Confronting Cancer My Way

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

December 23, 2019

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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/

 

 

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Ups & Downs
Cancer Journey Update

Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist

November 18, 2019

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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

 

 

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