Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
November 18, 2019
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.
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
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