Essex pensioner, 72, is finally cured of her HUGE verruca after living with it ... trends now A pensioner who has been living with huge crippling verruca that 'smothered' her foot has finally been cured - after a whopping 56 years. The 72-year-old retired teacher, identified only as Jane, is believed to be one of the longest-suffering verruca victims ever, having been blighted by the lesion since 1964 - five years before man landed on the moon. The grandmother, from Essex, has suffered with the verruca on her right foot for longer than she’s been married to her husband of 52 years. It was even older than the couple’s two sons, aged 44 and 46, and also saw in the birth of her five grandchildren. 'Smothered': The huge verruca dominated the right foot of the Essex pensioner - known only as Jane - for almost six decades Her foot was 'smothered' by the giant plantar wart and Jane was told by podiatrists that a verruca that had persisted for this long was unheard of and ‘would never go.’ But after two years of treatments using pioneering microwave technology, which she completed in 2020, the verruca finally vanished. She said: 'When I was informed that my verruca had completely disappeared and no further treatments were required, it felt like a miracle. 'I was overjoyed to say goodbye to the verruca that had been with me since 1964.' Jane, a keen line dancer, was often left in agony by the giant verruca, which proved completely resistant to multiple treatments. She’d tried a range of treatments such as cryotherapy and acid, but nothing worked and she resigned herself to living with the painful condition for the rest of her life. Some treatments would even make the stubborn spot worse and Jane says she’d ‘pretty much lost all hope’. However she had a breakthrough when her podiatrist Matthew Bland, co-owner in Essex Podiatry, bought a pioneering skin lesion treatment. The clinic was an early adopter of the Swift technology, pioneered by Scottish health-tech firm Emblation and now being rolled out globally. But it was finally cured after two years of treatment. Pictured is the retired teacher's foot following the treatment What are verrucas, how are they caused and what should you do if you get one? Verrucas are caused by a virus and can be spread to other people from contaminated surfaces or through close skin contact. However, people are most likely to pick up a verruca if skin is wet or damaged - with swimming pools and public showers being key breeding grounds. It can take months for a wart or verruca to appear after contact with the virus and they can be challenging to get rid of. What should I do if I get a verruca? Wash you hands after touching it and change your socks daily if you have one. Ensure all verrucas are covered witha plaster when swimming. Things I should NOT do with a verruca Never share towels, flannels, socks or shoes if you have a verruca and don't walk barefoot in public places. Avoid picking or scratching at it. Advertisement And after ten treatments, Jane was finally given the all clear and has been pain free for two years since her treatment ended. She added: 'I felt like I had nothing to lose. I was absolutely delighted when I started to notice a visible difference.' Matthew was also delighted with the results, after several years of fighting a losing battle against Jane’s treatment-resistant verruca. He said: 'I had never seen anything like this in my 24 years of podiatry. It is not uncommon for a patient to have had a verruca for 10 or even 15 years, but over 50 years is unheard of. 'It covered most of the ball of her foot and toes, the patches were huge. 'A verruca, especially one of this size, can cause all sorts of immobility issues, which can then have a severe effect on a person’s circulation 'Having trialled every treatment under the sun and with no effective cure, all I could do was remove the painful corns the verruca had grown at each appointment to stop it from increasing in size, but it wouldn’t reduce the pain. 'Jane was constantly aware of the pain. She felt it all the time, especially when walking and partaking in any activities. 'Her love for line dancing meant she battled through, but it must have been challenging.' After buying a Swift device for his clinic, Matthew immediately started to see superb results when treating lesser verrucae for other patients. And he realised the device could be the answer to Jane’s prayers. Matthew added: 'The results were miraculous. The skin tone around Jane’s verruca had changed - that’s when you know that something is happening. Slowly, it started to fade before disappearing in its entirety. 'It is hard to describe someone looking as happy as Jane, at the time. It is a great buzz for a clinician - it felt like I was ticking the box of a huge achievement.' The clinic has now treated over 330 people with the device. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility