My Roller Coaster Cancer Journey
– March 2022 Update –

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

March 13, 2022 [printfriendly]

Starting at the end of June 2021, life for me has been a roller coaster ride. My body has been challenged like at no other time – complications with my immunotherapy, fighting external viruses, dealing with body pain, and plummeting into depths of depression.

As a quick recap, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in September of 2018, following what I thought was an extremely healthy lifestyle the previous 6 years. My oncologist gave me 3-6 months to live if I did nothing. I rejected chemotherapy and used my medical background and research to develop what I now call my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols.

This approach was not without setbacks, as I found myself in Hospice for end-of-life care in 2019. However, as you know, that was NOT the end of my story. I adjusted my approach with my continued research, and I began thriving.

However, these last 9 months have been bordering on horrific. I always try to keep an upbeat tone when I share my findings with you, but I also believe it’s important to be transparent and real. I look forward to the day when I can say, “I’m thriving again!”.

Here’s what’s been going on behind the scenes:

 

My Strength

My first pillar of strength has been my astonishing wife. And once again, she has come through with flying colors. But I can tell you, “I don’t make it easy for her.” I’ve been known to be a pain in the ass.

In addition, my oncologist stands out as stellar in his own right.

He is the most empathetic and committed medical professional I know. He is a conventional, allopathic specialist who practices in a large oncology group where I live. I dare not tell you his name, because he must follow the standard of care for his cancer patients or else his practice and most likely the medical licensing board would end his career if he deviated. But he always is interested in my “out of the box” thinking and the research I have put into my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols.

After my diagnosis in 2018, I have been adhering to my protocols, which have served me well. But by the end of June 2021, my path became repeatedly choppy.

 

June – September 2021

A botched injection of my monthly immunotherapy on June 22, 2021, may have weakened my body’s defenses. I wrote all about it HERE.

At first, I thought I developed severe side effects from this monoclonal antibody called Darzalex. (Darzalex is a human-derived monoclonal antibody that attaches itself to a specific protein on the surface of malignant plasma cells. Then the body’s immune system can eat up these tagged malignant plasma cells.)

But what developed by the beginning of July was far worse and more complicated.

Early in July, I developed a sore throat and cough. I used my Bee Propolis Spray and Nebulized 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide saline that took care of those symptoms. Then almost immediately after that I experienced extreme exhaustion, overall muscle and intense joint pain, and headaches which just got worse. And then there was diarrhea, which I don’t deal with very well.

I never had a fever, loss of taste, or loss of smell.

These “side effects” started deteriorating my body. My oncologist believed that the exaggerated symptoms were the compounding effects from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It made sense that my body was weakened from the recent immunotherapy injection, and I was more susceptible to contracting the virus.

But it is difficult to determine what is going on for some patients with multiple myeloma. Since multiple myeloma produces dysfunctional antibodies, my immunoglobulins are not functioning as those would be for someone without cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow.

Shortly after developing all my symptoms, I had my monthly blood work drawn. My CBC showed lower than normal hemoglobin. I had a significant rise in my neutrophil count and a significant drop in my lymphocyte count. My blood chemistries showed increased serum calcium and elevated alkaline phosphatase. My immunofluorescent blood work showed a spike in my serum dysfunctional IgA antibodies. It was bizarre, but all these biomarkers were moving in the wrong direction after July 2021. This had not happened before.

 

October – November 2021

Again, I returned to my specialist’s office on 10/19/21 for a round of new blood work. At that time, he also scheduled me for a new PET Scan on 10/26/21.

The most compelling biomarker that suggested I had COVID was my NLR, which was skyrocketing when I had another CBC drawn on 11/2/21.

NLR is the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio. It is a reliable blood marker for systemic inflammation and a most robust marker for COVID. A severely high NLR has been reported in various recent medical papers to be a hallmark of severe COVID-19.

A normal NLR is between 1:1 and 3:1. In this published study, the average NLR for hospitalized COVID patients was 6.15. When that ratio rose above 8.17 in the study, the risk of death increased. Strikingly, my NLR on 11/2/21 was 42.0 – a seriously disturbing level!

But I never had to be hospitalized. My efforts to support my immune system have played an important part in my body’s ability to heal – albeit slowly.

Another tool in the toolbox is the PET Scan. When I had my PET Scan on 10/26/21, it showed that my multiple myeloma had become slightly-to-moderately activated again and centralized in my colon area, lower spine, and pelvis.

