As a train conductor and enthusiastic hill walker, 54-year-old Mark Learoyd is used to spending a significant amount of time on his feet. However, years of wearing heavy, steel toe capped boots to work, combined with the amount of walking he was doing outside of work, resulted in him suffering from tendonitis. Despite several visits to his GP, the problem persisted and, in May 2018, the pain became so severe that Mark was forced to take time off work to recover.
His employer’s occupational health provider referred Mark to Leeds’ leading occupational physiotherapy company, Physio Med.
After assessing Mark, Physio Med’s Clinical Director, Mark Fletcher, recommended a course of physiotherapy treatment. However, while on holiday in Turkey shortly after his assessment, Mark’s pain increased significantly and he found his calf had become solid, leaving him almost immobile. Once back in the UK, Mark returned to Physio Med for treatment but, upon seeing his swollen calf, Mark Fletcher recommended that he attend A&E immediately, fearing another problem more pressing than tendonitis was presenting itself – potentially fatal deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Doctors confirmed that Mark had indeed contracted DVT and, after six and a half hours in the hospital, he was sent home to recover, where he’s been ever since.
Mark said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that Mark Fletcher probably saved my life. If he hadn’t correctly diagnosed the problem in my calf, I’d have gone on believing it was just a problem related to my tendonitis and there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be here today. It’s testament to Physio Med that its Clinical Director was able to identify a problem I didn’t even realise I had while preparing to treat me for another issue!
“The first thing I’m going to do once my DVT is sorted is head back to Physio Med to thank Mark again. And finally get my tendonitis treated!”
