A broken wrist was a red flag that bone mass was decreasing.

As I said to Erica Limlinger

My son returned home from college on vacation, loaded his luggage into the car and headed to school with his dad. I stayed home to clean up after a whirlwind visit. “Whirlwind” could easily describe a bathroom mess. As I was cleaning, I wondered how I had not missed this part with my teenage son at home, and without paying attention, I slipped and fell, hitting my wrist hard and breaking it.

At that time in my life, I had several risk factors for osteoporosis. I was a middle-aged woman who experienced her first fracture. Even though I am a doctor, the possibility of having a fragility fracture, a fracture caused by bone loss, never entered my mind. After all, who wouldn’t break their wrist if they fell on a marble bathroom floor?

Acadia National Park, Mount Desire, 2025

After falling in the bathroom, I went to the hospital where I worked and received treatment. Later, a bone density test called a DEXA scan revealed that my bone density was low, but it was not enough to cause concern. I believed I was doing my best with weight-bearing exercise and a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.

It was seven years before I had another DEXA scan. This time, it was a routine test ordered by my gynecologist because I was going through menopause. The scans showed that low bone density had progressed to osteopenia, bone loss that had not yet reached the level of osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I minimized the significance of these findings, believing that antiresorptive drugs alone would be sufficient to slow bone loss. As directed by my gynecologist, I started taking the medication along with calcium and vitamin D supplements. I later found that these measures were not as helpful as I had hoped. At my next appointment, a DEXA scan showed that my bone loss had progressed to osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I decided it was time to seek advice from a specialist with experience and in-depth knowledge of treating bone diseases.

The endocrinologist I saw ordered a study that showed high calcium levels in my urine, and I learned that measures I thought would help, such as taking calcium supplements, had little effect. My kidneys were pumping out calcium into my urine, and my bones were barely able to absorb it. I was prescribed a new medication to help my kidneys retain calcium, which is essential for building and maintaining bones.

The endocrinologist explained that calcium is good for maintaining bone health, but once bone loss begins, only bone-building drugs can help with the loss. Following my specialist’s instructions, I started injecting the new medication in early 2022. Now that I am confident that my bone health is on the right track, I feel confident enough to plan longer cycling adventures.

Greymouth, New Zealand, 2024

My osteoporosis is effectively managed using drugs that build and maintain bone. I adjusted my medication to address my calcium levels, and felt stronger and more confident to ride my bike wherever I wanted. In fact, last fall I cycled across New Zealand.

It’s been 16 years since I fractured my wrist, and my bones are getting stronger over the years, not weaker. I am grateful that they are strong enough to take me around the world.

This training material was created with support from: Amgen and UCB.

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