If you’re lucky the skin with heal, and scar tissue will form a pocket around the base of the implant. Here is the BMEZINE wiki for transdermals if you want to know more. At the time mine were done, it was still a fairly new thing in the modification world and I’m pretty sure I was at the beginning of when artists started to go public about offering them. I knew this was an advanced technique, but no one in the community had any idea how dangerous the implants could be (see this entry on modblog blood warning!). I went to an excellent artist in Seattle (he has now moved on to other locations that are unknown to me) who treated me with the utmost care and did a fantastic job. It was expensive, painful, and really hard to heal, but I’ve kept the implants all this time.

Times have changed though, and I think it’s time for the implants to come out. I really enjoy their look, but certain things are more trouble then they’re worth. One of the ways I’ve managed to be so successful at keeping the implants in, is constant care and babying. Nothing but clothing gets within an inch of the site, and I’ve trained myself, and anyone who would touch that area to stay far far away. Even with all the precautions there are moments where they go back to being less healed, and I have knocked them before with bloody results. I’m not into DIY, so I’m going to get a referral to a reconstructive surgeon from my doctor some time this year. I’m hoping it wont be too expensive and I also hope they’ll be able to keep the jewelry intact so i can make a necklace out of the implants.

I’m excited for this new phase in my life, and when it’s all done with, I might get a memorial tattoo.