When I first learned I had osteoporosis, I hadn’t had any symptoms. My doctor recommended I have a DEXA scan, and the test results showed my femoral neck score was in the osteoporosis range. After the diagnosis, I was shocked. I was also embarrassed that, as a Pilates and yoga teacher, I clearly hadn’t been loading my bones or getting the nutrients I needed. I had additional tests done to determine if there was a secondary cause, but there wasn’t.
My Mom and Osteoporosis: Navigating the Challenges of a Chronic Illness
I didn’t know anything about osteoporosis until my 83-year-old mother broke her hip a few days before Christmas in 2011. At that time, my sister did some online research about hip fractures and found a statistic from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) that said almost a quarter of people who suffer a hip fracture die within the first year after the fracture. We were shocked!
My Life Story: Ovaries vs Genetics
I am a 58-year-old woman. Throughout my life, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my ovaries. I knew that they were essential for my fertility, yet at the same time they caused me constant pain. Last week, I received a medical diagnosis that made me question every medical decision surrounding my ovaries. Like some women, my body has had some complex health detours and to understand where I am today, some background is important.