English
As Erica Rimlinger tells it
My son, home from college for the holidays, loaded the car and drove back to class with his dad. After his quick visit, I stayed home and cleaned it. The bathroom was so messy that it looked like it had actually been struck by “lightning”. As I was cleaning, I was thinking about how I couldn’t miss this part of a teenage son’s visit to my home, and as I got distracted, I slipped and fell heavily on my wrist, breaking it.
At this point in my life, I had several risk factors for osteoporosis. She was a middle-aged woman who suffered a fracture for the first time. Even though I’m a doctor, I didn’t even consider the possibility of a fragility fracture, which is a fracture caused by bone loss. Because who wouldn’t break their wrist falling on a marble floor?
Acadia National Park, Mount Desire, 2025
After my fall in the bathroom, I went to the hospital where I worked and they treated me. Later, a bone density test called a DEXA test revealed that I had low bone density, but I didn’t find that particularly concerning. I thought I would do my best with strenuous exercise and a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.
It was seven years before I next had a DEXA test. This time it was a routine test ordered by my gynecologist due to my postmenopause. The test showed that my low bone density had developed into osteopenia, which is bone loss that has not yet reached the level of osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I downplayed the significance of these findings, believing that an antiresorptive drug that slows the progression of bone loss would be enough. I followed my gynecologist’s instructions and started taking the medication in addition to my calcium and vitamin D supplements. I later learned that these measures were not as helpful as they should have been. At my next visit, the DEXA test showed that my bone loss had progressed to osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I decided it was time to seek advice from a specialist with experience and expertise in treating bone diseases.
The endocrinologist I saw ordered lab tests that showed high levels of calcium in my urine, and I learned that the measures I thought would help, such as taking calcium supplements, had little effect. My kidneys released calcium into my urine so that little of it could be absorbed by my bones. I have been prescribed a new medication to help my kidneys store calcium, which is essential for building and maintaining bone tissue.
The endocrinologist explained that calcium is good for maintaining bone health, but that once this loss begins, only bone building medications are useful to counteract it. Following the specialist’s instructions, I started having a new medication injected 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 adventures on my bike.
Greymouth, New Zealand, 2024
I control my osteoporosis effectively with medications that build and maintain bone tissue. I have adjusted my medications to lower my calcium levels and I feel strong and confident to ride my bike anywhere I want. In fact, I went on a bike ride in New Zealand in October last year.
It’s been 16 years since I broke my wrist and my bones are getting stronger, not weaker. I am grateful that they are strong enough to travel the world.
This educational resource was created with support from Amgen and UCB.
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