I discovered I had osteoporosis when I broke my elbows

As he said Erica Rimlinger

I did not take risks when I fell. I was walking on a paved path in the park with my kids when I just fell into seemingly nothing. I ran forward, leaving my feet behind me and the upper part of my body ran to the sidewalk. As a professional pianist, I thought I had trained myself not to use my hands to catch myself during a fall, but when it was time, instincts overcame the intentions and landed in my hands.

Embarrassed, I got up quickly and insisted that I was fine. But after a few steps I began to doubt it. My hands, wrists and hands were in a lot of pain. I turned around and we went home.

The next day, my elbows were bruises, swelling and radiating pain. One elbow felt worse than the other. I suspected it was broken, but he also believed that it was strange that such a brief fall would create the momentum to break the bones.

Since my job requires the use of my hands and hands, I could not let this injury be examined by a HRCP provider (HCP). I am a full -time music teacher and a musician who performs both on campus and professional areas throughout the country. My ability to play music is my life.

One x -ray confirmed my suspicions: a bone on my elbow was broken. After the other elbow kept me beating and swelling, I also had X -rays, and there was a broken bone in this elbow.

I never broke a bone in my life and now I suddenly had two broken bones. After some internet research, I found a possible explanation for my sudden fragility: osteoporosisa disease that weakens your bones. I called my HCP and asked if they thought bone density test It would be a good idea for me. I was just 58 years old: Most insurance plans normally will not pay for bone density scans by the age of 60, but since I had a fracture and my HCP agreed that I should have the test, it was covered by insurance.

I had two risk factors for osteoporosis before falling: I was an average age woman with a small body frame. However, I had no other risk factors: Osteoporosis does not run to my family, I never smoked, I got a daily multivitamin for women and exercised regularly.

After confirming the bone density scan, I had osteoporosis, I felt fragile and vulnerable and nervous for walking. I have always been a runner, walker and hiker. But now I avoided these activities. I was afraid to drop and break other bones.

I began to take a medicine to reduce bone loss. I started swimming instead of walking. Swimming has helped in many ways. I have gained strength, trust and arm mass. I had always practiced yoga, but now there was a greater effort on building balance and power during my practice.

2025

My elbows were healed and I was grateful that my fruits had not been broken. I could still play piano. In addition to teaching, I am also a church musician. When my bones were broken, I was missing only one Sunday on the piano. I was not playing very well in the week I returned and had to postpone a registration project and delay a concert, but I could play piano and I was grateful for it. I had started playing guitar for a music therapy program, gaining my certification just before my fall and I had to rejuvenate this skill after bones on my elbows.

My fall was three years ago and my doctor ordered a second bone density test a few months ago. I was surprised to know that the medicine I had taken had revealed my bone loss. I’m still at risk for osteoporosis again in the future but now I have a less serious version of it called osteopeniaWhich means that my bone density is lower than normal but not low enough to be osteoporosis. Most people discover that they have osteopenia before it develops into osteoporosis – such as having pre -deeds before one diabetes diagnosis. My diagnostic journey took me from the disease to the warning stage.

I share my story to help women understand the importance of taking on their bone health. I want people to know that bone health is evolving – and you can improve your bone density with the treatment and changes in healthy lifestyle.

I intend to maintain my bone health moving in the right direction. In addition to my medicines, I take vitamin d and calcium Supplements and exercises that make bone power. I am grateful to continue playing music and enjoying the things I love, including hiking, which were avoided by my fall. On a recent visit to my son in Colorado, my husband and I went hiking in the mountains. I used hiking poles for additional stability, but I didn’t let the fear fall to stop me. Every time these Poles hit the ground, it was music in my ears.

This educational resource was created with support from Amgen and UCB.

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Our real women, real stories are the authentic experiences of real -life women. The views, opinions and experiences they share in these stories are not approved by healthy and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of healthy.