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[Dancinggirl]

I have just had a call from a dear friend who may be coming for a visit soon and she is  devastated because she has now been diagnosed with serious osteoporosis. She has recently finished treatment for breast cancer - mastectomy, chemo and radio therapy - so in other words 'the works'.  I did see her about 5 weeks ago literally 2 weeks after she finished treatment and she looked amazing.  She is taking Tamoxifen as her cancer was pretty bad!!!
Shortly after she was diagnosed with the breast cancer she had a fall and broke her sacrum and had to go through mastectomy and recovery unable to walk.  Of cause at the time the main concern was the cancer and she is only now addressing the cause of this problem with the serious fracture. She has been told she has advanced osteoporosis and has to go into hospital to have treatment for this. Of cause this has nothing to do with her cancer but she can't have HRT and the tamoxifen will be making it worse.
She is tall and slim, always ate what I thought was a healthy diet and kept physically fit - playing tennis etc. and always walking to work - she is only 55.  I would be tucking into some chips with my cheese salad while she had a salmon salad with not even any bread on the side, let alone chips. She has sensitive skin so always used sun cream and kept out of the sun whenever possible she looks ten years younger that she is and her skin is amazing. I asked her how her menopause was and she said she had sailed through without so much as a mild flush.
Ironically she had had a check up only months before the breast cancer diagnosis and been told she was the fittest person of her age the doctor had encountered.
She is one of the loveliest and down to earth person I know and I am so upset she has had this set back. Unfortunately her healthy lifestyle meant her intake of calcium and Vitamin D has probably been deficient. It is so unfair that despite trying to do all the right things she has two truly horrible illnesses.

I am guilty of dishing out advice to ladies on this site about lifestyle choices re diet and exercise and I personally do really try to lead a healthy lifestyle most of the time. Well, I feel at the moment I would say "to hell with it" - eat the ice-cream, lay in the sun till you're brown - the question about 'risks over benefits' when using HRT is often posed on this site and the reply is often "life is short" so go for quality of life. Quality of life is everything.
Sorry - I needed a rant as I am very upset for her - it is soooo unfair.
Enjoy life every day ladies.  DG xxxx
 

[tiger74]

So sorry to hear about your friend DG and I do hope that a treatment plan can be worked out to help with the osteoporosis.

Interestingly, I was told at my most recent oncology check-up (I've had breast cancer and "the works") that there is actually some evidence that Tamoxifen can be beneficial to bone health (and I may be switching to it in due course).

Yes it seems very very unfair - I have had similar rants since my cancer diagnosis as I always strove to lead a healthy lifestyle and I still got diagnosed with cancer having only just turned 47.  So... although I can't claim to know how you or your friend feel, I empathise and understand where you're coming from with this.

Best wishes.

[Dancinggirl]

Thank you tiger74
Interesting about the Tamoxifen - I hope that turns out to be true.
I'm an ex professional dancer and had an early meno (from mid 30s) and now at 58 and off HRT for 8 months my joints are really giving problems - I assume osteoarthritis  - however I expected to have problems as I abused my joints so badly whilst dancing.
I'm dreading getting a bone scan - which I must ask for soon. At least I have the option of possibly going back on HRT. 
I just hope they can help my friend. DG x

[Joyce]

Sorry to hear about your friend DG. Life can be so cruel at times. My in-laws had a dreadful lifestyle, ate all the wrong stuff, way too much fat, smoked like chimneys and enjoyed a good drink. MIL lived until nearly 80, FIL until 82.

I hope your friend gets all the right stuff to help her!

[Dancinggirl]

cubagirl - this is exactly why I feel so angry on my friends behalf.  I sometimes think it's the people who really try to be healthy that get it in the neck. The medical profession and the media go to such lengths to make us feel guilty for touching anything with fat and carbs but never mention that if you fail to eat things like dairy you could end up with osteoporosis.
I'm currently trying a Sour Cherry supplement to see if it helps with the aching joints.
I won't give up on trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle - having come off HRT and really monitoring what I eat (also eating a lot less) I seem to have gained rather a lot around my upper hips and tummy - really horrid!. Still I mustn't complain as my friend has a much tougher journey.  DG xxx

[tiger74]

Hope your bone density scan comes up with some good results for you.  I'm awaiting the results of my 2-yearly DEXA scan, not anticipating any problems but one never knows....

I suppose that at least we (me, you, your friend) who strive to do the right things as regards diet and lifestyle give ourselves the best chance of healing and recovering well if we do have to undergo heavy-duty medical treatment/surgery.

I still get angry at the unfairness though.

Have a good day and don't forget to book that bone density scan.
 

[Dancinggirl]

 

[Hurdity]

So sorry to hear about your friend Dancinggirl - yes it is so unfair isn't it? As you say we all try to stay as healthy as possible through diet and liefstyle but sadly there are other factors involved that we can't do anything about and some are unlucky enough to succumb to horrible illnesses for reasons of genetics, or the environment.

