Oh, Ripley welcome.
You are way ahead of the game. No reclast.
And now you've landed in a goldmine of information.
You might ask your doctor for bone markers--CTX and P1NP. They are great for determining if a medication is working. You'd want orders for before medication and after the first month.
I would ask for Forteo as a starting medication. My second choice would be Tymlos. With your numbers you should be offered an anabolic. That is a medication that builds bone instead of one that just collects old bone.
Luckily these two medications can be extremely effective.
If you medical provider isn't an endocrinologist or rheumatologist ( I suspect they aren't because they are suggesting a bisphosphonate an antiresorptive) you may have a more difficult time getting the blood work for bone markers.
I'm your same age. Always eating the best foods and taking calcium vitamin K vitamin D +. Physically active to the extreme.
We did lose estrogen. The only way we can be blamed is in the very beginning when we didn't snag a Y gene from our Dads. If we had though we'd be worrying about prostate cancer.
I've been on Forteo for a year. My bone markers look good. I won't have dxa proof until August. But you should see my fingernails, especially amazing considering my garden.
I haven't had any negative side effects. And do have more advice.
This is a seriously great group with lots of experience.