Hello Everyone,

We are so grateful for all of the assistance that we have received. The generosity shown to us by our families, friends, the various communities that we are a part of and the extensions of those communities.  People who are strangers to Aqa Aakhu and I have given generously to this effort to go beyond the conventions of our time. I am humbled by the support (spiritual, mental, emotional and financial) that we have received. Having received so much already, I find myself in the strange place of asking for more.

This saturday, Feb. 23, there is a fundraiser on our behalf filled with contributions from professionals and businesses. Please support this event. It is an opportunity for us to give back even as we are receiving and please continue to support the various individuals and businesses that have been so kind to donate on our behalf. We are looking at this event not only to raise funds, but to raise awareness of the generosity of many businesses and people who are providing products and services to help my wife overcome breast cancer. We are looking forward to sharing the story of our success and the knowledge we are gaining to assist others in their struggle to overcome cancer, but we still need your help for our story to become a success.

Ps. Don’t forget that trip to Acapulco!

Peace,
Ankhner / Khalfani

Hello Everyone,
The artist currently known as both Ankhner and Khalfani blogging here from Tijuana, Mexico. Our first full day has been easy going. Food figured so prominently, that I’ve decided to skip dinner. That’s a lot coming from a vegan. We received a detailed write-up of the various nutraceuticals and other supplements from Dr. Lagos. It is wonderful to read the scientific details of the natural approach to defeating cancer. With all due respect to conventional medicine and the many lives that have been saved by it, the opportunity cost of not considering a naturopathic approach to besting cancer is vast. We’re not talking nuts and berries here, though even that has overcome cancer in many instances.

As with our visit last month, there’s so much to be said about being in a healing environment with other people facing similar struggles. The comraderie and hearing the stories of other patients and their supporters are both saddening and inspiring. One woman’s husband has been given 3 months to live. Her husband’s mother had encouraged her to do nothing and “close the lid” on the mother’s own son rather that try anything else after the doctor’s diagnosis. The mother’s grandchildren have told her not to come to their homes anymore and the wife brought her husband here.

We are very confident in our decision to move forward with a naturopathic/alternative approach to defeating cancer. Being here, outside of the daily bustle allows for the time really focus on healing without the many distractions of home and 3 wonderful children. Auset Ansaat is 7; dressed in the yellow angel outfit. Saerta Maat is 4; smashing in the red top while coloring. Khemra Akhi is 2; leaning on the green table. Mama and Dada love you tremendously!

Shoutouts.
We are blessed by God and our ancestors with people who given us tremendous support. We have received multitudes of prayers, well wishes and donations to assist us in getting here. Thank you to everyone who helped us in any way. Everyone can’t be listed, this post is already too long. My mother, Amber Smith, has done so many different things to support us: Watching the kids, donations from even before the fundraising began, preparing food, buying food, washing dishes, shuttling the kids around, etc. Thanks Mom! We love you. Just can’t thank Mom enough. Ma Kathy, Aqa Aakhu’s mother, has come to NY from Cleveland several times over the past year, has watched all 3 of the kids in Cleveland for weeks at a time and is currently stationed in our home while we are in Mexico. Thanks Mom! We love you. Just can’t thank Mom enough. Maitefa Angaza, Osayande Angaza and Lewanika & Naeemah Senghor have helped tremendously with fundraising and helping to keep us focused and on track to beat this cancer with the assistance of a cadre of our supporters: Adunayo, Akosua, Jwajiku, Khepra, Kudara, Nazalema, etc.  We’ve received support from facets of my employer as well; Computer Graphics and the Industrials Group have been and are continuing to support our family at this critical time. Ifetayo Cultural Arts has generously allowed us to have an ongoing fundraising effort in their space. Thanks again to everyone who hasn’t been named, but continues to lift us up so we can strike the head of this monster that is cancer.
Our Dads are farther away from us geographically than our mothers. Thanks Dads for your prayers and support.

It’s still Monday here, about 10:45pm local time and time to get back to the room for rest. Tomorrow beckons.

Ankhner / Khalfani

Ankhner and I arrived safely to the hospital early this morning (wee hours) and got settled into the room, which is a combination of a hospital room and a hotel room.  It’s actually kinda cozy with one hospital like bed and another full sized bed.  We got a little sleep and were up early this morning ready to get our day started.  For some reason we were soooo hungry.  Perhaps it’s because we knew we were in for a treat with the typical Oasis Hospital organic diet with fresh squeezed juices or maybe it’s because the food we brought on the plane didn’t carry us for what seemed to be an unusually long flight.  [The 3 hour time difference didn’t help].  Whatever the case, we enjoyed and array of fresh fruit, warm oatmeal and potato pancakes with warmed salsa. 

As far as treatment, today was a pretty slow day.  We met with our doctor, Dr. Lagos, who conducted a thorough interview and exam.  I began taking nutraceuticals today.  This is a variety of supplements ranging from fish oils to anti-oxidants.  Surprisingly, many of the supplements I had already been taking as prescribed by the naturopathic doctor at University of Bridgeport. 

Ankhner and I fit in a little shopping of some toiletries and office supplies.  There are a couple of shopping malls within close walking distance to the hospital.  We also got in a little reading today and I found Dr. Francisco Contreras’ perspective refreshing.  Dr. Contreras’ runs the hospital that his father founded more than 40 years ago.   In his text, “Dismantling Cancer,” Contreras speaks about western doctors’ need to embrace a different perspective in order to truly heal the patient.  “As long as doctors focus on the tumor as the point of origin,” he states, “they will be limited to a ‘band-aid’ approach to cancer treatment.  They need to see the tumor as the red flag…to determine what the body needs to restore its natural defenses and reprogram mutated cells.”

