Hey all, I hope everyone is doing well as they read this post.

 I had some questions I was hoping to get some help with..

All of my stretching up until 2g was really easy. I'd feel a little tightness but nothing I couldn't sleep on, or really had to deal with the next day except for the cleaning. I had a piercer help me up until that point- without skipping sizes. For a number of reasons, I handled 2g-0g by myself. I knew, obviously, getting close to 0g would be more difficult and I didn't expect the tapers to go in as easily. I made the mistake of shoving 2gs in basically because the way the piercer did it before, I was literally in and out of the shop. My ears hurt for a good 2-3 days. Nothing unbearable, but really uncomfortable, especially the 1st day. After that, no problems. I was cleaning them regularly, they healed wonderfully. 

When it came time for 0g I could not for the life of me get the tapers through. I didn't want a blow out or tear so when I felt I was pushing too much without getting anywhere, I'd stop and put my 2g plugs back in, wait a week or more and then try again, but not succeed. So then tonight I thought, ok let me try again. I don't know if I pushed too hard or what, the tapers did go through, but man oh man, do my lobes hurt. I can't remember if the 2g tapers hurt this much.. I do remember them hurting but I can't gauge where the pain is on my personal scale or whatever (ha, I said I can't gauge it.. get it.. gauge.. ok I'm lame). In general I've heard bigger sizes are supposed to go in with minimal discomfort, but even the piercer who was stretching them for me before told me to expect some pain, and to expect more than I've experienced with piercings, especially now that I'm finally at 0g. Basically after this huge message, my question is, I'll get through the night, and I don't seem to be bleeding, but should I be majorly concerned? I don't want my ears getting deformed or like "cat butts" lol. I haven't actually seen what these cat butt ears look like but I've read enough about them to know I don't want them. So apart from Spectro Jel in the shower and sea salt, is there something I should be doing here? Should I put my 2g plugs back in? Should I be concerned??? I'd use Vitamin E oil but only after a few days when the hole is no longer sore.. I find it waaaay more difficult to get my jewelry back in with oil or lube.

I don't know if this is helpful but.. I have many piercings.. and not just in my ears and face but..... elsewhere. So I'm not a stranger to this kind of pain, and I can handle it. I'm just not sure if this is some sign that I am screwing up my ears. If it's fine, then great. If it's not, then I'd like to get to repairing the situation ASAP. All of my BM work has always been done by professionals, so I guess I'm just a little scared to be doing this myself especially since I don't know anyone with stretched ears to lend me some advice and all my info is coming from the net- with different people saying contradictory things.

Thanks in advance loves! 

ok so at the risk of feeling like I'm talking to myself, I'd just like to add that I read a coupla pages of the "how long did it take to strech to where ur at now?" thread.. and... I would just like to add here that I went from 10g to 0g in about 5 months..?!

I know, at first at least, some people were kind of unimpressed with the poster who started the thread, but... really, I had NO trouble getting to 4g. and my piercer told me to come back every 2-3 weeks when he'd order my next set of jewelry. so I was following the advice of someone who I trusted to know what he was doing being as his own lobes were stretched quite large and it is his line of work.

 Now after reading some of those posts, and seeing how long it's taken some of you, I'm even more freaked out than I was when I made the first post.

Please advise!

 First, never go back to that shop again.

Now take out your plugs and let them heal. Massages with Jojoba, Emu, Vitamin E oils will help to reduce the scar tissue that the fast stretching has surely been building up.

 In  6 months or so you can start over. Continue reading as much as you can here, so you know how to do it the right way next time.

I agree with Debzoo, but at the very least, downsize back to 2g and wait several months.  Some people tape to get to 0g and some people go to 1g first.  I would definitely take the 0g plugs out. 

Thanks for the responses, guys. I did end up taking them out around 530am cos I figured something bad happened. And yup, I have blown out my right ear a little. Anyway, I'm cool with leaving them out. But how is this gonna heal.. if I vitamin E and soak it can it just close up normally or is this what causes those cat butts???

just put Neosporin on the taper when u stretch again and it greatly helps slid in, reduce pain, and helps the healing process it worked for me