I am looking into getting an REMS echo light scan. I apparently just missed a round of testing at Osteo Strong in southern Wisconsin. Their next tests won't be until July or August. I know I will have to pay out of pocket.

I looked back on my first Dexa last year and realized mine does have a TBS score.

Interestingly my TBS score is in the normal range

L1-L4-TBS is 1.32. That means my microarchitecture of my bones is in the normal range!

(No one mentioned this to me, only the T-scores were discussed, which, unfortunately, aren't normal)

Left femoral neck is -2.4 which equals osteopenia
Lumbar spine is -3.1 which is bad osetoporosis

My question at my next visit will be how do I have normal bone architecture from L1-L4 but have horrible osteoporosis in the same area? I just need to understand that.

My TBS adjusted FRAX: 10 year probability for a break is:

Major Osteoporosis related fracture is 8.6%
hip fracture: 1.4%

No one mentioned this either. That risk seems relatively low?

I was shocked to discover I had osteoporosis last fall at my first scan at age 56. (I may have gone through menopause early and apparently have other risk factors that I didn't know about)

My doctor immediately ordered a reclast infusion which I was supposed to get in January of this year, but based on this site and the information about the importance of the order in which osteoporosis meds are taken I asked for an endo consult. My doctor didn't want me to cancel my infusion so they got me in for phone consult same day and the endo agreed that my spine warranted an anabolic, told me to call her in a month with my decision on whether I wanted Forteo, Tymolos or Evenity. No further information given. And she never told me how much these meds cost!!!

Anyhow, I have made another appointment with her in April to discuss all this. I just feel like I need way more information. I'm not saying I won't go the med route, but its a big decision and I don't feel well enough informed yet (plus I'll have to deal with insurance before any of this happens). Right now, interestingly enough, the only one I can afford (of the anabolic) is Evenity because it's billed as an infusion not a prescription and somehow my insurance covers that (but my insurance changes every year because I buy it through the marketplace)

Sorry, very off topic. Anyway, I read that if you are small (I am) an echo light may be more accurate. I also read that if you are small and dehydrated the day of your dexascan, it affects the accuracy of the scan. I am chronically dehydrated and the day of my Dexa I was having fasting labs drawn as well so I was super dehydrated.

I would love to get a dexa again this fall as well at the one year point, but my doctor says unless I'm on meds she will only order a deja every two years.

I would just REALLY like to have more than one scan before committing to these meds! What if the first one wasn't accurate?

So, I guess I will get a Echolight this summer instead.