Did all this start with a botched immunotherapy injection at the end of June? Was COVID causing havoc with my physical body, my bloodwork, as well as my multiple myeloma? The answers seem to be, “YES!”

I became very depressed.

I remember in September 2018 I was at the oncologist’s office for the very first time. My wife and adult children were at this appointment. The oncologist told me of my diagnosis and prognosis. After we discussed the options of chemo and other treatment, he said that eventually all meds eventually would prove ineffective. Then, I would succumb to the manifestations of multiple myeloma.

Was this the end? Was I going downhill for the last time? Good thoughts were replaced by dark, destructive, negative energies.

 

December 2021 – January 2022

Once again, my wife pulled me out of the abyss of depression by my bootstraps and set me straight. She has been my guiding light and pillar of strength since we married in 1969. And certainly, since my cancer diagnosis in 2018, she has been my partner in my cancer journey.

I continued with all my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols, but I added two new elements that I believe can assist in healing my body – colostrum and hydrogen-rich water.

I also began another round of my monthly immunotherapy (i.e., Darzalex FasPro) on 1/4/22 since I thought I was recovering well from the COVID symptoms.

 

Colostrum

I wrote about my experiment with eating Colostrum-6 every day. There is an abundance of research touting the health benefits of colostrum, especially with healing the gut. And you know how much emphasis I place on a healthy gut for overall health and immune support.

 

Hydrogen-Rich Water

I also wrote about another new pet research project of mine, molecular hydrogen. There are over 15 years of published medical articles about its ability to bring the body back into a state of balance or homeostasis. At high levels of concentration, molecular hydrogen dissolved in water may produce significant clinical benefits. This study describes the benefits for adults over the age of 70.

Two of the most interesting aspects of high-dose molecular hydrogen dissolved in drinking water (16PPM) is that it is a discriminating free-radical scavenger and an anti-inflammatory agent.

The emphasis is on discriminating. That means it does not destroy the good free radicals that the body creates for many biologically necessary functions. It only neutralizes the excessive free radicals and the most dangerous of them.

 

February – March 2022

Assuming that the immunotherapy would be OK, I had another injection on 2/1/22.

I was wrong!

I once again developed serious side effects. My joints and muscles became extremely painful, and I had difficulty raising my arms and walking. My shoulder joints became frozen” (adhesive capsulitis).

I felt debilitated and incapacitated.

On 2/28/22, I had a new PET Scan. And on 3/1/22, I had new blood work and an appointment with my oncologist. He reviewed that day’s blood work and the results of the PET Scan from the previous day.

This was a crucial day in my Cancer Journey.

He told me that my Darzalex FasPro subcutaneous injections have exceeded the risk-benefit ratio. And my blood work and symptoms were reflecting this toxicity.

It now appeared that my symptoms beginning after my botched Darzalex injection on 6/22/21 and then reappearing after this last round of Darzalex on 2/1/22 were directly related to the severe and compounding side effects of Darzalex along with the underlying and lingering effects of COVID-19.

Both of which woke up my cancer, which was confirmed in my newest PET Scan taken on 2/28/22.

The Scan showed a continuation of the resurgence of multiple myeloma spreading to other areas. Through no fault of my own, but rather the fault of Darzalex’s side effects and the SARS-CoV-2 Virus, the bone marrow cancer was rearing up its ugly head.

I had to consider my next steps and options.

 

Next Steps & Options

  • I could not be in denial.
  • I could not get depressed.
  • I had to maintain the proactive attitude that brought me to where I was before June 22, 2021, when all these problems started.
  • I knew I would no longer put Darzalex into my body.

My oncologist suggested chemo, but I once again declined. Here’s why …

At my diagnosis in 2018, I rejected chemo because my quality of life could have been significantly decreased with the chemo. And quality of life meant more to me than longevity with increasingly debilitating symptoms.

Chemo cocktails are a potentially damaging combination of chemicals which can disturb all biological functions as well as everything I have been doing to support my immune system.

I am not in agreement with other conventional specialists who have said that chemo is the only answer. The side effects, which are numerous, are testaments to the fact that the recommended chemotherapy drugs have produced serious complications for some patients. The response to my concerns from many allopathic oncologists is that there are always other meds to offset the side effects from chemotherapy.

However, I can’t rationalize that statement. I can’t make any sense of it in my head because my goal is to allow my immune system to do what it can do to heal my body. The last thing I want to do is disturb and short circuit my body’s biochemical functions.

So, I know that following my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols will assist my body in healing as best as possible – just as it did in the past. I have no expectation that my Protocols will take me into remission or cure this bone marrow cancer.

