Meet Alan Rosenthal
As a seasoned chiropractic doctor, Alan Rosenthal is accustomed to guiding others through pain and recovery. But now, as the tables have turned, he finds himself in the vulnerable role of patient, confronting the harsh reality of an aggressive cancer diagnosis.
Alan and his wife Sherri have run their own chiropractic practice in Thousand Oaks for the last 7 years however Alan has been in the business for much longer. At their practice they specialize in Spinal Decompression however come next month they won’t be able to practice at all.
In about August of this year, Alan recalled a feeling of lousiness that he initially thought it was a cold or COVID – but it wasn’t either. However, this feeling wouldn’t go away and prompted Alan to take a sick day from work, something he hasn’t done in 25 years. Concerned, Alan visited Urgent Care in which he was diagnosed with a right ear infection and left pink eye conjunctivitis, both things that could be fixed by antibiotics. Alan mentioned he “started to feel better but something was still off”. Alan went back to the doctor and was prescribed a stronger antibiotic but still he wasn’t feeling well and was lacking energy.
He mentioned “I developed a massive headache. I felt like my head was going to explode and then I noticed two lumps in the back of my neck.” Sensing something was seriously wrong, Sherri urged Alan to go back to the doctor, and this time tagging along.
With urgency, the doctor sent the couple to Woodland Hills Kaiser to do a CT scan and blood tests. This new doctor said Alan just had an infection behind his ear. Alan recalled saying “I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was cancer but I’m thankful it’s not.” Regrettably for Alan, he was unwittingly foreshadowing his own future.
After many wrong diagnoses and a few more blood tests, Sherri received an urgent call from the doctor saying, “I need to speak to Alan now”. Something that was a bit difficult as Alan was treating a patient at that time. Per the doctor’s orders, Alan grabbed the phone and was told he needed a bone marrow biopsy the next day – another test to clarify what the doctor hoped wasn’t true. Upon the biopsy the doctor immediately knew it was either lymphoma or leukemia but later determined the disease that would change Alan’s life, Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Within 2 days Alan and Sherri had to pause all operations at their practice to take on a whole new chapter of their lives. On September 11th, Alan checked into Kaiser Woodland Hills to begin what would be a 31 day stay enduring an aggressive form of chemotherapy to beat this beast.
Alan will continue these 4-5 week stints of inpatient treatment with few day breaks at home with his family. This will go on for what could be 3-6 rounds of this with an eventual Bone Marrow Transplant at City of Hope.
While these inpatient treatments are tough Alan is grateful for his days at home. He mentioned “This past Sunday me and my boys watched football and we ate like kings and queens”, something most of us take for granted.
Alan mentioned “I know I’m gonna beat this, I have too much to live for. This journey has reminded me to look at the world with a glass half full. My worst days are still better than some people’s best days. I will continue to be positive and thankful and beat this.”
During this new journey Alan unfortunately cannot work at his own practice, meaning him and his family will have no source of income. Not only is this diagnosis a hard hit physically and mentally but also financially for the Rosenthal Family.
Alan notes how he is so grateful for his family (his wife Sherri and 3 sons – Eric, Blake and Shane), the community, and his understanding patients throughout all this.
While Alan and his family do remain positive they also need our help. We are beyond honored to announce Alan Rosenthal as a recipient for our 3rd Annual Jingle Bell Jog 5k/10k. Let’s get together in our holiday spirit and run for the Rosenthals!