A logical approach brought success

In 2011, at the age of 41, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, although she had already experienced the first symptoms at the age of 16. At that time, she was not yet aware of the cause. His main symptoms were unbearable headaches, terrible fatigue and joint inflammation, mainly in his elbows. As he says, he felt like he was 100 years old, and his memory was severely impaired. In addition to these, Robert Martin had countless mysterious symptoms. He has now been symptom-free for years and agreed to talk about his experiences to share them with other patients.

In 2011, what I would describe as a terrible period began with pneumonia. I suspect that this weakened my immune system and gave free rein to the Borrelia bacteria, which had been lying dormant until then. In 1986, I was hospitalised with mysterious symptoms. I have memories of a bull’s-eye rash on one of my legs, but it was so long ago that I’m not sure. I ran in the woods for about 30 years, and during that time I removed 4-5 ticks from myself.

Yes, that’s the sad part! After my pneumonia, I visited countless doctors with my wide range of symptoms and shortness of breath. Everywhere I went, they said I was completely healthy and recommended that I see a psychologist. I simply couldn’t understand how I could feel so bad if all my lab results were good. Then I heard from an acquaintance that one of their friends had similar symptoms and it turned out that they had Lyme disease. That’s when it all clicked: the mysterious symptoms, the ticks… I went to Istenhegy and had a test done, which came back positive (for all four subspecies at the time).

I had three courses of antibiotics. Huge doses (sometimes 8500 mg/day) of two or three different antibiotics. All three courses lasted two months, with two-month breaks in between.

It would be easier to list the symptoms I didn’t have… I was very ill, but at that time I still believed I would recover. After the antibiotic treatments, that feeling began to evaporate. If anyone, I tried everything, I even went to hyperbaric therapy for a million, which was a lot of money at the time. I bought everything that other patients wrote about online that they found useful. Then I suddenly realised that nothing was working and that I was going to die. Six years of desperate struggle completely destroyed me. I didn’t want to believe that this was happening to me. I had been athletic and healthy my whole life. I was a cross-country skier and biathlete, full of hope and talent. I was progressing very well, but then, after a year of hard training, I started getting respiratory illnesses one after another at the beginning of the competition season. I fought until I was 24, but then I had to give up. A dream was lost.

I read a lot on websites all over the world. After six years, I realised that it wasn’t the “beneficial” activity of Borrelia that was making me ill, but its destruction. Every Lyme patient knows what Herx is. It is caused by the toxins of the destroyed bacteria, which is basically poisoning. I experienced it for the first time (in its most severe form) on the fourth day of my first course of antibiotics, when I rushed home from work, fell into bed and convulsed for three hours. I was terrified, it was very severe and I was unable to call for help. The intensity of the Herx reactions decreased over time, and then I realised that I had been having Herx reactions all along, only they were milder. Lyme disease sufferers usually make the mistake of thinking that being symptom-free is a sign of success. It isn’t. I thought about it, and if the discomfort is caused by the destruction of Borrelia, then it’s ultimately a good thing. How can I achieve this as often as possible? I can’t take antibiotics for years because I won’t survive. So what else causes this effect? Exercise, for example. I wasn’t the jogging type, but when I started training, I didn’t stop until my heart rate reached 200. But I had to admit that if it hadn’t saved me in 30 years, it wasn’t going to save me now. I remembered how much I used to love going to the sauna, but I stopped because I felt sick every time afterwards. Yes, the fever. I searched the internet again and found what I was looking for. An American website wrote about cold hands and feet. Lyme disease sufferers know what this is, almost everyone has it. They wrote that the human body is a little too warm for Borrelia. In order to reproduce, it needs a lower temperature, which is why it prefers to do so in the limbs. What’s even more interesting is that it can position itself in such a way as to reduce the speed of circulation in the limbs, creating an even more ideal environment for itself to reproduce. That was the moment when it dawned on me. I may not be able to eradicate it, but I can prevent it from reproducing. There are different subspecies of Borrelia with different reproductive cycles. The shortest cycle is 3-4 days, so I had to heat it up at least every 2-3 days. I started going to the sauna three times a week. Anyone who starts this should be prepared for the worst, because it’s a 6-month nightmare. One herx reaction follows another. There were times when I could barely make it home from the baths. The terrible headaches and nausea start in the changing room, and you can’t even sleep at home because of how awful you feel. Six months passed, and I was about to give up. It was terribly difficult to cope with life like this. Performing at work, raising children, dealing with everyday problems.

Then something happened. I was getting dressed after the sauna when I noticed that the regular brutal pain had eased. I thought it was just a coincidence, but from then on, the pain and nausea gradually began to subside. Then, after 11 months, the miracle happened: I said goodbye to the Herxheimer reactions for good. I continued the established practice for another month, which by then was 3 or 4 x 15 minutes in a 100-degree sauna. After 12 months, I finished. This was in 2017, and I have had no symptoms since.

To be honest… I didn’t go back to the doctor. I didn’t expect an explanation from anyone because I knew exactly what was going on.

Now that you are well, are there any long-term symptoms or conditions that require monitoring?

Perhaps one thing remains that I regret, which is that my memory is not what it used to be, but that could be attributed to my age. I think it may be the result of years of terrible headaches.

When I was diagnosed, many people gave me advice. One side was in favour of antibiotics, the other was against them. The problem was that neither side was cured. If someone had told me this at the time, and I hadn’t had to go through this nightmare, I wouldn’t have lost part of my life. I wouldn’t have had to live in fear for six years. I wouldn’t have had to endure this immeasurable pain for years. Still, looking back, I’m not sad. I live a happy life and am grateful for every moment. Perhaps I would never have been able to appreciate my life so much if this hadn’t happened.

I believe in instincts, but I admit that in this case, it didn’t work. A logical approach brought success. If I can’t kill it, I won’t let it multiply. That was the key to the solution. I should also mention that several of my friends with Lyme disease started sauna therapy, but unfortunately only two of them were able to complete the treatment. However, both of them have been completely symptom-free for years. It’s a terribly difficult thing to do; it takes willpower. As time goes by, it is easy to lose faith, which is completely understandable, but if you are persistent enough, you will get your life back. The life you gave up on long ago.