A greater power than I am able to comprehend has created the human machine I call “me”. This omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, cosmic energy source made “me” perfectly balanced and functional. Why would I hamper “me” from doing what it was designed to do by God? I have a strong spiritual belief that I am here on this Earth in this body to learn important lessons, and my cancer journey is a significant part of those lessons.

 

Naysayers Have Nothing on my Support System

Although my wife is there to encourage me, I don’t always get love from everyone.

For example, when I publish my cancer journey updates on some social media sites, some individuals leave their comments in capital letters like they’re screaming at me.  Recent comments have been …

  • “GET THE HELL OFF THIS SITE”
  • “YOU’RE KILLING PEOPLE BY TELLING THEM TO EAT RED MEAT”
  • “YOU’RE A FAKE AND A SCAM ARTIST”

Generally, the most vitriolic comments are coming from those who shout,

  • “BECOME A VEGAN IF YOU WANT TO CURE YOUR CANCER”

 

Where Am I Going?

I don’t know.

I do know where I want to go. And I have the motivation and attitude to get there.

By stopping the offending Darzalex and continuing with all my 10 Unconventional Cancer Protocols, I expect to get back to “my normal”.

I realize that multiple myeloma is real and spreading in my body. But I also realize that my body has the potential to assist the fight without any outside chemical side effects.

One of the excellent investigative journalists I regularly follow on an uncensored social media site says, “The virus is gonna virus”. I’ll take his insight one step further and say, “The cancer is gonna cancer”.

I continue to forge ahead and always am looking to tweak my Protocols with methods to enhance my existing immune system to become the best it can be under my current circumstances. I still am dealing with lingering bone pain. But I’m working on that.

And I am moving forward with great expectations and abundance of proof that what I have done in the past has worked and will produce excellent benefits for me as time moves on.

Again, I must emphasize that I do not have a cure for cancer, and what I am doing for myself is my own personal journey. My goal is to be transparent and candid about my experiences – both good and bad.

Of course, my awesome wife is always by my side, and my empathetic oncologist is rooting me on.

 

Schedule a ”30-Minute Free Consult” with me to answer some of your questions and determine if we are a good fit for a coaching program! CLICK HERE.

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my Free “Belly Bites” Newsletter and receive your free copy of Dr Al’s “5 Things That Could Be Impacting Your Health Right Now” HERE.

Confronting Cancer My Way

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

December 23, 2019 [printfriendly]

 

 

 

Confronting Cancer My Way

 

I’m on top of my game! To my knowledge, I am the only one who has done what I have done in the way I have done it. My unconventional cancer journey – a journey I have personally researched to help my body’s healing potential – is unfolding in a positive way.

 

Below, I’ll update my journey and also explain how medical research is showing promise by conflating successful immunotherapy with a healthy gut. I’m confronting this cancer my way.

 

 

Update on My Cancer Journey

There was no “clinical trial” to test if my protocols would work together the way I have integrated them. In my real-life journey, there is no control group. I am the only one who makes up the “experimental group”.

 

Most of my followers know that my health challenge has been, and currently is, IgA Kappa Light Chain Multiple Myeloma with innumerable lytic skeleton lesions. The conventional medical prognosis presented to me in September 2018 suggested that I could be dead by the end of 2018. To the surprise of most, I am still alive. And my conventional oncologist is still scratching his head!

 

It hasn’t been easy for me. All my setbacks involved pathological bone fractures. “Pathological fractures” are caused by a disease, rather than by an injury. They were results of my weakened skeleton unable to support the weight and pressure from my body. An awkward “twist” here or an unexpected “bend” there could break a bone. As you might imagine, each fracture was accompanied by excruciating pain. Yet, I have recovered from them amazingly well.

 

My journey started when I was diagnosed in September 2018. Originally, I thought I was having soreness from over exercising when I went to my physician to be examined. Obviously, I got it all wrong.

 

An MRI revealed a 2-centimeter soft tissue mass adjacent to my spinal column in the area of T6, which was later determined to consist of malignant plasma cells. In addition, a CT scan showed compression fractures in two vertebrae (T4 and T5), traumatic fractures of two ribs, and a hairline fracture in my pelvis.

 

After being diagnosed with incurable bone marrow cancer, I researched and created an integrated number of protocols to help my body heal without chemotherapy. Since then, I’ve tweaked my protocols frequently. My chemistries stayed relatively stable with some fluctuations, but I never went into remission. Also, I never was able to get a handle on my vulnerable bone situation.

