I’d just been through £20,000 worth of plastic surgery including a breast enlargement, liposuction and a nose job, and I was still bruised and swollen.

I had two black eyes from having my nose broken and reset, and the last thing on my mind was socialising.

But when my best friend invited me round for dinner, I decided I could do with a night out.

My friend shared a flat with Mark Goodfellow, the man I’d secretly fancied for years and was hoping to impress with my new look.

But she assured me he’d be out that night, so I made no effort to disguise the after-effects of the surgery and just threw on some old clothes.

To my horror, Mark was sitting on the sofa when I walked in.

He looked shocked and asked: ‘What happened to you? You look terrible!’

My heart sank.

This wasn’t how I’d imagined our first meeting after my big transformation.

Mark asked about the surgery I’d had, and told me how brave he thought I was for going through with it.

He had no idea that he was the real reason I’d put myself through all the pain.

Mark and I had met four years earlier at a party, but he’d always been quite stand-offish and never paid me much attention.

Now, as I sat there looking battered and bruised, he was chatting away like we were old friends.

I know surgery is extreme, but ever since my teens I’d hated various bits of my body and longed to change them.

I’d inherited my dad’s big nose and was so self-conscious about it that I didn’t like anyone seeing my profile.

My 34B breasts were far too small, and at 5ft 2in and 9 1/2st, I’d always felt too fat.

I was constantly on a diet and went to the gym a lot, but I still couldn’t get the body I wanted.

Surgery seemed the only option, so I spent a long time researching it.

The prospect of pain was the one thing that put me off.

Despite my hang-ups about how I looked, I’d never had any problem attracting men – until I met Mark.

No matter how much I flirted, he seemed totally disinterested.

It was as though I was invisible to him, so I kept trying to think of ways to get his attention.

Then it hit me that maybe it was time to have surgery.

I was still apprehensive, but what spurred me on was the thought that if I felt I looked better, maybe Mark would too.

I work as an office administrator in Dartford and had to save for nearly a year to afford my surgery, but in February 2007 I finally booked myself into a London clinic for a full body makeover.

Over the course of two days I had my breasts enlarged to a 34DD, my nose made smaller, and liposuction on my bottom, thighs and waist.

I also had Botox around my eyes and mouth, and collagen fillers in my lips.

After surgery I was a stone lighter and had gone from a size 12 to a size 8.

This was cause for celebration, but not until the bruising and swelling had gone down.

Then, two weeks after the meeting in my best friend’s flat that night, Mark asked me out on date – and I couldn’t have been happier.

He confessed he’d always been attracted to me but had been too shy to chat to me, something I’d never considered.

When I finally admitted that he was the real reason I’d had surgery, he was shocked but flattered.

He said he thought I was beautiful before my makeover, but even sexier afterwards.

Our relationship has flourished, and we’re now planning to move in together.

I couldn’t believe it when Mark told me he had fancied me all along, but I’m still glad I had my surgery because it helped me bag the man of my dreams – just not in the way I expected!

‘I’d already fallen for pam’

Engineer Mark Goodfellow, 28, says:

I’d always liked Pam but she always seemed so self-confident that I was too shy to approach her in case she knocked me back.

It was only when I saw her after her surgery that I realised how insecure and vulnerable she really was.

When the bandages came off, I was impressed.

Although she looked even better than before, it didn’t matter.

I’d already fallen for her.

We’d been together a few months when she finally confessed that she’d gone under the knife to impress me.

I couldn’t believe it because it seemed such a drastic thing to do.

I mean, what would have happened if I really hadn’t fancied her at all?

What lengths would you go to for love? Would you be willing to spend this amount of money and put yourself through the same pain as Pam? Do you think men really appreciate this effort? Would you consider having surgery if you thought you could get the man of your dreams? Do men really mind or is is more to do with the woman’s own confidence?

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Photography: David Woolfall; Hair & Make-Up: Soula Henderson at Joy Goodman