Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 16, 2020 [printfriendly]
At this time with the coronavirus pandemic upon all of us, my Unconventional Cancer Protocols are even more critical for me to follow. I am in the highest risk category for this virus to cause me harm. I’ve already returned from the edge of death. Now I am striving to stay ahead of this mysterious and potential killer virus.
My Return from the Edge
At 10 PM on August 21, 2019, I was at home brushing and flossing my teeth in my bathroom. I turned to my left to throw the used floss into my trashcan. My right foot was planted on my bathroom floor. As I twisted ninety degrees to my left, I heard a snap. In that instant, I fractured my right femur in half and collapsed onto my floor’s ceramic tile. Pain was excruciating! I screamed for my wife who was in the other room. Crumpled on my bathroom floor, I believed that the edge of death was near. My diagnosis in September 2018 was incurable bone marrow cancer called IgA Kappa Light Chain Multiple Myeloma. And I knew I already had outlived my oncologist’s original prognosis by six months.
EMS arrived within minutes and transported me to the ER.
I understood after being diagnosed that my skeleton was fragile, but I had no idea how fragile I was. Still, I was progressing well since my diagnosis while following my unconventional cancer protocols to maintain a quality of life. Then came this disaster in my bathroom.
My right femur broke like a chicken bone; 2 right ribs were broken, and my right humerus was fractured in half. I was heavily sedated. The surgeons repaired my right femur because the bone fragments could have pierced my femoral artery. My right humerus was left unset. A couple of days later, I was transported to a Hospice facility to die. I was at the end of my life.
To make matters worse, a hurricane was bearing down on Charleston, SC, on September 4, 2019. My city was preparing for a direct hit, and the Hospice facility was ordered to evacuate. The hospital had no place to send me; so, my wife scampered to find a hospital bed to be delivered ASAP to my house. I was then transported by ambulance to my home.
Basically, I was immobile, catheterized, requiring a bedpan, and lying in a hospital bed in my living room. My level of narcotic sedation made me constipated and groggy. When the hurricane hit, the power in my area went out for about 12 hours. Hospital beds are electric; so, now the bed was immobile too. No lights, no air conditioning, no phones – everything was working against me.
On the Mend
My wife, immediate family, and a few hospice nurses helped me at home. Once the hurricane passed, I had to make a decision – would I stay in Hospice or would I fight to survive? And I needed to get off all sedation meds.
My wife is an amazing woman. As an intensive care nurse, she knew of death and how to deal with those at death’s door. She saved my life. Her strength and determination helped me realize I could recover. My wife was the light at the end of the tunnel. She helped me return from the edge of death.
She arranged for an in-home nurse and a physical therapist to change my path from dying to healing. Within weeks I was able to get out of bed and then get rid of that damn catheter. My wife also helped me wean off all narcotics and related meds. By the end of September, I returned to my cancer protocols to heal my body.
With the help of my in-home physical therapist, I also was able to walk using a “rollator” not only inside my home but also outside. My recovery was rolling along amazingly well.
My oncologist was surprised and pleased with my recovery. In early October 2019, he suggested I consider two immunotherapies recently approved by the FDA for multiple myeloma, which I researched and incorporated into my cancer protocols. These were not chemotherapy drugs. They were targeted human-derived monoclonal antibodies to strengthen my bones and destroy my malignant plasma cells. Innovative medicine meets natural healing.
Then on October 16, 2019, I had another major setback when I fractured the lesser trochanter in my left femur. However, it was not as severe as my fracture in August. To help heal and recover from this fracture, I entered in-hospital physical therapy and did well. For the most part, I am a miracle on the mend both physically and mentally.
A Work in Progress
Shortly after recovering from my left femur fracture, I learned about the benefits of a Carnivore Diet for cancer patients. Once again, I delved into the science. Published case studies described how the Carnivore Diet could help patients with incurable cancers to heal. That was enough for me. So, on January 1, 2020, I changed my diet from an autoimmune Paleo-type diet to the Carnivore Diet.
I am a living example of an unfolding experiment. And I am a work in progress. All my previous events guided me to where I am today. My current blood chemistries and CBC are encouragingly positive. Specific blood tests to evaluate my malignant plasma cells also are showing significant improvement. My hope over the next few weeks is that this bone marrow cancer may go into remission. From there, who knows? I even might be able to eventually claim, “I am cured!”
As I stated at the beginning of this article, I am one in the highest risk category for the coronavirus. Importantly, I took a test two weeks ago to determine if I have increased intestinal permeability in my gut barrier membrane. “Increased intestinal permeability” is also known as a “leaky gut”. In my opinion, this is a vital test because a leaky gut is the gateway for chronic systemic inflammation and a compromised immune system. Chronic systemic inflammation and a compromised immune system are factors in the development of cancer as well as many other chronic diseases. One of the critical arenas for health, which my cancer protocols address, is the gut. Specifically, the gut’s microbiome, its mucus layer, and outer epithelial barrier must be functioning efficiently. If there is damage to my epithelial barrier, then my immune system would be compromised. I must have total control over this contingency.
The test is called the PEG 400 Permeability Test, which is not available in the US but is available in the UK as well as in Hungary. I used BioLab Ltd[1] in England for the test. I’ll have the results in another week or two, and I will write a Blog about the test, its interpretation, and my path going forward.
Physically, my life has turned around. I’m walking outside about one mile every other day. I’m also doing half-squats and modified pushups. And I’ve been able to walk up my stairs to the room-over-the-garage where I am able to use my NordicTrack Cross Country Skier once a week. I’m not going to win any athletic medals, but I am getting to move my body in healthy ways.
Based on what my oncologist tells me, there is no other patient with multiple myeloma who has done what I have done with my unconventional cancer journey. I’ve often said that I am a study of N=1. Perhaps my protocols have been successful because they provide a “shotgun approach” to get my body prepared to heal overall. My cancer protocols enhance various vital activities of my body: efficient nutrition and digestion, gut health, immune support, bone metabolism, and mitochondrial repair. I offer a PDF of my most updated cancer protocols to anyone who would like it. If you would like a copy, email me (Dr.Danenberg@iCloud.com). Caveat: My Cancer Protocols have never been proven to cure cancer. My personal research suggests that these protocols may have a positive effect on my body’s ability to heal itself. I make no other claims except this is what I am doing for myself.
[1] https://www.biolab.co.uk/docs/peginst.pdf