Dr. Shepard is a nice person, and for routine maintenance of issues I have no quarrel. But something went very wrong when I was given the option of having an entire toe nail removed instead of having it shaved down every few months due to an earlier trauma that caused the nail to grown outward and lumpy. I was told that no one would easily notice that I was missing the big toe nail because it would look quite natural. I was also informed that the procedure could create an infection because toe nail removal is "a messy procedure." What I was not warned about was how bad that infection could be and how the "cure" could end up being far worse than the every-few-month treatments to shave the toenail down. The infection was AWFUL--It took 3 rounds of antibiotics to finally get rid of it. I could not wear a shoe for over 3 months because of the pain. It has been over a year and a half now, and here's what I have--a toe nail that keeps frantically trying to grow back, but is flimsy, flaky, and ugly. Just as bad, my toe is discolored--kind of a purple color. I have been told this will not ever fade. In short, anyone can easily see that I have a problem on my big right toe. My bottom line message, issued by a primary care physician, is NEVER have a toe nail removed unless it is a medical NECESSITY. Mine was a choice that was offered. Bad decision! read more