 

In March 2019, I experienced another vertebral compression fracture in L3. That was followed in August 2019 by a complete fracture in both my right femur and right humerus. My last pathological fracture was a break in the lesser trochanter of my left femur in October 2019.

 

Let me tell you, “I have had enough, thank you very much!” Too many times in the ER lying on a gurney. I’m over that.

 

 

Immunotherapy

As I discover more research that looks promising to me, I make changes in my Daily Cancer Protocols. Recently, I added two human-based monoclonal antibody immunotherapies to my unconventional protocols at the suggestion of my conventional oncologist:

 

  • XGEVA is targeting a specific protein that is causing my bones to weaken. Its goal is to stop this protein’s action.
  • Darzalex is targeting a specific protein on the surface of malignant plasma cells. Its goal is to cause the cancer cells to die.

 

Furthermore, I am encouraged by recent medical research that immunotherapies might be enhanced by a healthy gut microbiome.[1],[2],[3] Wouldn’t it be awesome if my Aggressive Cancer Protocol to Restore a Healthy Gut is exactly what XGEVA and Darzalex require to send me into remission? It is just my conjecture, but what if? (Send me an email, and I will send you the PDF of my Aggressive Cancer Protocol to Restore a Healthy Gut: Dr.Danenberg@iCloud.com)

 

So, now I am excitedly anticipating a potential “confirmation”. Current blood work is suggesting that my cancer may be going into remission! The next couple months should tell the tale.

 

 

My Goals

The day I learned of my diagnosis in 2018, my goals during my unconventional cancer journey have been primarily to maintain a quality of life and to allow my body to heal itself. All along, my quality of life has been uppermost on my agenda. Today, I’m adding another goal – to become the 72-year-old “Primal-Health Cancer-Survivor Poster Boy”.

 

As I’ve said, I am doing amazingly well.

 

Before my pathological fractures, I was doing most of the Paleo cooking in our home. While somewhat incapacitated after my fracture setbacks, I wasn’t the chief cook any longer. Now, I’m back to preparing my original favorite Paleo recipes for my wife and me. Yum!

 

Also, I have started walking about a half-mile outside a few days a week. I also do stretches in my home along with leg exercises, upper body exercises, and half-squats. Unfortunately for the foreseeable future, I will not be able to do my previous pullups, pushups, and planks because of my fragile skeleton. But that’s OK for now.

 

I can’t drive at this point, but I may be able to get back to driving after more physical therapy. Currently, I am an annoying backseat driver for my wife. She is ready to kick me out of the car the next time I say anything about her driving. I’ll keep my mouth shut.

 

Professionally, I have been, and continue to be, interviewed by some very prominent podcasters concerning my unconventional cancer journey and my research into gut dysbiosis and various chronic diseases, including dental diseases of course.

 

Also, the chapter I’ve been requested to write for an upcoming, peer-reviewed medical textbook has been accepted and will be published in late 2020 or early 2021. My chapter is titled,The Etiology of Gut Dysbiosis and its Role in Chronic Disease”, which includes about 9,200 words with 205 cited peer-reviewed medical papers.

 

 

My Message to You

The reason I bare my personal trials, attitude, and accomplishments is to make you aware. I want to show you how I am taking a devastating diagnosis and prognosis and turning it into something through which I not only can live but from which I also might grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. I have a proactive attitude that is moving me forward with gratitude and anticipation. My challenge – beating this cancer – is one I am confronting my way.

 

While I am prepared to die if it is my time, I am empowering myself to live a quality life with meaning and relevance. You too can be proactive as I am if you are dealing with a life-threatening decision. Get all the facts from all possible sources to guide you in your journey, and always see the glass of life as half-full rather than half-empty. Confront your challenge with knowledge and conviction to succeed.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6529202/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471869/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6580757/

 

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my email alert list here.

Buy My Book

Crazy-Good Living

Ups & Downs
Cancer Journey Update

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

November 18, 2019 [printfriendly]

 

 

Ups & Downs

 

It has been 14 months since I was given 3-6 months to live. The form of multiple myeloma with which I am challenged today is considered incurable by modern conventional medicine. My integrative protocols to support my natural healing have been successful in maintaining my quality of life during this very difficult time. My chemistries have stayed relatively stable with some ups and downs since my diagnosis. However, my bone structure, which was noted to be severely compromised when I was diagnosed in September 2018, has caused my major setbacks.

