english
As reported in Erica Limlinger
My son returned home from college on vacation, loaded his luggage into the car and headed to class with his dad. I cleaned the house after his lightning visit. The bathroom was so dirty it looked like it had actually been struck by lightning. As I was cleaning, I thought about how I didn’t miss that part about having a teenage son at home. I got so distracted that I slipped and fell hard and broke my wrist.
At that stage in my life I had several risk factors for osteoporosis. She was a middle-aged woman who had experienced her first fracture. Even though I am a doctor, I never even thought about the possibility of a fragility fracture, a fracture caused by bone loss. After all, who wouldn’t break their wrist if they fell on a marble floor?
After falling in the bathroom, I went to the hospital where I worked and received treatment. A bone density test later called a DEXA test showed that my bone density was low, but that wasn’t surprising. I thought I was doing my best with weight-bearing exercise and a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
It took seven years before I had my next DEXA test. This time, it was a routine examination requested by a gynecologist after menopause. Tests showed that low bone density had progressed to osteopenia, bone loss that had not yet reached the level of osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I downplayed the significance of these findings, believing that antiresorptive drugs alone would be sufficient to slow the progression of bone loss. Following my gynecologist’s instructions, I started taking medication in addition to calcium and vitamin D supplements. I later found out that these measures did not help as much as I had hoped. At the next visit, a DEXA test showed that the bone loss had progressed to osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I decided that it was time to seek advice from a specialist with experience and considerable knowledge in treating bone diseases.
The endocrinologist I consulted ordered lab tests 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. Calcium was leaking from the kidneys into the urine, leaving little for the bones to absorb. I was prescribed a new medication to help my kidneys retain calcium, which is essential for building and maintaining bone tissue.
The endocrinologist explained that while calcium is good for maintaining bone health, once bone loss begins, only drugs that build bone tissue are useful in offsetting calcium. Following my specialist’s instructions, I started receiving new medication injections in early 2022. Now that I’m confident I’m on the right track with my bone health, I’m confident enough to plan longer adventures on my bike.
I manage osteoporosis effectively using medications that build and preserve bone tissue. I adjusted my medication to address my calcium levels, and felt stronger and more confident to ride my bike wherever I wanted. In fact, I went on a bicycle trip to New Zealand in October last year.
It’s been 16 years since I fractured my wrist, and my bones aren’t getting weaker, they’re getting stronger. Thank God they are strong enough to travel the world.
This educational material was produced with the support of . Amgen and UCB.
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