I was never the most confident person to begin with. I think it had to do with the kids at school always making fun of my big ears. They would never let up. Day in and day out, they would terrorise me about my ?Dumbo? ears. It is memories like this which stick with you for a long, long time. Luckily for me, I matured and have grown to be a success, capable of changing myself in any way I see fit. My wife is beautiful, I own a massive house on the beach and my future is basically secured. The option to have plastic surgery then was a personal one as I needed to fulfil a partially selfish lifelong dream.

Firstly, I considered my options. Pinning back my ears is a fairly easy procedure according to the surgeon I consulted with. She confessed that with the correct care and rest, my bruises and pain would disappear after less than three weeks. The procedure would work like this: incisions are made in the fold of the ear and a special tool is used to pin the ears back. The whole process takes less than two hours and it can be done under local aesthetic during my lunchtime. I immediately agreed and confirmed a surgical date, shook her hand and went back to my car, pondering what my new appearance would be like.

Now, it only comes down to the price. Medical Aid would never cover a cosmetic procedure and I did not have the money to fully pay for my surgery, despite my mild success. R40, 000 was the approximate price and with my credit card already being maxed to the limit, I almost ran out of options. Then it struck me. I needed a personal loan. Yes, that's the ticket. I hopped onto my laptop, searched for ?plastic surgery finance? and a myriad of websites popped up. I selected the first one on the list and read about its terms of finance. Using the online calculator provided, I managed to settle on a low per monthly cost for my procedure, one that I could forget about when attached to my credit card bill. The phone number was clearly displayed and I called them up to discuss a possibility of applying for a personal loan. The customer service assistant who I gave my information to was prompt and helpful, promising me that a decision regarding my loan would be decided on in less than an hour. Madness, I thought. Yet he promised me that it was indeed true and after the call ended, I nervously waited for the happy news. An hour later, my phone rang with the good news. I was approved! My monthly bill would go directly to them (the personal loan providers)and they would handle the allocation of the money, leaving me to relax and concentrate on my upcoming surgery.

Two weeks later, I was lying on an operating table with marks on my ears, showing the surgeon where the incisions would be made. As the anaesthesiologist made me count backwards from 100, I dreamed of my new ears pinned back in all their plain glory. A haze filled me as I was sucked into unconsciousness.

I awoke in the middle of a hallway; my ears tightly bandaged and a massive pain racked my entire head. A grey, indistinct shape lurched towards me, propping my head up and shoving pills into my mouth. A voice whispered, ?relax? and I passed out once more. The second time I woke, I was in my semi-private room and my tear-filled wife was sitting next to me, holding my limp hand. My surgeon was to the left of me and explained that the operation went very well and that a nurse had given me strong pain medication in order to keep me from suffering too badly. As my room emptied, I thanked my lucky stars for medical loan providers and the opportunity they had provided me. I felt like a new man, fashioned by science and pioneered by the desire to change. And without this medical loan, I would not have been able to smile as wide as I do today.