The authors are in a life and death struggle against a terrible disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ALS, then you need to read this book. The Deanna Protocol(R) program was discovered by Dr. Tedone, Deanna's father, only after failing, again and again, with everything that he tried. The massage, non-exhausting exercise and core supplements are inexpensive and available without prescription from many suppliers. The program works for many ALS patients. It is not a cure; however, it provides a better quality of life and has been shown in ALS mice to extend life and improve motor skills. The rate of progression of ALS symptoms reported in ALSFRS scores, is markedly reduced in those adhering to the Deanna Protocol(R) program. There are few side effects reported, and those are manageable for most, if the program is phased in, gradually, over time. The main stream pharmaceutical giants and neurologists have taken little notice or remain skeptical about any program targeting metabolic support of motor neurons. However, we are winning over some of the skeptics, when they see, first-hand, how much their own patients are benefiting from the Deanna Protocol(R) program. An investigation at the University of South Florida has shown that SOD1-G93A mice live longer and better when on the core supplements of the Deanna Protocol(R) program. To our knowledge, the Deanna Protocol(R) program is the only program tested on these particular mice that has ever shown a statistically significant extension of life compared to controls. We were not surprised, because the program already showed effectiveness in Deanna and many other patients with ALS (PALS). More surprising to us is the anecdotal evidence that the core supplements of the Deanna Protocol(R) program helps patients with other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's. An investigation of these other conditions is beyond our foundation's capability. We don't have sufficient assets to meet the needs for research into ALS. Much of the costs of the progress made to date have been borne by the Tedone's and a short list of donors to Winning the Fight, Inc., a foundation established by the Tedone family. If the foundation had more money, the research could progress much faster in ALS and other neurological conditions could be included, which have shown benefits to patients from taking the core supplements of the Deanna Protocol(R) program. The authors are convinced that there is a common denominator among many neurological conditions that could, potentially, benefit from the Deanna Protocol(R) program or some program based on the core supplements of the Deanna Protocol(R) program. Possibly, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, traumatic brain injury and other neurological conditions could all share a common pathway for neuron cell death, a lack of energy in the cells. The authors believe that one of the supplements taken as part of the Deanna Protocol(R) program provides energy to distressed cells in which normal cellular metabolism has been disrupted. From research completed after the manuscript for this book was written, Dr. Tedone believes that many of these neurological conditions could benefit from a program tailored toward keeping more of the neurons from dying. This Preface and an Afterword have been added to the soft cover edition of this book. If you are interested in our efforts to discover a metabolic program for benefiting the health of patients with neurological conditions resulting in neuron cell death, then turn to the Afterword for a discussion on our evolving hypothesis. Also, the Deanna Protocol(R) program continues to evolve over time as more research is conducted and more PALS report their results to us. Please go to www.winningthefight.org for the latest information and recommendations.
About the Author: Dr. Tedone discovered the Deanna Protocol(R) (DP) and currently establishes the focus and goals for all research on the DP. Dr. Tedone also is Chief Medical Liaison to the medical and science communities on behalf of Winning the Fight, Inc., the non-profit organization responsible for funding DP research. He also serves as medical consultant and liaison to individuals who are on the DP. Dr. Tedone discovered the DP through years of research on cell metabolism and its impact on nerve cells. He used his in-depth knowledge of Biochemistry to find possible ways to stop the death of nerve cells in individuals with ALS and other nerve diseases. Dr. Tedone developed the present day Deanna Protocol(R) using knowledge gathered from his research, anecdotal evidence, and evidence resulting from scientific studies. Dr. Tedone began his career as an intern and then a general surgical resident at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He specialized in orthopedics and completed is orthopedic residency at the same hospital. During the Vietnam War, Dr. Tedone moved to Tampa to serve the United States Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base. Dr. Tedone retired in 1997. Years after retiring from orthopedics, Dr. Tedone learned of his daughter Deanna's ALS diagnosis. He co-founded Winning the Fight, Inc. (WFND), and dedicated his life to ALS and neurodegenerative disease research. He is one of the first physicians to examine cell metabolism and to theorize that dysfunctional cell metabolism is the cause of nerve cell death in ALS. He also pioneered the theory that disruption of the cell membrane for any reason (be it neurodegenerative disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussion, brain tumor, etc.) causes the spread of nerve cell death. So far, anecdotal evidence supports his theories in humans and scientific evidence supports his theories in animals. Dr. Tedone is using WFND to help fund further scientific research on the DP and cell metabolism as related to ALS, other neurodegenerative diseases, and the conditions described above. Dr. Tedone graduated cum laude from Fairfield University with a B.S. in biology and a minor in philosophy. He earned his medical degree from the University of Padua in Padua, Italy in 1963. Dr. Tedone enjoys spending time with his family, reading, investing in real estate and businesses, architecture and designing buildings, traveling, SCUBA diving, and boating.