One thing I have found invaluable about this hospital is the mind, body and spirit approach to healing.  Dr. Contreras speaks about an experience he had once with his father.

I will never forget the time I accompanied my father to the famed Sloan-Kettering cancer center in New York to share successful case studies with some of the leading oncologists in the world.  My father put up a patient’s diagnostic chest x-ray alongside a post treatment x-ray.  The tumor was still there.  One of the oncologists stood up and stated, “That’s not a successful case.”

He left the room and returned with comparative x-rays of one of his patients.  The diagnostic x-ray showed a tumor and the post-treatment x-ray did not.  My father congratulated the doctor and asked how the patient was doing.  The oncologist stated with no remorse, “The patient died, but the treatment was successful.”

My father humbly pointed out that even though cancer was still present in the patient of the case he presented, the x-rays were taken ten years apart and the patient continued to live and work with the cancer completely under control.  I was dumbfounded when the oncologists told my father that it was a nice story but that only objective results, such as measurable tumor reduction, constituted a valid outcome.  The patients who have found a way to peacefully co-exist with a cancer would disagree.  Controlling cancer is also a valid outcome.

I know for me and for many other patients, a valid outcome is outliving the prognosis and truly enjoying life.  My experience at Sloan Kettering, while similar to many others, really awakened me to the reality that I have to take my life into my own hands.  Sloan Kettering is successful because their philosophy is to rid the body of cancer at whatever cost.  While their apparent radical approach rids the body of the tumor, what does it do for one’s quality of life and the root cause of the cancer if not addressed?

More to come…………………..

Aqa Aakhu

So you helped us reach the first milestone.  Thank you! Thank you!  A special thank you to the Angaza and Senghor families for being there every step of the way.  Thanks to your tenacity and dedication, Ankhner and I will be leaving for Mexico later today: Sunday, February 17 to begin the first round of treatment at Oasis of Hope Hospital.  I’m excited and nervous at the same time.  I am soooo grateful that you all rallied around us and supported us in raising over $15,000 so I could begin the first round of treatment.  We’ll be in Mexico for 2 weeks until March 1st.  We want to hear from you, so please post your comments.  We’ll keep you updated on the day to day happenings so please visit again soon. 

We hope you’re planning to attend the fundraising event on Saturday, February 23.  You’ll enjoy live entertainment, food and have an opportunity to bid on some great items including a trip to fabulous Acapulco or have your website designed by Nu Web Order.   Tickets are only $25.

I’ll be in touch.

Aqa Aakhu

With your generous donations, we have almost reached the halfway point of our initial $35,000 goal.  Please continue to forward the appeal letter and make telephone appeals. 

When sending the appeal letter, please feel free to cut and paste a banner to the top or bottom of the email, which you can get by clicking on the “promote” link.  You can also download the appeal letter by clicking on the same “promote” link.  I was ecstatic to learn that people have linked the appeal letter to their website.  This has really helped to spread the word.

Please remember that in addition to donating online through a secure paypal account, you can also donate by sending a check or money order to the Sum Friends Office or by dropping off cash to the office (and getting a receipt).  Any amount you can donate will be greatly appreciated.

We’re hoping that we’ll be able to get to the Hospital by mid February.  Please help us make that happen.  Enjoy and cherish your health.

Aqa Aakhu

We decided to take some time to celebrate Ankhner’s 33rd Birthday.  It’s not often that we take time to all go out to dinner together, but on this Super Bowl Sunday, we piggy backed on the excitement that was already in the air.  Ankhner was so happy and excited that the Giants had made it into the Super Bowl that he didn’t want to miss even a minute of the game.  Of course, trying to get to a restaurant with three small, sleepy children is a challenge in itself, but to get there, eat, have birthday cake, sing “Happy Birthday” and get to a party afterwards (without the children, mind you) was a monumental task.  I’m happy to report that we managed to get to the party by the beginning of the 2nd Quarter.   And boy what a game it was!!  I was hyped and I’m not even into football.

 Aqa Aakhu

First let me say how grateful we are that so many people have responded to our call for help at this critical juncture in my treatment.  We’re well on our way to Oasis of Hope Hospital and thanks to your donations, we have raised $4500.  We just need another $30,500 to get the treatment underway.  Please take a moment to donate if you haven’t already and forward the appeal letter to your email list.  The cancer in my body is aggressive and I don’t want to give it an opportunity to spread to other parts of my body before I’m able to get further treatment.  I really need to start treatment right away.  You may feel like you don’t have a lot to give, but every little bit helps.  We’d really appreciate it.

Today, I went to the University of Bridgeport’s Health Center in Connecticut.  I see a Naturopathic Doctor there who prescribes a vitamin and supplement protocol.  I’m always encouraged when I go because I know I can run various alternative treatments by her and she will help me research more about it if she doesn’t know or she will share the wealth of information she has about the treatment.  The protocol she had me on during chemotherapy was particularly effective in that I wasn’t vomiting or nauseous during the majority of treatment, the L-glutamine helped with the dry mouth and I had no mouth sores as many people experience.

During today’s visit the doctor prescribed supplements to help decrease the amount of estrogen in my body (Indole 3 Carbinol).  I’ll continue taking anti-oxidants like blueberries,  wild mushroom and planti-oxidants.  Additionally, I’ll take melatonin, fish oil, and Calcium D-Glucarate.  New to the protocol is Tumeric Force, which will help to better distribute the estrogen throughout the body.

There’s a few new treatment protocols that we learned about recently and we’ll be adding those links to the website in the next few days.  Also, we made a You Tube video, which we’ll be posting on the website later this week.  Please check back for that.  Until then……….. Aqa Aakhu