A Road to Helping Others: My Journey Through Osteoporosis
By Roberta Morris
My first thought when I was diagnosed with osteopenia was, “This must be a mistake. I don’t feel any different than the day before. No apparent signs or symptoms. How could this be?” I felt that my doctor was just wrong. After all, as far as I knew, my mother had neither osteoporosis nor osteopenia.
The impetus for a bone density test? At my gynecologist’s suggestion, I went for a blood test… a Complete Blood Count, CBC, which showed that I was low in calcium. She then recommended a DEXA scan, or bone density test. The results confirmed her suspicions. I had osteopenia. She gave me a prescription and suggested making certain dietary changes as well as taking calcium. Having doubts about this diagnosis, I took the medication but was unwilling to change my diet or incorporate a calcium supplement. My diet was already pretty limited due to extreme allergies.
I was only 46 at the time of the diagnosis and felt too young to be going through this. I was vaguely familiar with the term osteoporosis but knew nothing about osteopenia. Still, I was not overly concerned because my mother did not have this condition…as far as I knew.
Unfortunately, my mother was never one to take proper care of herself. She was a typical caregiver, always attending to the health needs and issues of others but ignoring her own. In addition, she was uncomfortable having a gynecological exam. As a result, she avoided those doctors.
By the time I was 49, I went through menopause. I was now in post-menopause. Having moved into Manhattan by the time I was 50, my new gynecologist suggested that I see an endocrinologist, which I did. This was my third DEXA scan and CBC. The results showed that I developed osteoporosis and my vitamin D level was extremely low. Now, I was concerned. It was time to take better care of myself. My diet was about to become even more severe. I learned to incorporate foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. I also added supplements. Already an avid walker, I decided to incorporate Pilates into my routine. I loved it!
Coincidentally, I began noticing changes in my mother. She was literally shrinking before my eyes. Though I was once only a half inch taller than her, that difference was becoming greater. Now I wanted her to go to an endocrinologist, but she refused. With time, she continued to shrink. She began to fall with some frequency. At first, the falls were not too severe. However, that quickly changed. Several falls required surgery followed by stays at rehabilitation facilities. The staff at those hospitals and rehab facilities got to know us on a first-name basis. My mother continued to refuse DEXA scans. As a result, she was never officially diagnosed. However, the hospital physicians agreed that she was osteoporotic.
In certain respects, my mother was fiercely independent. In others, she was reliant upon me. I became her caregiver and my mother moved in with my husband and me. She remained with us for as long as possible. Yet, with all that she had been through, she refused to use a walker or cane. As a result, she continued to fall – several times while in my apartment. At different times, my mother broke both arms and one hip, each of which required surgery and rehab stays. Eventually, she began to use a walker, but only sporadically. When it became too difficult to leave her alone, we decided that it would be best for her to move into an assisted living facility, where she would receive the attention she needed. However, she continued to fall, thus requiring more surgery and rehab stays. Finding it difficult to continue giving my mother proper care, assisted living no longer remained an option. She needed to move to a nursing home.
I was fortunate. Pilates has helped stop my bones from thinning even more. I continue to take calcium and vitamin D supplements along with some others. I have made even more significant changes to my diet. My vitamin D level is now within the normal range. I have become well versed in many osteoporotic matters. I did fall recently, landing on both arms, my left leg and my face. Though the results could have been quite severe, I was lucky. I was pretty badly bruised but suffered no breaks, facial damage or concussion.
Though my personal journey may be very different than most women's, it was through witnessing what my mother endured that made me aware of the importance of self-care, education and outreach. Knowledge is key to the prevention of damage to your bones. A proper diagnosis is the first step to understanding what is happening to the body. Diet, physical activity, stress management and proper medication, when necessary, intertwine and significantly affect the health and wellbeing of every person. I feel it is my responsibility and pleasure to share my story and knowledge with others. For this very reason, I decided to become a volunteer ambassador for the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (formerly the National Osteoporosis Foundation), hoping to inspire others to make the proper choices and help them understand that it is never too late to change…never too late to help oneself.
This story is part of a support initiative of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation called Voices of Osteoporosis: Stories of Hope and Inspiration. If you have experienced osteoporosis as a patient or caregiver, we invite you to share your story. Your story could inspire others to learn how to protect their ability to live their best life and stay bone strong. Click here to learn more.