On Bone Density
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After my fall last month, the x ray I had done revealed I had some “minor degenerative joint disease” in my left foot. That sent up a red flag and I decided I should probably get a bone density scan, especially since I’m prone to falling.
I was relatively optimistic going in to the test. I’ve fallen so many times but haven’t broken a bone (knock on wood) so I always assumed I had strong bones. I got the results back a day later and my bone density score was actually quite a bit lower than what it should be.
I’d like to say I laughed this off and took this result in stride but that, my friends, would be a lie. Some tears were shed. I’m, of course, glad I found out so I can doing something about it before I fall again, but it was also discouraging. It often feels like when I start to get momentum in taking care of myself and feeling better, something comes along and derails it. I wonder if anyone else who reads this feels that way?
My fall was the first thing that took the train off the tracks. I’ve been trying to lift weights regularly but I haven’t been able to do my Cubii regularly or my chair exercises. I’ve gained a lot of the weight I lost back.
One of the causes of low bone density can be lack of physical exercise. I now embrace that I like exercise, but even when I’m not nursing an injury, there are limits to how much I can get. I fell after trying to get exercise in fact. Then I fall, and I can’t exercise. I can’t exercise so I get weaker and apparently I lose bone density. It’s a constant and vicious cycle.
I know there’s treatment for the low bone density so that part will be ok. I know I’ll get back into exercising again. I’m hoping I can use the bone density scan result to push for more physical therapy. When I was going once a week, it’s the strongest I felt. There’s only so much I can do at home. The equipment they have is what really helped, especially since I can’t really go to a traditional gym.
The harder part of this whole thing is continuing to try to figure out how to balance getting exercise without falling again or hurting myself (while also increasing my bone density keeping my cholesterol low—I’m exhausted already). Barely a week into my 40s and I’m already falling apart 😂
I just learned a new thing as a midlife woman that I never thought possible...you can lose bone density in YOUR FACE. I always thought of hips, knees, ankles, but apparently because I've fallen so many times over the last 15 years during seizures, I've now lost so much bone in my upper chin, I'm going to lose my two front teeth and require implants... $30K. It's bananas. I'm like exercise to prevent bone loss??? How on earth do you do lift weights with your face? 😂 Hope you are on the mend and feeling better!
I'm still behind on my reading, but I'm slowly catching up (370 emails down from 400-something). You may be in a better place by now, but have you tried doing simple stretching exercises? I'm always seeing exercise app ads on IG. Some include chair exercises for us folks that can't handle something as jarring to our bones like, say, zumba. But maybe stretching will help?