OK, I'll bite. Embarassing? Or stupid? I dunno. Anyway, I've needed to get a hole in my ear drum patched for several months. Only problem is that I can't fly for 8 weeks after the surgery. Had it all scheduled for early November. But... A couple of trips got cancelled this summer which made requalifying out of the question (by November). So I did what any normal Flyertalker would do and cancelled the surgery to give me more time for some 'extra' flights in November! If all goes well, I'll go under the knife in early December.
BTW, having a hole in your eardrum isn't that bad... At least I don't have to worry about that ear 'popping'. Water sports are a definite no-no, however.
Cheers,
'toad