New to Osteoporosis and devastated!

• By sdivas
• Posted February 28, 2008 at 11:12 am
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Please note the brown header above. Place Books in Search. I would suggest checking at the library for Strong Women, Strong Bones - Miriam Nelson, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Osteoporosis - Felicia Cosman & Walk Tall - Sara Meeks. There are other books on my list which are part of my personal collection. Also, if interested place Videos in Search. If you haven't aready, I would suggest requesting a copy of your dexa report. If it is helpful for you, I was diagnosed age 50 in the -3 range hips and spine. I'm 61 and fracture free. I remember very well the emotional roller coaster. Sandi

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• By linny
• Posted February 28, 2008 at 6:36 pm
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Hi,

I'm 57 and was diagnosed about a year ago and I think most of us can relate to your initial devastation. At the time I was happy to be managing to dodge this or that cancer bullit only to discover that my bones were crumbling and that if I fell, I'd break my hip and it would be a downward spiral from then on.

Nonsense! I do have osteo but I'm not afraid of it anymore and it is treatable. The book and video lists Sandi recommended--great information! Find a doc who actually understands osteoporosis, incorporating an appropriate exercise plan, making some dietary modifications and staying connected with a suppport network such as this are my best suggestions.

Good luck,

Linda

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• By SaraMeeks
• Posted February 29, 2008 at 6:54 am
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Hello. I remember well the devastation I felt after being diagnosed as I was a person thinking I was doing all the "right" things and would be immune. That was 10 years ago and, with increasing knowledge, I'm doing fine.
I would suggest that you seek out medical professionals, including a physical therapist, who is skilled and knowledgeable about osteoporosis. Not all of them are. You will need to ask questions and make a lot of your own decisions. NOF has lots of information on medications--again, be well-informed on that too.
One of the comments to your posting suggested my book WALK TALL!--I also have a DVD made specifically for people like you--it's educational and will explain some things to you to help you make decisions.
Sara Meeks

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• By MotherGoose
• Posted February 29, 2008 at 7:48 am
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There are tons of information "out there" -- some good and some not so good.
Plenty of information is available online from the National Osteoporosis Foundation where this support site is located.
Be sure to study well all NOF has to offer for information -- diagnosis, testing, medications, etc.
I would strongly advise you to take posture, body mechanics (how we use our bodies in everyday life), and balance instruction very seriously. People get all excited about lifting weights and Pilates and yoga (which are all very fine with certain limits), but BASIC to protecting your more fragile skeleton is posture training, safe body motions, and improved balance. Exercise is a means to the end -- the goal being preventing first or further fracture. The medications take a while to be effective and testing intervals are far apart so exercising to gain bone density is a good cause, but let's prevent a fracture in the meantime. Exercise can improve your posture and balance and flexibilty and strength so you are less likely to fall and fracyure. As for safe body mechanics -- how we stress our bodies each day determines -- along with fragile vertebrae -- how our backs hold up. Please refer to discussions at this site for further details.
Also -- you might consult with a dietitian about your macrobiotic diet to be sure you have adequate building blocks for bone. (More then calcium). Also remeber that the calcium we get from our food is much more readily absorbed and available to our bones than supplements.
And don't not forget Vitamin D3.
Good luck!
Lucy Buckley PT

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• By GMTVermont
• Posted March 1, 2008 at 12:37 pm
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Thanks for the very helpful and supportive comments. I will start with some reading and keep my spirits up.
Gail

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• By Ron1
• Posted March 1, 2008 at 2:19 pm
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Welcome to the group. The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the primary group for research, education, and support.
I am male, and was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis when I was 60. My spinal density was -4.7. I broke 2 vertebrae when I fell. Fosamax quickly brought me up to -3.5, and thats where I've been ever since. Once the pain of the fractures went away life got back to normal. I still garden, cut wood, cut brush and even work part time. I'm now 67. I am very, very careful not to fall. With everything at our place here in the hills covered in several inches of ice that isn't easy, but I haven't had a bad fall in 7 years. You need to go to a endocrinologist and heed their advice. The only thing that bothers me is that ever since the fall I've been shorter than my wife. We used to be the same height.
Ron

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• By nettie
• Posted March 2, 2008 at 4:43 am
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Good morning,

I just wanted to say welcome to the group. I was a little upset that I had this as well as everyone else, and it was nice to find this site, because I'm not alone and I have gotten some useful information and have made some really nice friends that I email everyday. I hope you have the same experience.

