As Erica Rimlinger tells it
My son, home from college for the holidays, loaded the car and drove back to school with his father. After the turbulent visit, I stayed home to clean up. “Whirlwind” could easily describe the mess in the bathroom. As I was cleaning, I thought about how I hadn’t missed this part of having a teenage son at home, and while I wasn’t paying attention, I slipped and fell, landing hard on my wrist and breaking it.
At this time in my life, I had several risk factors for osteoporosis. I was a middle-aged woman and suffered a fracture for the first time. Even though I’m a doctor, the possibility that I had a fragility fracture – a fracture caused by bone loss – didn’t occur to me. Because who wouldn’t break their wrist falling on the marble bathroom floor?
Acadia National Park, Mount Desire, 2025
After my fall in the bathroom, I went to the hospital where I worked and was treated. Later, a bone density test, called a DEXA scan, revealed that I had low bone density, but I didn’t find it worrying. I believed that I would do my best with weight-bearing exercise and a diet high in calcium and vitamin D.
It was seven years before I had another DEXA scan. This time it was a routine test ordered by my gynecologist because I was postmenopausal. The scan showed that my low bone density had progressed to osteopenia, which is bone loss that has not yet reached the level of osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I both downplayed the significance of these findings, believing that an antiresorptive drug that slows bone loss would be enough. At the direction of my gynecologist, I started taking the drug in addition to my calcium and vitamin D supplements. I later learned that these measures didn’t help as much as they should. At my next appointment, my DEXA scan showed that my bone loss had progressed to osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I decided that it was time to seek advice from a specialist who has experience and extensive knowledge in the treatment of bone diseases.
The endocrinologist I saw ordered a lab test that showed high levels of calcium in my urine, and I learned that the measures I thought would help, like taking calcium supplements, had had little effect. My kidneys released the calcium into my urine so that little of it could be absorbed by my bones. I was prescribed a new medication to help my kidneys store calcium, which is essential for building and maintaining bones.
The endocrinologist explained that calcium is good for maintaining bone health, but once bone loss begins, only a bone-building drug can help combat the loss. On the specialist’s instructions, I started injecting a new medication in early 2022. Now that I was confident that I was on the right track with my bone health, I felt confident enough to start planning longer cycling adventures.
Greymouth, New Zealand, 2024
My osteoporosis is effectively treated with bone-building and bone-preserving medications. I have adjusted my medication to match my calcium levels and feel strong and confident to ride my bike wherever I want. In fact, I cycled around New Zealand last fall.
It’s been 16 years since I broke my wrist and my bones are getting stronger – not weaker – with each passing year. I am grateful that they are strong enough to carry me around the world.
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 shared in these stories are not endorsed by HealthyWomen and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of HealthyWomen.
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