I turned the tide on my osteoporosis | members only

Five days after the kyphoplasty procedure, I suffered a perforated bowel from undiagnosed diverticulitis (unrelated to the kyphoplasty) and went into septic shock. My lungs and heart were

failing as I was spirited by helicopter to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. I was unable to walk after sepsis, and endured months of excruciating rehab and another

abdominal surgery. I felt my fear and regret unfolding into waves of primal survival instinct and determination as I fought to recover. My primary-care provider recommended aquatic therapy,

and I was all for it. I wanted some relief and needed a goal to work toward. THE EXERCISE THAT TURNED THINGS AROUND Water exercise turned out to be the ideal medium for strengthening my

damaged core and legs. After I was discharged from a rehab center, I started going to the YMCA to swim and lift weights. I walked as far as I could every day, my goal being those magical

10,000 steps. However, my DEXA in 2022 showed no improvement. In January 2023, after I fractured my wrist while playing with our golden retriever, Henry, I decided to find a specialist in

bone health and metabolism. I booked an appointment with a specialist at Johns Hopkins. When I asked about bisphosphonates, he explained that they “do not build bone, they prevent bone

loss.” After reviewing my records, he recommended a bone-building medication that contained a synthetic form of parathyroid hormone. A LITTLE PATIENT EDUCATION GOES A LONG WAY This time I

felt more confident. I finally understood what was at stake, and hiding my head under the covers wasn’t going to help me. I had only recently started self-injecting the medication, however,

and was also training for a charity walk, when I felt sharp pains deep in my left shin. When it didn’t improve a few days later, I limped into the office of an orthopedic surgeon. An X-ray

and an MRI revealed a compression fracture. We tried treating it with rest. My surgeon explained that although walking is usually a great low-impact activity, too much walking can lead to

the net accumulation of tiny, microscopic cracks. My fracture was located in a common area that had the potential to break and become more serious, so when rest didn’t work, we scheduled

surgery. But a bout of pneumonia stalled it and drastically reduced my activity. Six weeks later, though, we decided to forgo the surgery because my pneumonia-induced “vacation” was

apparently just what my shin needed to start healing. Instead, the surgeon prescribed a device that emits ultrasonic waves through the skin into the bone to stimulate the bone cells to heal.

After a few months, X-rays showed a healed fracture.