On this day, 17th November 2009, I was making a journey on a hospital trolley, to have an operation...The porter came & wheeled me off the ward & I was taken to the pre operation room, to wait until my allocated time for my operation... Was I was nervous, Oh yes!!, i was thinking am I doing the right thing? would everything go well?.. The porter put my bed to the side of a young man with learning difficulties, he was also waiting for an operation. He was really scared & wanted to go home.. I started talking to him, telling him that I was also scared & nervous & did he want me to hold his hand, he did. I carried on talking to him & holding his hand, until they came & took him for his operation & reassured him that he would be okay... I often wonder how he went on.. My turn came not long after this young man had gone, to go for my operation, one that would change my world for me. It was an operation for a COCHLEAR IMPLANT, a small bit of Technology, that hopefully would help me to hear again.. I remember the nurse asking me if I was okay & stroking my hand, whilst the Anaesthetist put me under ready for my operation... A few hours later,a nurse woke me up, I was very woozy with a bandaged head & was a little sore... The operation had gone well... It had more than gone well it was a success... This wonderful bit of Technology from ADVANCED BIONICS which had been implanted into my Cochlear & the side of my head, would help me to hear again. Something I hadn't been able to do since I was 5yrs old.. When I put on my Processor (the hearing part) it brings me into the special world of hearing.. Something that a lot of people take for granted, which is so precious.. My hearing will never be as good as a person who hears well, but! it now enables me to be able to have a conversation with someone without having to constantly lip read... I consider myself very lucky to be able to hear things that I haven't heard for over 52yrs, things that I couldn't remember & my brain had to re-learn these sounds... I also consider myself very lucky that technology had advanced that much in recent years that i found the Cochlear Implant that was best for me... THANKYOU SO MUCH ADVANCED BIONICS... I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU... ALSO TO THE SURGEON WHO DID MY OPERATION... XXX I am now retired and look after my young grandchildren. I enjoy reading, going to the cinema, theatre, restaurants, social functions and going for walks with my dog. I enjoy meeting new people and can usually interact with everyone I meet. I have quite a few hobbies, dressmaking, soft furnishings, baking etc.