oh god, you have no idea how much I heard about that when I decided to get my tongue pierced. what they don't mention is that the girl did not take good care of her piercing as she should have (brushing teeth three times a day, rinsing with antibacterial mouthwash after you eat (after every single thing you eat), cleaning the piercing and the barbel, etc etc). AND she should not have removed the barbel when she had symptoms, because that just closed the piercing around the infection - she should have left it in and gone to see a doctor/nurse. This is all stuff that my piercer told me and ensured I understood before he even told me to stick out my tongue. This story should not serve to turn people away from getting their tongues pierced, but rather educate them as to the importance of choosing a reputable piercer who will tell you all that shit before he pokes a hole in you!