The day I signed my life away

1st July 2008: I was offered a cochlear implant today! I wasn’t expecting the surgeon Mr Axon to be so direct and so I was totally blown away when I heard “we’d like to offer you a cochlear implant” and he sat there with an expectant look on his face. I couldn’t answer him there and then so I asked him for some thinking time, meaning a day or so. He clearly wasn’t expecting this but accepted it. I left the consultation room and sat in the corridor with my boyfriend. We talked together and also talked to a member of the Emmeline team and after a few tears I finally decided to do it and said yes to the staff member. I felt sick and anxious for the rest of the day and my boyfriend was a huge strength in keeping me up and relaxed about it all. I just have to not think about it and it’s absolutely fine.