Meeting Mr Chandrashekar completely revitalised the treatment I was receiving. I broke my fifth metatarsal in the autumn running down the stairs preparing for a trip abroad. Ironically, I was visiting shoe factories, as I am a footwear designer.

Three months passed with little significant healing. The treatment I had received before seeing Mr Chandrashekar varied widely. I just didn’t feel I was being listened to and there was no clear explanation of what was going wrong.

I spend all my days looking at feet and finding a good fit, but this was all new territory for me. Also, articulating the problem, without previous experience wasn’t easy either! I’d never broken a bone before, and though I’ve always had the knowledge that feet are the body’s foundation, now I was living proof that pain in your feet can and will affect your whole body and mind.

When I first met Suresh, he took the time to listen to me and understand what I’d been going through for those months. I actually cried, and I’m not normally a crier! But I was trying to work full-time, travel, parent and deal with this ongoing injury, all with an incessant thrum of pain. It all felt too much.

Suresh made me feel heard and he immediately took action. He offered me internal fixation and I was booked in straight away. The Covid-19 lockdown was just beginning, but Suresh managed to get me in and taken care of.

Since my surgery, I have gone from complete rest, to walking for short intervals. Mr Chandrashekar has been a calm, clear voice throughout the healing process and has always been on hand when I’ve doubted my recovery. I’ve just had my twelve-week scan and for the first time in months, we’ve seen clear and significant bone growth—my break is nearly healed!

I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and can’t wait to go for long walks again, swim, and start running again!