The Gift Within Tragedy

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

A week ago Monday, tragedy had shown its face to my family as my brother Mark passed at the age of 59. Mark was diagnosed with ALS about 18 or 20 months ago and it has been quite a journey with him during this time. As I know Mark, he would not want a fuss made over his passing and I am sure that he would want others to be aware of this tragic diagnosis of ALS and more importantly, some of the underlying challenges that we were able to uncover for him personally. This way, his tragedy can actually be a gift for somebody else.

Mark, this article is written in your honor.

I know Mark was very excited about the Ice Bucket Challenge to bring awareness to ALS in the hope of finding a cure for this tragic diagnosis. While I support bringing an awareness to this deadly and debilitating disease, I want to be very focused on the fact that I believe that this can be prevented when we look at the underlying factors. I personally wish my brother would have looked at all the underlying challenges earlier in his life because I truly believe that he would not only be alive today, but he would have never developed this disease in the first place.

You may ask how I can say this with such conviction.

So here's the story of my brother in the hope that this is a gift for one of the Depke Wellness followers or one of your friends or loved ones.

When my brother was first diagnosed, conventional medicine was trying to understand why he was have some difficulties with his speech. He was referred to a speech therapist and was provided a pharmaceutical drug that was suppose to help with his speech. Ironically I later found that one of the symptoms of this drug was neurological dysfunction. I want to be clear that I do not feel that the drug itself was the cause of Mark's challenges but it likely did not help. Once he was officially diagnosed we made it a point to get him into our clinic ASAP to take a look at the underlying factors that he was dealing with. Understand that here at Depke Wellness, we do not look at the disease or the diagnosis as the problem, we see the underlying causes as the real issue. Based on conventional medicine ALS is a somewhat diverse and decidedly mystifying disease. In more than nine out of every 10 cases diagnosed, no clear identifying cause of the disease is apparent, that is, patients lack an obvious genetic history, complete with affected family members.

So what would we look at then as a cause?

Let's first recognize that ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The key here is neurodegeneration!

This is where we found many challenges for my brother and I would estimate that you would find similar challenges for others diagnosed with ALS. Let me be very clear though, you want to understand these keys before you are living with the symptoms or diagnosis of ALS.

Once my brother started working with Depke Wellness, we went through a battery of test to understand his function and underlying causes. These are the tests that we ran for Mark.

• Comprehensive adrenal saliva testing
• Gluten sensitivity testing
• Cross reactive sensitivity testing
• Urine porphyrin testing for heavy metals
• Brain autoimmunity testing
• Muscle testing for infection
• Chiropractic assessment

The results of this testing showed some conclusive evidence of why Mark was living this this neurodegenerative disease. Upon initial review of his adrenal function, this revealed stage III adrenal insufficiency which directly impacts neural connectivity, muscle integrity and immune function as well as many other functions of the body. He had shown to be sensitive to gluten, dairy and corn, all of which he ate for most of his life on a consistent basis. Understanding that these sensitivities lead to gut/brain connection disorders, chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation and neural degeneration. We also found that he was loading with mercury toxicity, which is a known neurotoxin. When we received the results of his autoimmune testing, which tested five different levels at which that immune system can be attacking the brain, Mark was dealing with autoimmunity on all five levels. Upon muscle testing, it was discovered that he was also dealing with chronic infection throughout his body and the chiropractic assessments had shown definite neurological challenges based on subluxation in his vertebrae.

If it sounds as if Mark was a mess at this point, you could not be more correct and based on these findings it would be expected to also be living with some type of neurological degenerative disease state, which he was.

At that time, we of course initiated our focus on Mark's care. He removed the foods from his diet that he was sensitive to, we worked on balancing his adrenal function, supported his immune system with the intention of fighting infection, used proper chiropractic intervention to assist in aligning his spine, assisted on eliminating the mercury toxicity from his body and focused on the chronic inflammation which most often leads to autoimmune conditions. Throughout this time Mark often felt as if he was improving but it was a couple steps forward and some steps backward.

