osteoporosis

[Guest guest]

Rhavda,

It must be so hard to see your mother slip away from what you are used

to knowing her.

Osteoporosis, once advanced can be 'arrested' with drugs, etc, but the

brittle bone mass still will be there, maybe spinal fractures can be

avoided, but a bad fall still can fracture the hip or arms..

I already broke my hip and the recovery has been slow and nasty. A

limp, constant pain and a good amount of frustration are steady

companions. I can not do the low impact exercises that help the bones

best with the right amount of medication, may it be herbal of allopathic.

BUT, I can do the pool.

In water, I can walk straight, have no or little pain and do exercises

that are not possible on land.

Just walking in water, not swimming. Slow deliberate walking , pushing

dumb bells to keep my arms strong. 10 minutes of water walking equate 2

hours of walking on land.

One advice to people on this list, who might have elderly parents that

could break their hips. Have them have hip replacement instead of

getting it fixed with plates and screws. The recovery is much easier. I

did not know that, when they asked me, while in a drug fog, 5 minutes

before surgery and regret having chosen the other. 35% end up like I do,

a lifelong cripple with severe limitations to be on their legs.

I am on my 3rd round of physical Therapy, still having hope and it's my

strong will and a good amount of German determination that keeps me

going, not giving up, which would be easy to do. I keep a stove timer

near my computer, set for 20 minutes, to get up and do some stretching,

go to the pool, keep my mind busy, my creativity going. Without that , I

would easily give up and give in to just sitting. For when I sit just

right, the pain is tolerable.

I am afraid that, if I had also Alzheimer's, the situation would be

very difficult. My best friend in Germany has a mother that is 93 and

broke her hip 4 years ago, also has Alzheimer's and it takes 3 people

24/7 to take care of her in her home, but her children, grandchildren do

it, with little outside help.They concentrate on what their mother

liked, playing her music, bundling her up on the Terrace to watch the

birds, still dressing her elegantly every day, making sure she has a

special mattress and pad to not get sores, walking her through the

house, nudging her with encouragement.

No nursing home could provide that kind of care, nor can all children do

that for their mother.

I absolutely dread the thought of having my children take care of me,

one of my great motivators to just keep on going and going, somehow,

some way..

C-M