ALL IN THE FAMILY…. My Husband and I Are on a Journey Together to Osteoporosis – Bone Talk
When I was younger, I couldn’t have predicted that I would develop osteoporosis, and I certainly couldn’t have predicted that my husband and I would both be diagnosed within two years of each other.
At the age of 64, I was at an art fair in a park when I tripped over a cord lying across the grass. It was a short, gentle fall into the grass, but when I got back up, my wrist hurt in a way I’d never experienced before. Since it was a simple fall, I wanted to shake it off and ignore it. But after about twenty minutes I told my husband I thought I should get it checked out. In the emergency room they put my broken wrist in a cast and the ER doctor sent me on my way. A hand/wrist specialist I consulted with the following week performed surgery and applied a titanium plate to stabilize the wrist. And later that month my doctor ordered one DXA scan which showed that I had osteopenia.
Unfortunately, none of the three physicians involved in my care for the wrist fracture discussed osteoporosis with me. I was only vaguely familiar with the idea of osteopenia. Today I know that someone with osteopenia and a fragility fracture needs follow-up for osteoporosis.
My doctor waited over six years to order another DXA, and I’m ashamed to say I didn’t know enough to question that. The new DXA scan documented osteoporosis and I was eventually referred to an endocrinologist for further care.
The endocrinologist looked at my history, DXA results, and bone turnover markers, and suggested one of the anabolic medications. The idea of daily injections was a little scary for me, but I decided I could handle it and started my medication journey with minimal side effects.
Once I was diagnosed, I started learning much, much more about osteoporosis and now I feel like I have the knowledge I need to stay on top of it. I feel optimistic and empowered by knowing so much more. My diet used to be good, but it has improved and focuses on bone-healthy eating with enough calcium and vitamin D. I started a bi-weekly online class “Better Bones and Balance” in addition to other exercises I was doing, and I have integrated osteoporosis into my way of thinking about how I live my life. I found the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) to be a great source of information and I participate in one of BHOF’s online support groups which has enriched my knowledge of osteoporosis and put me in touch with some wonderful women and men who also have osteoporosis.
After taking the anabolic medication for 18 months, I had a DXA that showed no improvement in my bone mineral density. That was obviously very disappointing, but I also felt positive because I had not lost bone density. After two years of anabolic treatment, I switched to an annual bisphosphonate infusion. A year after that previous DXA, I had another scan; my bone mineral density has improved and I feel like I’m on the right track!
Now, about my husband…