Staying out of the sun may well contribute to lack of vitamin D and hence osteoporosis - I understand that women with lower BMI - and small frame - are more at risk (presumably due to thinner bones to start with, and lower BMI = lower oestrogen therefore greater bone loss?) and what's the use of having young-looking skin if it makes you ill? I would urge everyone not to smother themselves with sun-cream and please go in the sun - provided you are sensible - early and later in the day, spring and autumn - get that sunshine even if your skin is sensitive - you don't need to burn but just go outside! Get that vit D!!!!

I agree with tiger74 though - we should all continue to do the best for ourselves re diet and exercise - as this can only be doing us good in the long term.

Thank-you Dancinggirl - we do need to enjoy every day and make the most of everything (and everyone!) we have!

Hurdity x

[Scampi]

Lack of sun exposure leading to a lack of vitamin D is a timebomb with modern sun-fear.  Not only will there be an increasing number of women suffering with osteoporosis, rickets is becoming an increasing problem in affluent children!  'Yummy mummies' are fastidiously keeping their children out of the sun, covering every inch with clothes and high-factor sun creams if they do allow the little darlings outside - no sun = minimal vitamin D (doesn't matter how much 'vitamin D enriched' cereals and yopghurts you eat - you need the SUN!), hence rickets.

Apparantly it can take as little as 15 minutes unprotected sun exposure (perfectly safe morning or late afternoon) each day to get enough vitamin D.  Get out in the sun ladies.

[Dancinggirl]

I take Vit D through the winter - apparently it is a very vital vitamin for all sorts of things not just the bones. DG x

[rosebud57]

Don't forget magnesium. If you take calcium you need magnesium as well or it's not effective.

[CLKD]

It's a shock that having come through cancer treatment, Life doles out osteoporosis on top!  However, even if your friend appeared healthy : "been told she was the fittest person of her age the doctor had encountered. " - without a pelvic scan for osteoporosis, unless a person is already beginning to bend over there is no way of telling.   Fitness should have avoided the problem though  ........ we are advised that brisk walking impacts on the joints helping avoid osteoporosis.

I have always been an outdoor person though am unable to tolerate heat, so most dog walking was done early morning/evenings. 

What treatment will she be having in Hospital?

[Dancinggirl]

Not sure what treatment she is getting, she's coming to visit tomorrow so I shall know more when I see her.  She has always been fit, played tennis, walked lots etc.
I'm hoping they will give her a whole regime to help, at least, preserve what she has now and stop some of the deterioration. At the moment she is just terrified of having another fall - not surprising really. When she broke her sacrum she couldn't walk for quite a while! She's a very sorted person, highly intelligent (Member of Mensa!!!) so I'm sure she will do the right things.
Yes rosebud, you are right,  magnesium is very important.  I tend to get diarrhoea if I take too much of this but I do take Menopace which has magnesium in it. I'm vegetarian and love my cheese so I think I get more than enough calcium in my diet and it's far better to get calcium through food sources than in tablet form.
It'll be interesting to hear what advice my friend gets.
Tomorrow is going to be showery which is a shame.  I will still try to get her out in the sunshine and get her to eat some of my homemade ice-cream (full of calcium)!!!
DG x

[Rowan]

Protein is very important for bones http://www.iofbonehealth.org/nutrition

It use to be said that that protein leeched minerals from the bones but this thinking has been reversed, we need more protein as we get older.

The Swiss have a high proportion of osteoporosis and consume a high amount of dairy.

Here is some info  http://www.4.waisays.com/ExcessiveCalcium.htm

So sorry to read about you friend Dancinggirl. It is possible to build bone.

[oldsheep]

I'm so sorry about your friend. No, life is so often just plain unfair. The media also love telling us that if we eat/don't eat x or y we will live without major illness, so people feel guilty as if getting cancer or heart disease were their fault somehow. Makes me angry.

My mum died from a fracture related septicaemia. She was diagnosed at 79 with severe osteoporosis. Because she loved cream and icecream and was quite plump, apparently that helped her bones and she didn't know she had it until she fell. No HRT in her generation either.

Right now there's a media obsession with sugar. Next it'll be something else.
The lack of vitamin D is self evident - we don't get anything like enough sunshine in the summer months, and none at all in the right spectrum in the winter months in the UK. Neurologist I saw told me it's a ticking time bomb and to take 2000 iu supplements in winter. GP freaked at that, so the message is still not getting through.
It also vamps up your immune system.

One of my best friends has metastasing liver, lung and bowel cancer. She's 61. It's just so unfair.
She says the main thing is to accept it, keep doing what she enjoys doing as far as possible and insist that they work hard to keep her pain free. But she has constant lower level chemo now and is exhausted.
all the best to you and to your poor friend. x