A few days ago I discovered that my blog reader/friend Dieneke Ferguson had died months ago, in October. She had been diagnosed with MM in her 50s for which she had undergone many conventional treatments. When she was left with no options (but the final one!!!), many years ago, she came across my blog, got in touch with me, and began taking curcumin, which managed to stabilize her so much so that in 2018 she was interviewed by BBC Radio 4. That interview, if my memory serves me correctly, was picked up by other news agencies. Dieneke became quite well-known.
Unfortunately, she later developed ovarian cancer. The last time we communicated, she was undergoing conventional treatments. Well, with all that was going on here in Florence, I didn’t hear of her death last October.
Dieneke and I had planned to meet someday…In fact, she had invited Stefano and me to stay with her so many times; I’m sad to say, however, that we never met in the flesh. But even so, I was attached to Dieneke, her spirit, her optimism…Her death greatly saddens me.
Here is an article about her: http://bit.ly/3pcJrkd
Ciao, Dieneke…
I have just been dx with MGUS and all battery of tests have begun. Waiting for the pee report. I stumbled on your blog and have started reading it from the beginning, working my way up. I tried to send you a quick “hello & THANK YOU” for having this blog and for sharing your successes and your perspective through contacts but somewhere as I meander through here, the contacts may not be working you posted. So just to let you know, you are like a ray of sunshine. My desire to go to Italy has been decades long so to find someone sharing the day-to-day life, much less health…brilliant.
I felt so sad when I read that Dieneke had died, I was diagnosed 2 years ago with stage 2 Myeloma. I only had a partial response to chemotherapy and things weren’t looking good for me. I then listened to Dieneke’s radio interview and how she had found out about curcumin through your blog. I started following the protocol and have been taking 9 grams of curcumin daily for the past year. I’m having fantastic results and my paraprotein continues to drop without the need for conventional treatment. I owe my life to people like yourself and Dieneke for getting the information out there. I’m not sure how many people take it for active disease but it’s working and I can’t thank you enough for all the information you’ve gathered on your site. Like you I had hoped to meet Dieneke one day, what an inspirational woman she was.
Dear Alexandra,
wonderful to hear that the curcumin protocol seems to work so good, this is very important information!
In detail, how does the protocol look like?
Dosage; 3 grams 3times/d, 4,5 g 2 times/day or 9g once/day (morning/mid/evening)?
Empty stomach/with a meal?
What kind of curcumin do you use? Is it curcumin extract 95% with piperine 3-5%?
What Brand?
There are so many different curcumin products on the market now so it is very important do use a type that works. In long term use it is also a lot of money which should be “invested” in an effective type of curcumin instead of snake oil.
Best wishes,
Kristin
Dear Alexandra,
this is wonderful news and very interesting! I am somewhere in between mgus/SMM since mid 2018.
I am so curious about the details in your protocol following Dienckes´.
How and when taking supplements/medicines can be very important for the effectivness.
1. When do you take the curcumin, morning, mid, evening?
2. On empty stomach?
3. All 9 grams at one time, 4,5g two times/day, 3g – 3 times/day?
4. What type of curcumin? Brand? Is it with piperin or anything else which helps to absorb and increase the blood concentration of the curcumin?
5. Do you use any other supplement?
I wish you all the best and luck with your protocol!
Hi Kristin I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to reply, I’ve only just checked Margaret’s site and seen your messages.
I take the same brand and dose that Dieneke took.
Doctors best 1000mg curcumin tablets with bioperine
I take 9 tablets all at the same time daily
I wouldn’t risk taking any other brand as I wanted to follow the exact same protocol the only thing I do differently is to take these in the morning as I don’t eat dinner till late and they’re best taken with an empty stomach.
The only other thing that I do is to have silver needle white tea, I have it instead of green tea as it’s a much milder flavour and still has all the health benefits.
Good luck on your journey, I have complete faith in curcumin as it’s literally saved my life and has meant I haven’t had to suffer the side effects of conventional treatment.
This is so very sad. I owe a great deal to both of you wonderful ladies. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. R.I.P Dieneke ?
I too feel that I owe my current life and health to Dienneke and yourself. I was diagnosed with active but asymptomatic (to me) myeloma in May 2018 & given the shocking prognosis of 3-4 years. I sought a second (more expert) opinion which delayed starting treatment. My paraproteins rose from 30g/l to 42g/l in a month, at which time I started your curcumin protocol, inspired by the BMJ write up of Diennekes experience. Within 4 weeks my paraproteins had dropped back to 30g/l which shocked my haemo oncologist & delayed conventional treatment starting. I lost my nerve when pps fluctuated over the next 6 weeks (although they didn’t rise over 38g/l) and they were down again on the day conventional treatment started (RVD). I’ve continued to take curcumin & quercetin since, except during SCT. I’m now taking them alongside 5mg lenalidomide maintenance, low dose aspirin, calcium, vitamin B12 (my levels drop without supplementation), vit D&K, & cod liver oil. I have hypothyroidism (& Hashimotos) too- diagnosed alongside myeloma, so I try to have a gut microbiome helpful and antiinflammatory diet. So far I feel really well. I was able to finish a 100 k sponsored walk (which allowed 30 days to complete) in 8 days, and I’m back to vigorous gardening for the first time in 3 1/2 years. I’ve had no infections, & my sciatica has stopped being an issue.
It’s now known that myeloma treatment works better when 3 drugs are combined better than 2, & 4 better than 3. To my mind curcumin has been a further type of treatment all through. I’ll be eternally grateful to Dienneke, and to you Margaret. X
My name is Jehangir Nariman and I am from India. I was recently diagnosed with Papillary thyroid cancer and had a subsequent Thyroidectomy and Radioactive iodine treatment.
I have always been interested in health supplements and was reading about the benefits of Curcumin. I came across the case of the late Miss Dieneke Ferguson who apparently stabilised her Myeloma with Curcumin. But she later died of ovarian cancer. I also read that she apparently got inspired by your blog and followed your protocol. Based on the same I have 2 queries and I shall be deeply obliged if you would guide me:
1. Miss Ferguson got diagnosed with Myeloma in 2007 and then inspired by your blog she started taking Curcumin in 2011. It apparently stabilised her Myeloma and extended her life by 9 healthy years before she passed away due to Ovarian cancer. My question is that why did the Curcumin that worked on her myeloma not prevent or stabilise or atleast slow down her ovarian cancer even though she had been taking it religiously since almost 9 years ?.
2. Do you feel Curcumin would be beneficial for people like me who were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and have had a complete thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine ?.
Hi Jehangir, curcumin may well have slowed down Dieneke’s ovarian cancer. Impossible to know for sure either way, of course. As for your second cancer, my vote would be yes, curcumin would be beneficial. Look up radioactive iodine and curcumin online and you will find many references to the protective benefits of curcumin. As for papillary thyroid cancer, there is this, e.g.: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/ra/c6ra01515h
Hi, My name is Deep. I am diagnosed with Light Chain MGUS. I have no clue what it is? I did some research and not able to get solid answer on its progression etc. Could you please shed some light.
Thanks
Deep
Hi, I forgot to put my lab results.
Lab 1: Kappa 34.5 lambda 18.8 ratio 18.8
Lab2: Kappa 45.2 lambda 22.6 ratio 2.03
Thanks
Deep