Question on a weird thing i pulled from my nipple ring piercing.?

Okay, I've had them for about a month and a half, and I have been taking care of them like I'm supposed to. it's just when i put them back in after cleaning, something didn't feel right in my left nipple. when i tried to take it out again to see what was wrong, the answer looked so surreal. like a plastic, nerveless tube. Me being a dumb guy, i pulled it off and out trying to figure what it was. First i wanna know what happened and what it was. if it is the inner lining of the nipple, is this going to reset the healing time on this one?