1. < Osteoporosis & Bone Health

Fracturing easily - how do you manage everyday life?

Posted by isabelle7 @isabelle7, Jul 2 5:15pm

My husband developed osteoporosis from taking long-term, high-doses of prednisone for PMR & GCA since May 2023. With those illnesses, he had no other choice. The prednisone has wreaked havoc with his body, including causing severe steroid-induced osteoporosis.

He had one compression fracture at T11 that he didn't know he had. A few weeks ago he bent down to empty the dishwasher, felt some discomfort, and now has two new fractures. A bit higher on his spine. The doctor says she believes he got the fractures bending emptying the dishwasher.

We saw a physical therapist who told him not to bend and not to lift anything over 10 pounds. Have you ever tried not bending down, ever? It's tough. He drops something, he calls me to pick it up. He wants to water the plants? I have to go out and turn the hose on for him. He can't clean out the litter box because it's on the floor, so I put together a kid table and put the litter box on that to make it easier but it's hard now for him to reach the bags. It's difficult for him to bend down to empty the dryer or washer. I could go on and on.

My question to people with more experience that we have is - what can he do that won't cause more fractures, since he's obviously very prone to them right now? We just were able to convince his doctor to prescribe Forteo. Fortunately our insurance covered it so he will start it soon. We are hoping that is going to help.

I'd love to hear how you guys have managed everyday life with severe osteoporosis. .

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

isabelle7 | @isabelle7 | Jul 3 3:43pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@isabelle7 My husband is very active too and I know if he had the limitations you've..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@isabelle7 My husband is very active too and I know if he had the limitations you've mentioned he would have a very hard time.

I have been lifting weights for about 30 years. When I was diagnosed with osteoporosis about 10 years ago I shifted my weight lifting to work on my back and hips. Although I had taken Fosamax for 5 years I had a fracture (sacrum) last year due to pelvic radiation therapy for uterine cancer. I've no idea how that happened and so I'm now seeing an endocrinologist and am on Evenity for 12 months (I have 4 more months to go).

I'm very careful to not bend at the waist unless I do so gently with no weight and only when I'm doing a yoga stretch. Since I've been weightlifting for so many years my legs are strong enough that I remind myself to squat. I keep my back straight, my chest up and squat with just my legs. The squat is what was recommended by my endocrinologist. Sometimes I need help and so I ask my husband if I'm trying to pick up something out of reach or that is too heavy for me.

It's up to your husband, of course, to decide how he wants to live his life. As much as you'd like to help and assist you can only do so much for him. Here is how I look at this: "When you argue with reality, you lose". Your husband's reality has new limitations. He can grouse all he wants but the reality won't change and if he continues to argue with it he'll continue to make himself unhappy, may have more fractures and then he will lose. Hopefully he will figure this out. He doesn't have to like it but that's the way it is. Right?

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@naturegirl5

Thank you for sharing your experience and for your thoughts. I found them very helpful and read this to my husband. It made him think and realize he's only hurting himself and that I can't do it all for him. So hopefully he'll be more careful going forward. Having said that, I also want him to feel empowered and able to do as much as is safe.

It's really hard on people like you and him who have been so active. I'm sorry you ended up with a fracture after 5 years on Fosamax. We'll be starting him on Forteo for a couple of years in a couple of weeks and then will move to Reclast for several years (the doctor told me treatment would be 5-10 years.)

We are seeing an endocrinologist now and I would say she is the absolute best doctor we've had for the osteoporosis. Very knowledgable and willing to listen to our questions and concerns and is happy to hear what I learn here and from my research on the internet. Which is nice.

You are so right that it is up to my husband how he wants to live and that no matter how much he wants to pretend it's not happening or how angry he gets it's not going to change the fact that his life has changed and he'll have to make adjustments.

Many years ago I was in a bad car accident that left me flat on my back in two braces for 6 weeks. I had no husband or partner then. I was 20 years old. Friends came to help, some not so reliable. I was stuck in a bed with a bedpan and the food and drink they left for me. I had TV but no channel changer. I had a phone in the other room that wasn't accessible to me. So I laid there helpless and it was very frightening. I told him when he thinks this is hard, to remember he's mobile. There are so many things he can still do. The fact he can get out of bed every day and isn't in horrible pain is something to celebrate. I just hope he starts doing the right things because I don't want to see another fracture in a couple weeks when they do another xray. He's got three already.

I also reminded him that when he loses, so do I and I think that made him pause. I told him if things got really bad and he couldn't get out of bed or move that I would not be able to take care of him, that we'd have to have help. He didn't like that at all. I hate to say things like that but it's what gets his attention. Makes me feel bad because all I want is for him to heal and be able to live a happy healthy life. I know - it's all up to him! You are 100% correct.

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1 reply
babs10 | @babs10 | Jul 3 3:46pm
In reply to @isabelle7 "@babs10 Thanks for sharing the video. I have saved the link and will show it to..." + (show)
@isabelle7

@babs10

Thanks for sharing the video. I have saved the link and will show it to my husband. I like the name "Brick House Bones". LOL

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@isabelle7, I got a kick out of the name, too. When I was first learning, I'd have to do the karate chop to remember to bend forward from the hips before bending my knees. Now I don't even have to think about it, but it didn't come naturally to me at first. Good luck!

