By the age of 56, treatments for Jonathan’s complex medical history had led to long operations, extensive periods in hospitals and even longer recoveries. He knew the kind of person he needed to find when researching for a consultant who best fitted his needs when an acute achilles tendon issue arose. He decided to approach Mr Vedi.
Jonathan said, “I knew I’d found the right consultant the first time we met - engaging, understanding and utterly aware of the needs and options to provide a fast, effective and lasting solution.”
They discussed options and agreed on using shockwave therapy to reduce, and possibly cure, his tendon problem. Jonathan recalls Mr Vedi describing the process as using the body’s own systems to repair itself. It was drug free and with a long history of success. Jonathan was astonished when, after 5 short sessions, the drug and pain free process restored the tendon to full use. After nearly twenty years of medications and operations he felt fortunate to have been treated without an operation and any additional drugs.
A few months later a heavy fall directly onto his left knee led him back to treatment. “My experience with Mr Vedi showed him to be someone who not only is a master of his profession but also friendly and guiding when circumstances allow. He was my first and only choice.”
So, in meeting again after such a successful outcome from the shockwave treatment, discussion flowed back onto using the body’s own resources to help with other issues. This was when Jonathan was reminded of the nSTRIDE injection. He used both Mr Vedi’s information and his own research to gain a fuller picture of what was entailed whilst he awaited results from the MRI needed to start from an informed base.
The results of his MRI showed he had advanced arthritis to both of his knees and early arthritis to both of his feet. Both knees needed arthroscopies, a delaying action to put off having knee replacement surgery.
To his way of thinking, the nSTRIDE injection became a focal point of extending the benefits of arthroscopies. With his surgery covered by his private medical insurance Jonathan quickly found that the nSTRIDE was not. His take on the discussions with his insurer was that the technique is so leading edge that it was not a treatment covered by his policy.
Mr Vedi had previously explained that it was a relatively expensive process, still in its early days and not guaranteed to provide an improvement or a lasting solution – and almost certainly not covered by insurance. Nonetheless, Jonathan’s focus was on recovering some of the missing elements of his life that were important to him.
So, after chatting through the options Jonathan went forward with operations staggered five months apart with his mind already fixed on the arthroscopies being a preparation for the nSTRIDE treatment.
A skiing accident twenty years previously, had led to a jointly twisted and slowly collapsing spine, a near heart attack, an acute form of leukaemia and a combination of other less dramatic incidents. He could no longer follow his main passions, to ski, ride, race, sail or run and was determined to get as much of his life back as possible which included having knees that worked.
It was at BMI Bishops Wood Hospital in Northwood, that Jonathan had nSTRIDE injections into both knees at the same attendance. This came seven months and three months respectively after his arthroscopies.
Recovery for the earlier knee came first, followed sometime later by the later knee. Jonathan already knew that some people recovered almost immediately, others took longer and that very few felt little improvement. Every knock, twist, locking was a concern. But six months on, having followed his physiotherapy programme, Jonathan has recovered substantially.
He concludes, “It’s eight months since I had the nSTRIDE treatment and it has been around four months since the second knee finally got up to the same standard as the first. I am pain free despite being overweight and likely putting the knees through more than anyone would normally expect. I simply couldn’t put a price on having pain free mobility and no more sleepless nights. Investing in my knees and putting my faith in Mr Vedi has truly paid dividends. Generally money is something I freely save, and reluctantly spend. But in this case, it is definitely one of the best choices I have ever made. I would have paid double the money if I’d known how effective the nSTRIDE injections would be - no drugs, zero pain: hope and happiness have returned.
“Thank-you Mr Vedi. You have completely changed my life for the better. I have recommended both you personally and the nSTRIDE procedure when close family and friends have raised similar concerns.”