Pearls of Wisdom in Treadmill vs Outdoor walking. Oh my GAWD!

There are pearls of wisdom in GRANDmother19 response to another member's post. It is exactly what I tell my clients that have osteoporosis. Grandmother says "It is unfortunate that I had to get so ill to ever begin to take care of myself."

For many if not all, osteoporosis is an opportunity to start taking better care of yourself. I have never worked with a client with osteoporosis who was truly living a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. Strange as it may sound, I consider this condition a gentle wake-up call for many.

If it was me and I had to pick, I would pick osteoporosis over many other conditions to get my act together. Why because it is so manageable with lifestyle changes.

Here is Grandmother’s full post:
"Oh Sandi. I am just getting a kick out of myself. I am very happy actually with my workout, rather I really mean my commitment to do it. I was one of those women who joined a gym, paid all of the money up front, and lasted about a month. Twice! It is unfortunate that I had to get so ill to ever begin to take care of myself. Like people who only quit smoking after they get emphysema or lung cancer. I was a workaholic. Now I am something else. Thanks for your kind support."

If you have further questions or if you want to join our support group please feel free to email me at bebonestrong@sequoiahealth.com.

Woody McMahon

By Loods
Posted September 6, 2009 at 10:48 am
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I agree to a certain extent with the above but osteoporosis was passed to me through a genetic condition not because I neglected my health in any way.

I was born with Osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic bone condition that affects the collagen making my bones very fragile. There is a 98% chance of someone with this condition then going on to get osteoporosis. I have always followed a healthy lifestyle but there are some things you cannot change. All I can do now is what I have always done, eat sensibly, take supplements, exercise and hope for the best!!

By GRANDmother19
Posted September 7, 2009 at 12:25 am
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Of course Loods, you would take exception and rightfully so. YOU "have always followed a healthy lifestyle but there are some things you cannot change." The wonderful thing about YOU is that you didn't have to learn the hard way, I.E. self destruct, and that you continue to do what you have "always done." Your words.

The famous Behavioral Psychologist John Watson said that "All behavior is learned, therefore it can be unlearned." (which applies to the bad & the good, the destructive & constructive). Clearly it seems, that you Lood, learned early on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For me, I had to unlearn everything for the most part, because what I learned environmentally growing up was certainly an unhealthy way of living, reinforced by other very powerful outside influences like four cups of coffee to jump-start my 14 hour workday while dragging off a non-filter cigarette (quit in 84). Then when I had even the slightest urge to exercise, I would lay across my bed and wait until the urge passed.

So friend, it all entailed unlearning THEN learning (to repeat, only after I got very ill). And maybe speaking on behalf of multitudes of people, I say that we have "chosen" to enroll in a university from which we will never graduate. It is the constant unlearning of unhealthy behaviors and attitudes, replaced by their counterparts, which will hopefully save or extend our lives by many happy and productive years. I think that's why Woody used my post to illustrate how late, too late sometimes, we begin to "get it."

Thanks Woody, for the plug. "Pearls of Wisdom." We do need reinforcement. How nice it felt. Like getting an "A" from our professor!

By Loods
Posted September 7, 2009 at 8:21 am
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To be fair I think I only learned the benefit of a healthy lifestyle to prove the Doctors wrong. They told my parents I wouldn't reach the age of 5 and as the years past I thought of this as some kind of challenge!

I have not had the best experience of health professionals from the Paediatrician who held me up by my legs as a baby and announced "see there's nothing wrong with her" when in fact they then found I had been born with both arms and legs broken to the over zealous physiotherapist who broke both my femurs when I was eight!

So for me it's all been about self preservation. The healthier I stay the less intervention I need from outside!

My recent experience with biphosphates proved that....

By GRANDmother19
Posted September 7, 2009 at 2:38 pm
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I NEED to go back and read your experience with biophozponates. What a way to put it...."staying healthy to prove the doctors wrong." Seems that our stories would make some money at the box office (and lord knows how many other people's stories). Didn't mean to preach. I tend to use this site to empty myself. I find it somewhat cathartic to exchange issues w/others. Hmmmmm. Who could write the screenplay? Going right now to find your post on those drugs with whom a doctor WAS going to shoot me up, for a solid year's worth. Zometa! Maybe you can guide me to your story. You are amazing!

By Loods
Posted September 8, 2009 at 5:21 am
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After a routine bone scan it showed I had severe osteoporosis and so without any discussion I was told I needed to take fosamax. Now usually I am very cautious with what I take but I hadn't realised the strength of these tablets. In my ignorance I thought they were just high levels of calcium or something similar!!

Knowing from past experience how painful broken bones are I took my weekly tablet without question. About a month after starting it I experiencing really bad lower back pain but didn't put this down to the medication. I thought this was due to the osteoporosis! I went back and forth to my doctors who also didn't connect the two. They just kept handing me strong painkillers saying it was due to my scoliosis, although I had never experienced pain before. I was in so much pain I couldn't sit for long periods in my wheelchair and after 6 months had to give up work. I was a finance administrator but could no longer sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. Also at this time I coughed and broke a rib and was rushed to hospital with tachycardia (an excessive heart rate that went up to 205!) My poor husband had to stand and watch as they got the resuscitation team. No one could explain why this had happened. I then started to get pain around my breastbone, breathing difficulties and acid reflux after taking the fosamax. My doctor told me to stop taking it and she would refer me back to the hospital. Lo and behold my back pain went almost immediately!! That was two years ago now and I have refused to take any more medication. I still have problems with acid reflux but nothing compared to before. I also now have to take a heart tablet to control my heart rate and fortunately there have been no more broken ribs! I should never have taken that drug...

As for work I am presently doing a writing course, so
a screenplay isn't such a bad idea........

I love this site. There are times when I have laughed and times when I have wanted to cry, but best of all it brings people together.

By millie123
Posted September 8, 2009 at 9:04 am
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That's a really good Fosamax horror story. Wow. One of my mother-in-law's friends suddenly had her intestines perforate. She was rushed to the hospital for extensive intestinal surgery and ended up in intensive care for about a month. She no longer takes any drugs for osteoporosis, needless to say.

By GRANDmother19
Posted September 9, 2009 at 11:37 am
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Dear Loods,

Good luck with your writing class. I too love this site. Other than writing my memoirs for my children, I did little writing, until I joined Inspire. A fabulous place to visit, read, and share stories. I have learned so much. More than the doctors I dumped knew. Certainly empowering. However, I need to harness my ego. I get too close to advising others. I need to be careful and only speak my own piece (peace)?

Good day friend.

By Loods
Posted September 9, 2009 at 12:13 pm
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I quite agree. For every horror story there is thankfully someone who is happy with their Doctor and the treatment they are offered. All we can do on here is tell our stories and then it is up to people to make their own decisions.

It is a sad fact that most of the posts on this site are not about broken bones but the drugs we are expected to take and their side effects.

Welcome to Inspire!

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