Although we share the same Dx, osteoporosis seems to have enough “individuality” to make comparison tricky. Primary and secondary causes are obvious examples of differences in osteoporosis between people. Add to that the our own broader individuality that includes genetic inheritance, as well as differences due to gender or neurological structure, metabolization of medications, Rx allergies, side effect tolerance, other health concerns, etc. and the variables quickly become numerous enough to make a single treatment protocol for everyone less of a probability. As a personal example, I actually have symptoms that go back as far as childhood that are only recently being related to bone loss and spinal irregularity. Even my "symptom" of having gray hair as a 6 year old kid is now recognized as an indicator of osteoporosis risk much earlier in life.
At this time there is no cure for “osteoporosis” and symptom management is the only service we will receive from medical care, true? So, the other significant factor in making comparisons or judgments about treatment is that we all do not share the same access to resources or quality of care. Differences in approved medications or treatment orientation from county to country are an obvious example, but neighbors can also have very different resources.
I would not expect others to receive the same treatment as me for all of those reasons and actually hope your medical care is significantly better. Despite many attempts to get help, I have not received adequate medical services for osteoporosis and my related health problems from MDs. As a result I have simultaneously tried to compensate with even more supplemental efforts, natural products, etc. Not knowing that some of my personal traits were actually symptoms related to osteoporosis or any diagnosable condition, but simple wanting to adequately care for myself is why I have used nutrition, supplementation and exercise throughout my life. Also, it reflects the “culture” I am from and local resources ~ Southern California in the ’60.
Good nutrition, a significant amount of supplementation for almost 20 years, decades of daily yoga and swimming, weight bearing exercise, plus never smoking and being even less than a tea-toddler have always been basic to my lifestyle ~ but I still developed osteoporosis in my 40s and had the symptoms for years prior. Unfortunately I do not know of any significant nutritional or supplement options left to add, and have too much pain and fatigue for exercise. While my holistic regimen predates my symptoms and is based in my personal values and preferences, I mention it because it is coincidently a very good lifestyle for minimizing the chances of bone loss. However, it was not enough to help me. Conversely, many people do not develop osteoporosis and are not as conscientious about their health as I have been for many years.
So, I’ve done as much as I could independently and have also tried to get as much help as possible from medical services. However, neither have been enough and my success in finding better resources have not panned out. Medical care thus far has been inadequate and not resulted in “synthetic” interventions like pharmacology or with more sophisticated natural interventions like hormonal supplementation. While I certainly expect (aka hope) to experience less severe symptoms through a very recent change in MDs, I also know that for all illnesses there are some people that experience the least improvement or will continue to decline. That is the truth of some people’s physical conditions and resources for care, due to unalterable qualities in either or both of their two factors ~ “nature and nurture.”
Obviously, as long as we are capable, we are responsible for our individual health care decisions in hopes of maintaining or improving upon what Nature gave us as a starting point and the ways that we or others safeguard and nurture our health. However, it seems that for many people active in this forum there is not adequate success in there efforts and little to no opportunity to ask detailed questions or get the physicians to articulate a comprehensive treatment plan. Are that many regularly participating members satisfied with their health care and the results, and also talking about it so others might benefit? Those that do are vital. As for myself, it is the opposite that preceded my discovery of Inspire.com and I can’t imagine that many people with mild needs or frustrations taking the time to participate. Instead, for some time I have posted disappointments and difficulties, as well as questions and confusions. I just talked about my impairments and individual concerns when conversations with MDs gave me no opportunity to do so and finding better MDs was unsuccessful. I never would have guessed it would be so difficult to find simply adequate medical care for this problem.
This forum may be the only option many of us have to get the feedback we wish would be included in our medical care and receive some much needed empathy and genuine thoughtfulness. I have had days where it has been a post or a reply from an “inspired” person that has helped my peace of mind and also provided information I would never have received – not even from my MDs. As a result, I had an initial appointment with a new MD late last week that only occurred because of the knowledge and compassion I found through someone participating in this forum. She and I don’t have identical problems and she did not offer me information from a superior perspective. She responded to my concerns and needs with the information and resources she had to offer, all wrapped up in a genuine interest about another person’s needs through her ability to respond to my information and not with an unrelated agenda. The anonymity that may exist between many of us does not have to exclude the personal qualities that we each possess. Regardless of the symptom or treatment differences that do distinguish us from one another, the expectations and hopes of the person that wrote what you are reading on any number of topics concerning our similar health issues are most likely close enough to your past experiences to inspire some empathy. Start any response from there. Beyond that, their current physical condition or medical resources may suggest you’re your not able to offer any specifics at that time. Perhaps others can and will, but no one else can offer the same inspiration that you might when you make that your goal.