Having an Op

They say you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family. However, if I did have the choice, I'd choose the one I've got.  My family has stood by me through thick and thin, through crying when I'm fed up with being me, to laughing when I've achieved something.

Recently they have been there a lot, because this summer I am going to have an BIG operation and we've had to go through numerous appointments with the surgeon and also the clinical psychologist.  I know that I wouldn't have been able to agree to the operation without my parents and family's support. They've been great.

A couple of days ago, my mum and I went to the psychologist, and there was some bad news. We'd arranged for the operation to be on 2nd July 2007, only now the surgeon was going to be on holiday all July, so he was only able to do the operation in August or before July. However, I am doing my GCSE's this year, and we thought that we wouldn't be able to do it before July because of my exams. But I didn't want to wait until August to have this operation because I've waited two years already and don't want to wait any longer.

So I said that if I couldn't have the op before July, I wouldn't have it.  So, we were in a bit of a pickle. However, my mum's auntie works with the AQA examination board, and after an hour of talking on the phone, she was able to tell us if I'd have an exam during the last week of June and she's 99% sure that I won't have.  I don't know what I'd have done if I'd had to wait until August. But it's the fact that my parents did all they could to make my wish come true. O.K, they may be pains sometimes, but you'd be nowhere without them.

I think that I've learnt an important lesson this week. Every cloud has a silver lining. Even when you think that the whole world's turned against you, something good will come of it. Now, I have less time to wait to get the face I always wanted!

Jessica, aged 16