In the end, we caught this all too late and his body was beyond the ability to recover from the depth of this neurodegeneration.

The gift of this entire situation with my brother is in knowing that this can all be understood long before you would ever have to live with the news of a diagnosis of ALS or any other neurodegenerative disease and I personally look at all these areas for myself with consistency. After all, I not only witnessed my brother progress through this but also watched my mother and grandmother both pass with severe dementia, which is another neurodegenerative disease.

A certain level of peace that I have found through this entire process with my brother is that he told his conventional doctor with conviction that he was not going to progress through the typical stages of neuromuscular degeneration that is typical of ALS, and he did not. Up until just days before the very end, he was still walking and even working from home which is very unusual for those with ALS. One thing that I always loved about my brother is that he did it his way, both in life and in death. I will always love my brother and am grateful for the gift that he will provide for someone else in preventing neurodegeneration.

In the end, we can use this tragedy as a gift and recognize that neurodegenerative disease can be addressed at the core, but don't wait until you have a significant diagnosis such as ALS, dementia or Alzheimer's. Catch this early and prevent!

If anyone cares to donate in memory of my brother Mark, please donate to either the San Fransico SPCA or the ALS Association. When my brother lived in San Francisco he would regular donate his time and money to the SPCA due to his love for animals and cats specifically and I know that he was very supportive for ALS awareness.

If you have any comments or questions, please leave these below and we will address them personally.

Undiagnosed Neurological Dysfunction

by Glen Depke

Neurological dysfunction is becoming a significant issue in our culture. The challenge is that most of these challenges can be addressed with lifestyle changes. Another issue is that most do not understand the red flags for neurological dysfunction. 

This subject really hits home for me since I was diagnosed as an epileptic earlier in my life and both my maternal grandmother and mother have had severe dementia. The good news on my diagnosed epilepsy is the fact that this is no longer an issue for me, due to the fact that I addressed all the underlying factors that lead to this neurological dysfunction. Actually, this is the very reason for my passion in assisting others in finding their personal health and happiness.

Let's first look at some typical symptoms of neurological dysfunction that may be recognized long before you would ever be diagnosed with a neurological disease.

• Burning feeling
• Fainting or change in level of consciousness or lethargy
• Involuntary muscle contractions
• Muscle weakness
• Numbness
• Pain from an origin that does not usually cause pain or that follows the course of a specific nerve
• Paralysis or inability to move a body part
• Pins-and-needles (prickling) sensation
• Sensitivity
• Tingling
• Difficulty chewing
• Digestive problems
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Change in level of consciousness or alertness, such as passing out or unresponsiveness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Garbled or slurred speech or inability to speak
• Loss of muscle coordination
• Respiratory or breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing, wheezing, not breathing, choking
• Seizures
• Sudden paralysis or inability to move a body part 

We can also look at a list of the most common diagnosed neurological disease. Note that there are more than 600 known diagnose neurological challenges. These are the most common.

• Alzheimer's
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Autism
• Cerebral Palsy
• Dementia
• Dyslexia
• Epilepsy
• Huntington's
• Migraine
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson's
• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury

With this knowledge, it is now important to look at the common lifestyle challenges that create these issues for you. It is imperative that you address this now, rather than waiting until you find yourself with some serious issues.

Common causes of neurological dysfunction.

• Prolonged exposure to toxins such as lead, mercury, and other metals
• Gluten intolerance
• Cross reactive intolerance
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Excitotoxins
• Infection
• Nutritional deficiencies, especially of thiamine, niacin, and vitamins E, B1, B6 or B12
• Gastro-intestinal disorders
• Slipped vertebral disks or other spine conditions
• Compression, crushing or severing of nerves
• Detachment of nerves from the spinal cord
• Medication side effects
• Past head trauma  
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Lyme disease (inflammatory bacterial disease spread by ticks)
• Other bacterial and viral infections of the brain or meninges (membranes lining the brain and spinal cord)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (disorder in which the body attacks its own healthy cells and tissues)
• Varicella-zoster virus infection (virus that causes chickenpox and shingles)
• Alcohol abuse
• Diabetes (chronic disease that affects your body’s ability to use sugar for energy)
• Hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Vascular disorders
• Encephalitis (inflammation and swelling of the brain due to a viral infection or other causes)

Let's look at the first ten on this list and discuss what you can do about these leading causes of neurological disorders. 

