My Bone Health Journey
By Diane Walker
Diane Walker
I chose orange for the cast because Halloween was just around the corner. I was 51 years old and working in a school-aged childcare program. That fateful morning, we were playing a spirited game of kickball, and I had joined the losing team to help them in the outfield. An athletic 4th grader stepped up to the plate, the ball was pitched, and he gave it a vigorous kick. The ball went soaring just over my head – here was my chance to be the kickball hero! I put my hands up in the air to catch the ball when Thwack! The ball struck my right hand, snapping it back. I knew right away that I was not to be the kickball hero, nor was it an injury I would be able to just shake off. X-rays would later prove my suspicions correct, and for the next 6 weeks I wore that orange cast.
I tell this story because this injury should have been a red flag for a bone density test. Had I been given that opportunity, the results may have given me the information to take steps to maintain or increase my bone mass before it became critical. Sadly, it was a missed opportunity.
I am a mother of 3 and grandmother of 4. I was a stay-at-home mom those early years, later working for our local school district. We were a busy sports-oriented family, with a sport for each season. Although I was never athletic myself, staying fit was a priority. In retrospect, I can see that some of my choices were poor. Meals on the run and diet colas to help me keep up with our busy schedules, and the occasional crash diet all took a toll on my bones.
My current position includes working with children with severe disabilities and has many physical demands including transferring children to or from their wheelchairs so they can participate in different daily activities. When I was offered this job five years ago, it was contingent upon passing a battery of physical tests administered by a physical therapist. I remember filling out a questionnaire which asked many health-related questions. If osteoporosis were on there I would have confidently marked “no” because I was only 54 and believed that osteoporosis was a disease for the elderly. I had no idea how wrong I was.
Three years later, at 57, my doctor suggested that I have a bone density test. She explained it was a baseline test, but she must have recognized that I had some risk factors – I was postmenopausal and had lost an inch of height. I chalked up the loss of height to an error in measuring, or perhaps I was not standing up straight. I was not concerned. Life was busy, a new school year was about to begin, so I put off scheduling the appointment. Then the pandemic hit, and scheduling the test fell to the wayside.
The following summer during my physical, my doctor mentioned testing again. This time I went ahead and scheduled the bone scan. I was not worried – after all, it was just a baseline scan. After the test, I waited for the doctor to come back to talk to me. When she entered the room, she did not arrive with the news I was expecting. She informed me I had osteoporosis in my spine and femoral neck with t-scores she considered severe. She went over some treatment options, favoring pharmaceuticals rather than lifestyle changes alone. I felt blindsided and confused. I tentatively agreed to the prescription; it needed a preauthorization with my insurance, giving me some time to reconsider. I was nervous about the pharmaceuticals, I did not understand the scores, and I could not understand how I had gotten to this point or what it meant for my future. I decided to get a 2nd opinion. A few weeks later I sat in the office with an osteoporosis specialist. He was able to explain the results in greater detail, such as my fracture risk and what an osteoporotic bone looks like. He went over some lifestyle changes, and the benefits and risks of the suggested medication. In my case, the benefits outweighed the risks, so I decided to try the prescription.
It has been 10 months since my diagnosis with 8 months on the medication. I have had minimal side-effects, and with lifestyle changes I am expecting to see some much-improved numbers with my next scan. I joined the Facebook osteoporosis support group, as well as the NOF Inspire community, where along with tips, I have discovered I am not alone. There are many of us who have felt blindsided by an osteoporosis diagnosis at ages younger than we thought possible. I have had several appointments with a physical therapist to help me gain strength and tips for safe lifting techniques to avoid injury. I have learned I could have lessened, delayed, or even avoided getting osteoporosis through proper nutrition and exercise over the years by paying attention to calcium intake rather than just calorie intake, choosing impact exercises over the elliptical machine I favored, and adding more strength training.
Though I wish I had the knowledge I have now about bone health sooner, I cannot go back, so I will take this day and each day going forward with this knowledge to build and maintain a healthier future so I can enjoy life to the fullest and to spread awareness about bone health to others. The good news is that whatever your age, you can take simple steps to maintain or improve your bone health – from nutrition and exercise to regular discussions with your healthcare providers about bone health. We used to tell our kids, "If you ignore your teeth they’ll go away!” In a way, the same can be said for your bones. So please give them the attention and TLC they need to stay strong for you throughout your life!
This story is part of a support initiative 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.