This is a copy of my bone scan I did the other day. The left starting line is when I had my baseline done in 2010. The drastic drop was recorded one year ago. I wrote about the fear, sadness, and determination about it in a previous blog. This past week I returned to do a yearly follow up to see how the Ol' bones were doing. My Doctor called me about 2 hours after the scan excited to share the results. He wanted me to come in and get my other test results but when I was there all he could do was shake his head and keep telling me how amazed he was at this result. The Rx he had put me on one year ago is very slow to show progress. He said he had never seen anything like this. What had I done? I told him I went home and did hours of research. Increased my Calcium and Vit D. I started doing exercises with small weights that would stress and pull the back muscles and wake those bones up to get them rebuilding. I did those exercises often and at least 3 times a week. I continued to walk. Apparently my bones liked what I was doing. He reassured me that it was not the Rx keeping the old bone from being absorb but was new bone growth. I gained inches and width along my vertebrae! I'm not shrinking I'm growing. The side effects of the Rx and the achy back muscles from exercise seem to be less of a problem when I can see this kind of improvement. I was so ready to just stop doing what I enjoy for fear of breaking my back. I will continue to be cautious (after all I'm getting up there!) but not be as nervous about a break. My Doctor told me go out and surf, and ski, and enjoy my new back! Watch out! I might dig out my old roller skates!