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1 reply
isabelle7 | @isabelle7 | Jul 3 3:49pm
In reply to @thisoldewe "Well done! You have got the right drug, Forteo, for long-term steroid induced osteoporosis. You have..." + (show)
@thisoldewe

Well done! You have got the right drug, Forteo, for long-term steroid induced osteoporosis.
You have received good insights from others. Connect is great for that
Sending you all the best that you will see improvements as these months go by.

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@thisoldewe

I'm so thankful we were able to get the Forteo and that people here have been so helpful. People have been so great!! I'm sending you all the best too and hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday weekend.

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isabelle7 | @isabelle7 | Jul 3 3:55pm
In reply to @maryandnans "My osteoporosis is not that bad. But I think taking gabapentin for ten months didn't help..." + (show)
@maryandnans

My osteoporosis is not that bad. But I think taking gabapentin for ten months didn't help my bones. Now I am walking 3-4 miles 5 days a week and doing weight lifting exercises. That is supposed to help the bones I follow 2 Facebook groups for exercises.

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@maryandnans

I'm so sorry about your experience with gabapentin. They tried giving that drug to my son and it had the worse affect on him. He literally became someone else. We had to take him off of it as it was causing so many horrible side effects. I didn't realize it would also do damage to bones.

That is amazing that you're walking that much and doing weight lifting exercises. My husband's doctor is saying no to any exercises right now because he just got two new fractures and she wants to have another xray in a couple of weeks to see if they're stable. I sure hope in the future he'll be able to do what you're doing. That would make him so happy.

I'm glad your osteoporosis isn't that bad. He had a t-score of -3.4 on his DEXA scan. So from what his doctors are saying, his is pretty bad. And he's fracturing doing simple things like emptying the dishwasher. He's been on over a year of high doses of prednisone which is what has caused the osteoporosis.

Best of luck to you and I hope you can keep walking and doing weight lifting! It gives me hope that one day he'll be able to do those things again. Right now it's baby steps.

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1 reply
isabelle7 | @isabelle7 | Jul 3 3:59pm
In reply to @babs10 "@isabelle7, I got a kick out of the name, too. When I was first learning, I'd..." + (show)
@babs10

@isabelle7, I got a kick out of the name, too. When I was first learning, I'd have to do the karate chop to remember to bend forward from the hips before bending my knees. Now I don't even have to think about it, but it didn't come naturally to me at first. Good luck!

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@babs10
I watched the video and I think it's going to be beneficial for him. It's great that you do it naturally now without having to think about it. It takes time and practice so good for you!!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July holiday weekend!

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Mentor
Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Jul 3 4:47pm
In reply to @isabelle7 "@naturegirl5 Thank you for sharing your experience and for your thoughts. I found them very helpful..." + (show)
@isabelle7

@naturegirl5

Thank you for sharing your experience and for your thoughts. I found them very helpful and read this to my husband. It made him think and realize he's only hurting himself and that I can't do it all for him. So hopefully he'll be more careful going forward. Having said that, I also want him to feel empowered and able to do as much as is safe.

It's really hard on people like you and him who have been so active. I'm sorry you ended up with a fracture after 5 years on Fosamax. We'll be starting him on Forteo for a couple of years in a couple of weeks and then will move to Reclast for several years (the doctor told me treatment would be 5-10 years.)

We are seeing an endocrinologist now and I would say she is the absolute best doctor we've had for the osteoporosis. Very knowledgable and willing to listen to our questions and concerns and is happy to hear what I learn here and from my research on the internet. Which is nice.

You are so right that it is up to my husband how he wants to live and that no matter how much he wants to pretend it's not happening or how angry he gets it's not going to change the fact that his life has changed and he'll have to make adjustments.

Many years ago I was in a bad car accident that left me flat on my back in two braces for 6 weeks. I had no husband or partner then. I was 20 years old. Friends came to help, some not so reliable. I was stuck in a bed with a bedpan and the food and drink they left for me. I had TV but no channel changer. I had a phone in the other room that wasn't accessible to me. So I laid there helpless and it was very frightening. I told him when he thinks this is hard, to remember he's mobile. There are so many things he can still do. The fact he can get out of bed every day and isn't in horrible pain is something to celebrate. I just hope he starts doing the right things because I don't want to see another fracture in a couple weeks when they do another xray. He's got three already.

I also reminded him that when he loses, so do I and I think that made him pause. I told him if things got really bad and he couldn't get out of bed or move that I would not be able to take care of him, that we'd have to have help. He didn't like that at all. I hate to say things like that but it's what gets his attention. Makes me feel bad because all I want is for him to heal and be able to live a happy healthy life. I know - it's all up to him! You are 100% correct.

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@isabelle7 Thank you for letting me know that what I wrote resonated with you so much that you read it to your husband. I've no doubt that you will empower him to do what he is able, on his own, and do so safely. He is so fortunate to have you by his side.

