My son had just returned to college, and I was cleaning up after his visit. Distracted, I slipped on a marble bathroom floor and fell hard, fracturing my wrist.
At midlife and postmenopausal, I had multiple risk factors for bone loss - yet as a physician, I still didn’t recognize it as a fragility fracture. A DEXA scan revealed low bone density, but I assumed weight-bearing exercise and calcium supplements were enough.
Seven years later, routine testing showed progression to osteopenia, then osteoporosis. My gynecologist and I realized we needed expert help. An endocrinologist discovered high urinary calcium - my kidneys were expelling the mineral before my bones could absorb it.
I switched to targeted therapy: injections that build bone tissue, paired with a medication to retain calcium. By 2022, I was back on my bike - and last October, cycling through New Zealand.
Sixteen years after my fracture, my bones are growing stronger. Early detection and precise treatment made all the difference.