"my gratitude for the great care I was provided..."

I would like to express my gratitude to the team of your Podiatry Centre Artesian Health Centre of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust for the care they provided me with last Thursday. I went for my musculo-skeletal assessment appointment and was very impressed how well I was looked after! Two very polite podiatric surgeons examined my severely painful feet. Within 30 minutes your podiatrists reviewed my scans, examined my feet, identified avascular necrosis and provided me with their best possible recommendations on managing the pain. One Podiatrist has kindly reassured me that they will send a letter to my GP requesting for a referral to a foot and ankle surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital who can examined my feet in details. The podiatrists uploaded all my scans and reports into their data for future reference. I really felt safe in the hands of your team. Even knowing the fact that this disease is not treatable they made me feel very comfortable with reassurance that it can be monitored by a surgeon and maintained by hydrotherapy. This is what the patient need, a patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives! In 2012 I was diagnosed with advanced disk degeneration at St Georges’ Hospital and was prescribed by different GPs a vast array of medications for pain relief, which caused me severe side effect. In January 2013 I developed a pain in the soft tissues of my hips and was sent by GP C Baillie for isotope nuclear bone scan to Kingston Hospital. Since September last year I have been in severe pain in my feet, ankles, hips, knees and spinal cord on weight-bearing. The osteochondritis dissecans and avascular necrosis of my bones were identified by MRI and CT scans which I undergone abroad in December last year. Foot and ankle specialist dr Amin at St George’s Hospital refused to review my scans, left my disease misdiagnosed and referred me to a rheumatologist. The disease is progressing at a high rate as I am walking on my damaged feet. Since April this year I am permanently on crutches with an agonizing pain in the soles of my feet in the area of arch and heels on weight-bearing. This pain caused me impaired mobility, most of the time I keep my feet elevated. Current GP has prescribed me Oramorth and Tramadol to take simultaneously for pain relief in my feet on weight-bearing which caused me gastric pain in my upper stomach area and severe headache. Many thanks to both of your clinical specialists for their help! They really do a great job, they don’t turn patients away they take care for disabled people!