…but fate led her to a good professional…
Ági Benkő from Szeged’s weekend plans started out as a pleasant summer evening when she went to a garden party eleven years ago. When she got home, after taking a bath, she noticed three “birthmarks” that she had never seen before. She probably owes a lot to the fact that she didn’t just brush it off, but took a closer look at the three black spots and realised she had to act immediately.
It was immediately obvious that these were ticks. One was on the back of my left knee, another on the inside of my right thigh, and the third on my left groin. I didn’t hesitate and immediately removed all three ticks, but as it turned out later, it was too late for one of them because it had already infected me.
How did this come to light?
A week later, a red spot appeared on my right thigh. It didn’t resemble the familiar bow-tie shape, but it was visibly getting bigger and redder. At first it was only about 10 centimetres in size, but then it started to grow rapidly, and in the end it almost covered my entire thigh.
Did you go to the doctor?
As soon as I saw the first small red spot, I started reading up on what it could be and immediately went to the dermatologist on call. He reassured me that there was no need to worry, as these ticks are not infectious. The next day, when the spot had become huge, I went back, and they still said there was nothing to worry about, that it was definitely not a tick but just a harmless insect bite. I didn’t believe him, so I continued browsing the internet, and based on what I read there, I went to the infectious disease clinic in Szeged the very next day. There, the doctor looked at the spot and said she didn’t even need to examine me, it was Lyme disease.
How many days after the tick bite did you receive this diagnosis?
About 10 days.
You were very lucky that they figured out what was wrong so quickly; others often have to wait years for an accurate diagnosis… What treatment did you receive?
The doctor prescribed a three-week course of high-dose antibiotics, but the problem was that she didn’t prepare me for the possible side effects. One evening, I felt very ill, my blood pressure was high, my heart rate skyrocketed, and I thought I was going to die. An ambulance took me to the clinic in Szeged, where all my readings came back negative. It turned out I had had a panic attack, which recurred several times later. I didn’t know if this was related to the treatment or my illness, but I decided to consult a doctor who was an experienced expert on Lyme disease. So I came to Budapest and sought out Dr Klára Esztó. Based on my test results and symptoms, she said that the treatment had caused the bacteria to attack my nervous system, which was why I was feeling unwell and had panic attacks.
Did you finally find the right treatment in Budapest?
For five years, I still had a lot of nervous system symptoms. In addition to panic attacks, I often had episodes of depression, I became forgetful, I couldn’t find the words, I couldn’t understand what I was reading, and my handwriting deteriorated badly. I felt as if my body and soul had separated, as if I were a prisoner of myself. These were terrible feelings. Of course, I was receiving regular treatment throughout this time. I was given many different types of medication and underwent more than a dozen courses of treatment. They must have been effective because, although I still have bad days very rarely, I have been largely symptom-free for six years.
Has the disease changed your life?
Not really. Perhaps I live a little healthier, as I know I need to support my immune system. I didn’t have to give up my job either, as my boss was very understanding. I was lucky, I know it’s much harder for other Lyme disease sufferers. For a long time, they don’t know what’s wrong with them, they just go from doctor to doctor, who also can’t figure out the real disease, but label them as hysterical, anxious, hypochondriacs. They are sent to psychiatrists and given mood enhancers. It’s awful.
What advice would you give them?
Don’t give up! Find Dr Esztó! Trust her, because she is our saviour!
Source: weborvos.hu
