It doesn't really hurt that much getting the piercing done. But the healing process can be a bit of a pain, it's different for everyone but most the people I've talked to had the same experience as I did; my tongue swelled up to the size where when I'd open my mouth, I could see indents of my teeth along my tongue. It was hard to eat and when I started eating, it had to be REALLY soft food. I know people say to eat banana and ice cream and things like that but even that's hard because it's creamy and thick. So ice blocks are your best bet.