Why me? (sorry for the childish question)

@ilpevar4
I would like to add that as with most changes we go through in life, there's a period of shock and facing loss. It's a type of grief really. We are happy with the way our lives and health is going, then face change. I'm hoping you give yourself time to adjust. I'm saying this from experience of living with chronic disabling illness since I was 30. I was an RN in oncology and then I couldn't work. I'm 68 now and reading this post because of osteopenia. Your active life is probably the opposite of what I've had because of disability. Yet here we are facing bone loss. It is an important step to wonder "why me" because you are acknowledging there is a big change to face. It's been my practice to always focus on what I love in my life and remind myself why it's important to keep going. I like that you asked others to "be kind" as you're new here. Shows moxie!

Hello Tybalt,
Your post sounds like what I’m thinking. I am 75 1/2 and recently moved from osteopenia to osteoporosis in my spine. I ran for years, 7 -14 miles 3-4 times a week, what time would allow. I was a very strong athletic, year round, all of my life, even beating men at community tennis matches. We had a horse and cow farm, so I was not naïve about manual labor, and heavy lifting. Plus with a readily available supply of fresh milk for years and years, especially when my children were growing up, I made homemade soft cheese and homemade yogurt weekly, custard in place of pudding, all that our household needed. So I wasn’t lacking on dairy or good healthy food. I’m feeling sorry for myself, also, why do I have this? But when I step back and listen to many other women’s stories who are in their 40s, or 50s or even early 60s with a diagnosis of osteoporosis, I have to think that I’m lucky. I am healthy. The battery of tests that my endocrinologist did for me, every single one came back within normal ranges, including that big jug 24 hour urine! My endocrinologist suggested I start an anabolic therapy for two years. Presently that’s the recommended period of time to safely use the anabolic therapy, but that may change. And after the two years to move onto an Antiresorptive therapy. I don’t even take high blood pressure medication, or elevated cholesterol medication. The only Rx medication I’ve taken was oral Premarin for a period of time and then I changed over to a vaginal ring that you wear for three months and change out, Estring (estradiol). So taking this big guns Rx prescription medication of subcutaneous self injections daily for two years is still hard for me to wrap my head around. I’ve put off starting until Jan and getting a better Part D. But I know I have to do something.
My spine aches, my lower spine. And of course, as with many out there, that’s the area of my spine that they can no longer perform the Bone Density exam, on L 1 or 2, and now L3 and L4.
And like many have said, it is a process of aging!!! Until we are 30 years old, we build a lot of Bone! It’s a natural wonderful process. But after 30 years old, the cells in the body that have the hammer - and hammer holes in old bone to be filled in by the cells with new healthy bone become out numbered. There are more of those cells working with little hammers getting rid of old bone, then there are with the workers with the new bone to fill in the holes with the much needed new healthy bone. The wonderful mechanism of bone teardown and bone rebuilding gets out of balance and as the years tick away, we end up with more holes, then plugged up holes. Our incredible body machine is aging out.
I am curious, those on anabolic therapy, do you feel less spinal pain (or perhaps hip pain if that is where you are hoping the Rx will focus. My hips just entered osteopenia)? Do you as time goes on actually feel less of that annoying, hurtful static energy, or less pain, and notice you can stand longer not always desiring to sit to do tasks you always would have stood up to do?
I’m not even going to talk about the myriad of drug side effects some struggle very bravely through. It is the luck of the draw, apparently. Some do, some don’t. I’ll just have to wait and see about me! But, I do know when I start my injections, I have every intention of titrating my dosage. Whether my Endo doctor suggests it, or approves of it, or not. To me, it seems more sensible, and seems to have helped many people get into the therapy, successfully.
I wish everybody who shares their stories here the very, very best journey, whichever one you choose to be on. I’m grateful to be part of this group.

@jeepgrl , I wish someone would have told me that I was deficient also in Vitamin D3 instead of trying to stick me with bone medication and not telling me what I should do first to see if I can fix my issues naturally! I was told to not take (despite making me pay during the Pandemic) the bone medicine until I discussed with my dentist. I was not told that I needed to go back to exercising with strength incorporating, take more Vitamin D3, Calcium rich foods, K-2, Magnesium, Zinc, more protein, etc. My friend's doctors told them and I shared my blood test results and they are helping e more than any of these doctors or specialist ever did. I hope for better scans next time. Hopefully we can help ourselves and improve our scores.

@maryandnans , thank you for letting us know that you reversed your osteoporosis back to osteopenia. I wonder if my doctor will let me try HRT at age 64 despite being BRCA1 positive now that they changed the warnings? We are all happy for you.

Thanks, it is worth a try to ask your Dr.

@countryliving
I agree with so much said but the pain I have is so severe I scream from it. Sometimes I cannot sit, stand or sleep. I can deal with other problems of aging but this is beyond that. I am afraid to leave the house as when it comes on I cannot put my foot down on the ground. Telling us to call drs? An orthop asked me how to spell Jubbonti!

@petitefitsmartfemale Yes, and vitamin C. Now, I'm looking to adding FOND beef bone broth to my diet as well as hydrolyzed collagen peptides type I, II and III, specifically the Designs for Health Whole Body Collagen brand. Best wishes to you!!!

@jeepgrl , Thank you! I added a few weeks ago 500 MG of Vitamin C to my diet too that I forgot to put here and 3 MG of Boron. I am going to try the other items that you mentioned. Thank you! We will try to help each other. I am age 64. I hope my next bone scan is good. I have been doing strength classes also.

@ilpevar4 , I was having the worse back pain and throwing up when it got bad for hours. Since I have scoliosis, bone loss and had a car accident in 2008, the doctors were ready to do back surgery on me. Then I was in the emergency room and found out it was my gallbladder. I had emergency gall bladder surgery in May 2012 and then had coccyx pain for a year. Yes, I still have the herniated disks from the bad car accident, bone loss, my S-shape Scoliosis, but I no longer throw up from back pain. Did you have your gall bladder checked since that can add to problems.

Reddit is not what we should rely on. Use major reliables like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, NIH, etc.