I can't speak for anyone else but I found out that I had Osteo over ten years ago and I'm very active and I don't think about it much. This year I have fallen twice and no broken bones. I guess that means I'm lucky for not breaking anything and clumsby for falling.

Welcome once more and have a wonderful day.
Nettie

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• By Nan1
• Posted March 2, 2008 at 3:06 pm
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Hi Gail,

A major problem that I had was having to push my general practitioner into doing a bone scan last year. I told him that I needed another bone scan as Ithere was little doubt in my mind that I had gone from osteopenia to osteoporosis. When he replied that insurance wouldn't pay for the scan as I had gotten one the year before and they just pay for them every other year unless osteoporosis is diagnosed, I told him that I would pay for the scan if insurance didn't and to order the scan. Surely enough the scan showed that I have osteoporosis and that it is concentrated in my spine and in my hips. When this year's bone scan showed more bone loss, spurs, tiny fractures, and arthritis, he sent me to a rheumatologist.

The rheumatologist ordered all kinds of tests - blood tests, nuclear x-rays, and a urine test. The urine test showed that I'm not absorbing Vitamin D as I should. The x-rays showed that I have a broken rib in addition to the issues shown by my bone scan. The tests showed that my chances of getting fractures are 7 times higher than the average person's. The rheumatologist put me on 50,000 IU Vitamin D twice a week, Boniva, Calcium 1200 with D, and pain killers to take as needed. He gave me a booklet of osteoporosis exercises. I'll get a blood test to monitor the Vitamin D in April and I'll return to him in July.

In addition to following the program that my rheumatologist recommended, I check out a lot of books on osteoporosis from the library; I'm going to purchase the ones that I like best. I've also been going to differenent osteoporosis websites and doing other research on osteoporosis.

I was pretty down about the osteoporosis diagnosis, especially since we were in the middle of a major ice storm when the diagnosis came. Rather than staying down about the diagnosis, I made up my mind to do all I can to fight it and to fight hard. Doing so helps keep my spirits up and it helps strengthen my body.

Take care,

Nan
Age 60

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• By DeannaB
• Posted March 6, 2008 at 11:41 pm
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Well, I too was just diagnosed this week. My spine is the worst also. I have a ten times greater risk than a "young adult" of developing a spontaneous spinal fracture. My hips are only twice as bad as a young adult's. But these numbers don't seem to mean much to me. I am wondering how this all compares with others my age (68), what it really means in terms of daily life. My doctor said to continue what I am doing: fosamax, exercise, whatever I eat (he doesn't know!), calcium.
I am hoping to learn from this list what I have to deal with and how to approach it. I ordered two books from the internet because they look good. Mostly, tonight, I am discouraged by the whole thing.
What is a "macrobiotic" diet? Does it help?
I am hoping for a lot of information from the list. Thank you,
Deanna

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• By virginiann
• Posted March 7, 2008 at 2:18 pm
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Hi Deanna,

I'm your age and also coping with Osteoporosis. First, don't let this problem overwhelm you. We all have to battle the aging process. I personnally don't like drugs because of the side affects: fatigue,stomach ulcers, nausea, hair loss, headache, heartburn and etc. I use a
natural product called OsteoDenx that restores bone density. You mentioned having a bone density scan this is a good thing to do. I also take Okinawa coral calcium that seems to help.
Don't ever give up. VAS

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