I'm hoping that once your husband's fractures have stabilized that he can return to doing some activity and exercise as directed by his doctor.

REPLY
1 reply
isabelle7 | @isabelle7 | Jul 3 5:03pm
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@isabelle7 Thank you for letting me know that what I wrote resonated with you so much..." + (show)
@naturegirl5

@isabelle7 Thank you for letting me know that what I wrote resonated with you so much that you read it to your husband. I've no doubt that you will empower him to do what he is able, on his own, and do so safely. He is so fortunate to have you by his side.

I'm hoping that once your husband's fractures have stabilized that he can return to doing some activity and exercise as directed by his doctor.

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@naturegirl5

You're very welcome! Thank you for your kind words. It has been so hard watching him go through this past year. When he developed PMR we were devastated because it was so limiting. However, after they figured it out and got him on Prednisone, his pain was relieved and we felt we were on our way to his recovery. He had tapered from 30 mg to 12.5 mg of prednisone daily when he got hit with some serious new symptoms. He then developed giant cell arteritis - the worse case of GCA his doctors had seen. His was resistant at first to treatment so he had to have very high dose infusions of steroids to get it under controlled, followed by 80 mg per day for some time. He's now tapered to 20 mg but the affects of prednisone are pretty ugly. His poor arms are so bruised and he bleeds easily. His face is swollen and his eyes look puffy. This should resolve once we're able to get him off prednisone.

Probably the most complex thing of all, and most difficult to understand and learn to deal with, is the osteoporosis. The other conditions have limited treatment options that are very straightforward. Unlike osteoporosis.

I have had to do so much research and thank God for Connect and people like you who helped me figure out what he needed. Then finding a doctor who even knew the names of the drugs was another task. But in time we've found who we need in our corner - a rheumatologist (we finally got the chief of rheumatology after his first one royally messed things up for him), an endocrinologist who we love, our GP and a physical therapist who we meet with virtually who is awesome and so caring. So we feel we're headed in the right direction. All this happening to a very strong, healthy guy who had never stepped foot in a hospital since he was born (except to visit others). It's been a very hard year but I feel like I'm beginning to see that light at the end of the long tunnel.

And I'm also reminding myself often that there are so many people who have it so much worse, including two friends with cancer who are close to giving up their fights.

I do believe once his fractures stabilize he will be able to resume activity and exercise at the direction of his endocrinologist and physical therapist. Fortunately they are able to see what the other is recommending and are working together. They both know the first rheumatologist could have cost him his vision or his life because she didn't believe me initially when I said I believed he had GCA. That was a horrifying time. Thankfully we went to the ER and the doctor there did the right thing and told us he was not being treated properly for his condition.

None of this is easy and it's compounded when you've never had to deal with anything like it. And again, the fact we haven't is something to be thankful for.

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maryandnans | @maryandnans | Jul 3 6:04pm
In reply to @isabelle7 "@maryandnans I'm so sorry about your experience with gabapentin. They tried giving that drug to my..." + (show)
@isabelle7

@maryandnans

I'm so sorry about your experience with gabapentin. They tried giving that drug to my son and it had the worse affect on him. He literally became someone else. We had to take him off of it as it was causing so many horrible side effects. I didn't realize it would also do damage to bones.

That is amazing that you're walking that much and doing weight lifting exercises. My husband's doctor is saying no to any exercises right now because he just got two new fractures and she wants to have another xray in a couple of weeks to see if they're stable. I sure hope in the future he'll be able to do what you're doing. That would make him so happy.

I'm glad your osteoporosis isn't that bad. He had a t-score of -3.4 on his DEXA scan. So from what his doctors are saying, his is pretty bad. And he's fracturing doing simple things like emptying the dishwasher. He's been on over a year of high doses of prednisone which is what has caused the osteoporosis.

Best of luck to you and I hope you can keep walking and doing weight lifting! It gives me hope that one day he'll be able to do those things again. Right now it's baby steps.

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Thanks. You are right. Baby steps. I know how hard it can be for him and you. I hope things turn around soon.

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sandrac | @sandrac | Jul 4 7:48am
In reply to @windyshores "I have spinal fractures. There are some things I still cannot do (lift over a certain..." + (show)
@windyshores

I have spinal fractures. There are some things I still cannot do (lift over a certain weight, open sticky windows etc.). But a good PT and maybe OT (some PT's are enough) will teach him how to do some of these things safely. Instead of bending over, for instance, stay straight and bend down with knees. My legs are strong because I use them to lift, get up and so on- not my back.

I cook by sliding pots along the counter. Sometimes I put the pot on and use a glass to fill it with water. I drag bags of laundry rather than carry. He will have to learn how to make accommodations and life will get easier- and once the Forteo improves the bones. I know how hard it is!

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All good suggestions, many of them are the same as I have done while recovering from fractures. PT guidance as to what is safe is invaluable. Also, I recommend one of the “reacher” or grab it” tools when no one is around to reach for things above him or off the floor. They are awkward but useful. Good luck and hope the Forteo works for him.

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