David and Sylvia Crome, from Dobwalls, have been married for 46 years and it is fair to say that expert help from Foot Solutions transformed their lives.
David was told by a surgeon that, in basic terms, his foot had completely collapsed. He was in constant pain and had stopped daily walks with their dog. He lost interest in visiting National Trust gardens with Sylvia, and found simple tasks like walking upstairs and getting in and out of cars diffi cult. He was offered surgery to fuse ankle and toe joints but David and his surgeon were both reluctant.
“The recovery time was anywhere up to 6 months, and I needed follow up surgery too, with an equally long period out of action,” said David. “I decided to just stay on painkillers and try to cope.”
As well as limiting his walking, that coping included changing the car for one that was easier to get into, ordering a special ‘easy to get out of’ chair and even converting part of their home to a downstairs bedroom.
Fortunately, on a shopping trip in Plymouth, Sylvia found Foot Solutions. David visited them in May, and following a thorough assessment his bespoke arch supports were ready two weeks later – with stunning results.
“It was an immediate transformation,” said David, “I rated the pain as 8 or 9 out of 10; now it was just two or three. My foot position was hugely improved and I could walk much better.”
Sylvia noticed the difference straight away: “I couldn’t believe the change,” she said, “He was two inches taller, stood straight, he lost his stoop and his shoulders were back. Before, he got short of breath so easily, due to stooping, now he is much better – all from just having the arch supports!”
Other noticeable changes include less pain in his hips and knees, and some unexpected changes that Sylvia is pleased about: “He’d become short tempered and unsociable because of the pain. Now he’s completely different. He’s more patient and interested in things, we can visit gardens, he walks the dog every day. We’ve always enjoyed doing things together, now we can do that again.”
“David’s whole personality has lifted,” says Sylvia. “My husband has got his life back, and I just can’t thank Foot Solutions enough.”