Prolonged exposure to toxins such as lead, mercury, and other metals
Many people are living with heavy metal toxicity. In my opinion, a urine porphyrin test is the best way to assess your likelihood of metal toxicity. Mercury tends to be the most common as well as the most damaging as this metal is a known neurotoxin. Metal detoxification would be recommend but only after you have any potential silver amalgam fillings removed prior to detoxification. As a special note, you want your silver amalgams removed by a holistic or biological dentist that is trained in proper removal. If these are not removed properly, this could lead to further mercury damage. I would also recommend that you test your blood/brain barrier function prior to detoxification with a GABA challenge.
 

Gluten intolerance
For those with a gluten intolerance that continue to consume gluten, this creates gut inflammation and other gut challenges that also lead to challenges with neurological function. I would suggest assessing your likelihood of gluten intolerance here, and if this is likely a challenge for you, it is of utmost importance to remove gluten from your diet. The link above also contains a foods list for gluten products. Learn more about gluten here.
 
Cross reactive intolerance 
A gluten intolerance that is not addressed over time can lead to gluten cross reactive intolerance. To understand the role that cross reactive food plays in regard to neurological dysfunction, I would recommend a Cyrex Labs gluten cross reactive food testing.
 
Adrenal insufficiency
While your adrenals play a role in the whole of your body, there are some specific areas of adrenal function that play a significant role in neurological dysfunction. This would tie into detoxification, blood/brain barrier function, inflammation, and neural connectivity. Learn more about your adrenal function here.
 
Excitotoxins 
Excitotoxins have been shown to create neurological dysfunction and break down your blood/brain barrier. The most common excitotoxins are MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins and aspartate (NutraSweet.) It will be imperative for you to remove these from your diet.
 
Infection
Infection is a challenge for so many of my clients. The most common infections that I see on a consistent basis are gut related. A comprehensive stool test would play a significant role in understanding the pathogen issue for you. For other function in your body, I find the use of Applied Kiniseology to be a very valuable tool. 
 
Nutritional deficiencies, especially of thiamine, niacin, and vitamins E, B1, B6 or B12
Typically these deficiencies are tied into poor digestion. I would review gluten, cross reaction and infection above. I would also share that for proper digestion, the use of the Depke Wellness 1,2,3 of Digestion would be a key for you. This is the combination of a Prebiotic/Probiotic Formula, Prime Digestive Support and Prime Stomach Acid Support.
 
Gastro-Intestinal Disorders
See nutritional deficiencies above.
 
Slipped vertebral disks or other spine conditions
This is best addressed with a quality chiropractor. Personally I see a chiropractor that utilizes a form of treatment known as KST. You can find a KST chiropractor in your area of for those in Orange County visit this link.
 
Compression, crushing or severing of nerves
See the paragraph above and I would also recommend the use of DRX. For more information on DRX visit this link.
 
Medication side effects
This one is simple, yet can be so difficult for so many. Take care of your body and find your balance so you can eventually get off the medications that are creating neurological side effects for you. This is the whole concept of natural health.
 
Past head trauma
If you have had past head trauma, you may be dealing with long term brain inflammation and brain damage. Thankfully there are protocols to assist your body in releasing brain inflammation and supplements that can assist the brain in healing. A common recommendation for me is the use of VeinLite to improve circulation to the brain, Oxypower to assist in oxygen uptake in the brain and BrainE, which very simply is brain food (high in DHA.)

Addressing these areas listed above will go a long way in allowing your to forego neurological dysfunction.

If you have any comments or questions in regard to this article, leave a post below for me to address personally.