 

My fragile bone has been the one aspect of my bone marrow cancer that has eluded me. I have not been able to remineralize the “innumerable lytic lesions” within my bones that were visualized on my original CT Scan. For you to get a visual of what my skeleton looks like, think of Swiss Cheese with all the holes scattered throughout the slices. The number of these holes or “lytic lesions” are numerous in my bone structure. My bone looks like a person with severe osteoporosis. These bones are susceptible to pathological fractures, of which I have had many.

 

For example, my right humerus was fractured in half along with my right femur when I fell on August 21, 2019. Below is an x-ray taken on 10/21/19 of my right humerus, which was not repaired but healed on its own through callus formation. Amazingly, I have good function now with my right arm. The arrow points to the healing callus, which looks like I have a “second elbow” in the center of my biceps. You can see the numerous lytic lesions in my humerus.

fractured right humerus with callus formation

 

 

New Additions to Protocol

When I saw my oncologist in October 2019, he suggested two relatively new drugs that have been approved for my specific type of multiple myeloma – XGEVA to strengthen my bones and Darzalex to kill malignant plasma cells. I’ve chosen these cutting-edge monoclonal antibodies along with my integrative non-conventional therapies to help get me to a more stable state. Monoclonal antibodies are immunotherapy drugs to specifically attack antigens that are involved with this disease.

 

I now have had 2 injections of XGEVA. This is a monthly protocol that will continue indefinitely. The injection is placed subcutaneously in my shoulder area and takes all of one minute to administer.

 

Also, I started my first infusion of Darzalex last week. The infusion protocol for Darzalex is once a week for 8 weeks, every other week for 8 additional infusions, and then one infusion every 4 weeks as needed. The infusion protocol is administered intravenously, and each session lasts approximately 4-6 hours. That is a long process!

 

 

Pursuit of My Passions

I’m updating my progress with IgA Kappa Light Chain Multiple Myeloma to help you understand that I am not allowing my cancer journey and its ups and downs to interfere with my attitude of being positive and productive. I am actively moving forward with my life’s goals, which I have placed under MY control.

 

To keep me active, I write and read and do independent research about subjects that are important to me – gut health, oral health, and various systemic chronic diseases. I also participate in Skype consults with people from all over the world discussing their gut and mouth issues as well as my unconventional cancer journey. Participating in these consults is exciting for me and offers benefit to those requesting my thoughts and information.

 

Getting the message out to the masses is one of my goals in this life. I love sharing what I have learned to support my thesis – the gut is the center of all things healthy and unhealthy in the human body. I have written a paper that was published in-part in Well Being Journal in 2018 titled, Big Bang Theory of Chronic Disease. If you would like my PDF copy, email me, and I’ll get it to you: DrDanenberg@iCloud.com.

 

Also, I have been asked to write a chapter for a medical textbook tentatively titled, Digestion, Metabolism and Immune Health. My chapter is titled, The Etiology of Gut Dysbiosis and its Role in Chronic Disease. It will be one of 22 tentatively scheduled chapters for the book.

 

Currently, I am the Principal Investigator for an ongoing double-blind study with patients who have active gum disease. The study is designed to determine the direct results on the bacteria and mitochondria in the oral cavity after the ingestion of an oral supplement taken daily for 6 weeks. The experimental supplement contains 5 spore-based probiotics and vitamin K2-MK7; the control supplement only contains cellulose. The independent clinical study is fully funded by Microbiome Labs, which has no control over the selection of patients, the progress of the study, or the ultimate results of the study.

 

 

Moving Forward

All along I have emphasized that attitude is the critical element to deal with a challenging life event. An open mind goes along with a positive attitude. My wish is to spread my motivation and zeal to those who are dealing with choices that may be overwhelming at first. Be proactive in your decision-making process. Get all your questions answered from many diverse sources. Don’t rely only on the opinion of one specialist. Go outside of the box and explore what others have done and what science is investigating. Don’t give credence to just anecdotal concepts; look at research that has been documented and duplicated.

 

For me, I strive for quality of life while incorporating protocols to heal my body as naturally as possible without destroying my immune system or other organ systems. Our bodies are amazing human machines that are influenced by diet, lifestyle, and various energy forms. All of our cells talk to one another by biochemical and electrical frequency mechanisms. My protocols integrate several out-of-the box therapies along with some of the newest, site-specific conventional medical therapies.

 

Let me close with another inspirational quote:

“No one saves us but ourselves.
No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path.”

Buddha

 

 

If you don’t want to miss out on new posts, sign up for my email alert list here.

Buy My Book

Crazy-Good Living