I know I'm in my thirties now, but this is a little ridiculous. Osteoporosis?

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I had a doctor's appointment today.  It was with a reproductive endocrinologist.  I don't know about you, but I really hate going to the doctor.  I always feel all awkward and uncomfortable.  And, I am not the best advocate for myself.  I am not good at speaking up for myself.  Unfortunately, it seems that lately I have made the trek to various specialists a multitude of times.

A few of the phrases I heard out of the doctor this afternoon:

"Actually, the bone loss is quite significant."
"You do have osteoporosis, not just osteopenia, in parts of your spine."
"I am concerned."
"Are there any prospects?" (this was after I questioned pregnancy for me being high risk)

Those first three comments scared me a bit. The last one I just thought was a little bizarre and caught me off guard a little. I would have expected something more like, "are you interested in trying to get pregnant?"

The two options for treatment presented to me were:

  1. Bisphosphonates.  A drug that has been approved by the FDA for women in their 60's and later.  There is also the risk of a side-effect called osteonecrosis, which simply put means your jaw bone disintegrates. Some more lovely notes about this class of medication are:

  2. The long-term effects of taking bisphosphonates for many years are not known.

    For the best results and to reduce the risk of irritation to your esophagus if you take bisphosphonates by mouth:

    • Take bisphosphonates in the morning with a full glass of water at least 30 minutes before eating a meal, drinking a beverage, or taking any other medicine.
    • Sit or stand (don't lie down) for at least 30 minutes after taking a bisphosphonate. This helps prevent heartburn.
    • Do not take a bisphosphonate late in the day if you forgot to take it in the morning
  3. Daily Injections.  Injections that would have to be done by a "medical endocrinologist".   

Wow.  Those are some great options, huh?!  And as an added bonus I get to go back again in 10 more days to have a bone density scan done.  I can't think of a better way to spend my lunch hour.  Oh, wait, yes I can.

I am trying not to freak out just yet.  I keep telling myself to wait and see what the second bone density test reveals first.  Then I can freak.

 



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5 Comments

That *is* quite ridiculous; I'm so sorry Erin. I hope that the 2nd bone density test only brings good news - or at lest not bad news.

Do you mind if I ask what prompted the first set of tests in the first place?

Actually, I just noticed your page on living with turner syndrome so that answered my question. Sorry for not reading it sooner!

i appreciate your comment, fragileheart :)

it's going to be a bit of a nervous week. i am still holding out hope though until I get the test results back. i keep telling myself, "it could be worse."

I'm in my mid-forties but I had a bone density scan around 39/40. I've lost some in my left hip, not enough then to require treatment. The likely cause for me is not walking for the last 15 years, and I'm probably adding to it with taking the depo injection. It's sobering to think we have osteoporosis problems this early when we have 30-40 years of potential life in front of us.

You are exactly right, it is very sobering. One thing I can say is I am glad it was caught now, where I can potentially do something about it, rather than after I break a hip or fracture my spine. The scariest part for me was that the doctor said that my spine was particularly bad. A fracture in the spine just sounds really bad (I have no idea how bad it really is).

Have you been doing anything on your own to help prevent more bone loss? Like eating more foods with calcium or taking calcium with vitamin D supplements?

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Stories, advice, and random thoughts from a thirty-something female.

Many people in their thirties are dealing with common issues and concerns. Some of these include buying a home, establishing a career, starting a family, and dealing with aging parents. I will blog about all these things as well as other every day stuff as I make my way through this third decade of life.

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This page contains a single entry by Erin published on January 15, 2009 11:07 PM.

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