Only an accurate diagnosis and professional treatment helped her to rediscover her former self.
Gréta Tóth-Kardos is 18 years old and is about to sit her A-levels. The Budakeszi student spends most of her life on sport and her studies; she has been doing athletics since the age of ten, competing for Vasas for quite some time, and she has also been swimming and riding horses for eleven years. Now, apart from her studies, all this has become a thing of the past, because she has been experiencing pain that has caused her life to take a significant turn – for the time being.
When did you first seek medical help, and what symptoms did you have?
The pain and stiffness began towards the end of summer 2022. It came on very suddenly; in fact, as recently as early September, I’d set a personal best in the 400-metre hurdles at the Hungarian League final, but not long after that, even my coach could see that my movement had changed because of the pain. It felt as though I’d overexerted myself during a long run. It just kept getting worse. So, in October 2022, we went to see my GP, because by then the symptoms had become severe; I could barely get out of bed, I couldn’t get dressed on my own, and I needed two people to help me get down the stairs. My GP referred me to a rheumatologist. There, they told me I had rheumatoid arthritis and that I had to stop all sport immediately; I couldn’t even attend PE lessons. They put me on steroids and methotrexate. I started to feel better, but my parents and I couldn’t get over the fact that this had happened to me.
When was your DualDur test carried out? What did it show?
As I mentioned, we spent a lot of time at home wondering what the problem might be, and that’s when it occurred to us that I might have Lyme disease, even though I didn’t have any bite marks. We went back to my GP to ask for a referral for a specific blood test. The result came back positive. My GP prescribed a week’s course of antibiotics, but in truth this didn’t make any difference. I then started to come off the steroids and methotrexate, as I’d been told that steroids aren’t good for Lyme disease – they do more harm than good. The turning point came with a chance encounter in the spring of 2023: my father was working in the woods when he bumped into Dr Béla Bózsik, who was out walking his dog. They struck up a conversation; my dad told him about my problems, and he recommended a blood test he’d developed himself: the DualDurt. We had it done, and it detected a very, very wide variety of pathogens in my blood.
What treatment did you receive?
I was given a specialised course of antibiotics; I had to take five different types of antibiotics for two months, and I also followed a meat-free diet to help reduce the inflammation.
What changes did you notice in yourself during and after the treatment? How long did it take before you began to feel a noticeable improvement in your condition?
I felt occasional, mild pain, for example in my hands and shoulders. Uncle Béla told me that this was completely normal and nothing to worry about, as my body was flushing out all the pathogens, and that was what was causing the pain. After the therapy, I was able to do almost everything just as I had before; I was full of life and thriving, and my pain had finally gone.
Can you give an example of something you were unable to do before the therapy but were able to do after your recovery?
At the end of summer 2023, we had another DualDur test carried out. This showed hardly any pathogens in my blood. We tried to tackle this further with an immune-boosting programme and medicinal mushrooms. For the time being, I’m taking these and making sure I eat a varied and healthy diet. I’ve also been able to get back into sport – though not yet at a competitive level or within a club – but I can run, jump and do all sorts of things, and I really enjoy the fact that I’m pain-free.
What would you say to those who are struggling with similar health problems and haven’t yet found the right treatment for them?
To anyone struggling with problems similar to those I faced, I would strongly recommend getting checked to see whether Lyme disease is the cause of their symptoms. It could have more serious consequences if it goes undiagnosed. And if it turns out to be Lyme disease, it can be treated, as my own example shows, since in my case the improvement has been very, very dramatic.
How would you convince those who are sceptical about non-conventional treatment methods?
Have faith in new research and methods! Who knows, it might just work; but even if it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter, because their condition won’t get any worse. That way, they’ll have the chance for a miracle to happen to them by trying the new method, just as it did for me.
(C) Lyme Borreliosis Foundation
