Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

Wuh-hoo! Some amazon boxes… I think that when I'm done with this entry, I'll have to go do a couple sends in the wishlist trader.	But that's odd — a bag? This is actually how the guy sent it… I half considered that it might be some sort of bomb.	Hmmm… a box inside. It could still be a bomb, right? (At least I got a nice bag)
Ah! INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT, a book I'd bought on eBay. $10 and I get a brand new medical book ($200+ probably), and a really solid bag.	Very cool stuff — things I desperately need to have access to answers to.	Whee! The first present, WILD FRUITS by Thoreau.
How to Stay Alive in the Woods — If only this had come a week earlier, maybe we could have travelled deeper into the property.	Cool — this one even came with wrapping.	I am a huge E. M. Cioran fan… I can't wait to read this.

I wanted to make a comment on the medical book above. Since almost immediately after I became heavily involved in body modification I began reading the associated medical texts. The procedures being done today by practioners are very similar to medical procedures. When doctors learn these procedures, they don't just apprentice and practice. These texts are required reading, and for a reason.

I am extremely disturbed that most practioners of pseudo-surgical procedures seem to have little interest in doing any research. Because of this, I'm doubly forced to do it for them, and share it here with the public. As such, it publicly disgraces a number of well-liked and well-respected practioners.

Do I feel bad about that? Sure. But I'd feel a whole lot worse being part of a conspiracy that hid the dangerous core from the public. It is inevitable that a surgical practioner will eventually be taken to court when things go wrong — it's just a matter of time. As such, we must prepare. It's similar to sterilization — piercers and tattoo artists are so up for scrutiny that they (at least the good ones) adhere to a level of sterility that generally surpasses that help by dentists and doctors.

Again, related medical books sell constantly on ebay at a tenth or less of list prices. If you are a practioner, you have no excuse for not educating yourself.

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That reminds me — at least some good is coming from talking about these risks. The forum where this was discussed got deleted by the owner, but after I brought up the tissue resporption issues at least one person took out their sternum implant. Even though they were only two years old, all tissue underneath had been eroded, and there was a depression in the bone. Imagine if he'd waited ten years to remove this?

Finally, let me say for the millionth time: I do not think people should stop doing these procedures. I just think they need to be responsible.

PS. If you want to see what's getting put inside people, Bryan just posted a pretty freaky picture of his.