Age Match

[Boneness]

I have had oesteoporosis for 15 years and I am 67. I have copies of all my Dexa scans. But I am alarmed to see on recent scan that it states on graph that my bone age match is 86 and 96! Can anybody explain how this can be, and anybody have this reading on their own scans?

[fraid]

Well I'm 69 but my body feels like 109 ! My spine is crumbling and bits of me are falling off or on strike ,so why do I still laugh about it? You're as young as you feel, wotever scans say, never had one meself and not gonna. Have a good day, sun shining, spring is here. 🤗 😎 ☀️

[CinnamonRose in reply to fraid]

🫰 Snap🙃 I'm 62 and def have bits on strike.... And bits falling off. If I stay still, in my head I'm a teenager, when I move I'm at least 109😅My vertebrae break for the fun of it, do yours?

[fraid in reply to CinnamonRose]

Ha, ha. Yes my bones are like crisps, they think it's funny, I don't. 🙃 Have 8 vertebral fractures, redone 3 of them, now my right hand gone sulky coz I dared to reach behind me, so couple of fingers #d and wrist sprain. Not to be outdone my left wrist RSI, arthritic fingers on strike too. I don't care coz can't do owt about any of it and have found other ways to open my beer via a knife! 🤭 Must admit I nearly gave up re insane pain a while ago, but found right level of pain relief, sorely needed. My lovely GP just gives me what I want as knows can't help much. Now on more tabs re low potassium and sodium, nurse didn't turn up re blood test, can't wait to get off them as give me nausea and trots.

Thanks for listening, that is my moan, can't do that with X as just gone out with Gfiend, though when told him I couldn't go on he burst into tears. 🤷‍♀️ Lovely sun but chilly, looking forward to sitting out when warmer.🤗😎 Hope yall have a good pain freeish day! 🤗

[CinnamonRose in reply to fraid]

It's so tough isn't it, I'm happy to listen to you moan anytime.I've had 5 years of unrelenting pain but actually, you've made me feel really thankful as I love doing sewing, knitting, crochet basically any crafts, and although I've not felt like doing any recently when I do get going it gives me a purpose and I am extremely thankful that I can still do that. Mercifully the drs are waking up to the fact there's little that they can do for us so to get us out of pain so we have some type of life is their priority.

Some days after awful aren't they!!?!

Those are the days when you question your sanity, your purpose in life and start to count how many more years you'll have to survive.

Not sure if I'm allowed to write this here, but I'm a Christian, and if I wasn't able to put all my cares and woes onto The Lords blessed shoulders, I honestly don't think I'd be coping as well as I do. That awful cloud that tells you that there's no point carrying on, where's the joy of living with this pain day in and day out.

But then I find relief in having told Him how hopeless I feel, I tell Him things I wouldn't tell my husband and kids, best friends etc because I don't want to upset or worry them, and the burden is lightened I know Jesus is listening and even birdsong can bring me joy.

Please keep in touch, sending a gentle hug xx

[fraid in reply to CinnamonRose]

Thanks and I'm glad you have a family around you. I'm afraid I'm a staunch atheist, even anti religion in general as I see the other side to all of them but if it gives you comfort, fair enough. Dragged up catholic so don't bother trying to convert me! 😂 Shame you can't have a moan to your family though, I'm sure it would help you all . I don't/can't knit etc but I do write, inc. books and I love it - bit curtailed atm re striking hands! Keep on trucking, best wishes. 🤗

[CinnamonRose in reply to fraid]

That's totally fine don't worry I'm not going to try and convert you🙃😉

[CinnamonRose in reply to CinnamonRose]

But you're more than welcome to message me when things get rough and you want a friendly ear to moan to!! We all need one sometimes.

I'm really interested that you write, I toy with the idea now and then but don't think I'd be able to form the different characters and keep the story going at apace.

What type of genre do you write? Don't share if you don't want to but I find it interesting. I adore reading although I must admit recently being lazy and listening to Audio Books instead, usually whilst I'm playing a word game on my phone, especially Zen word, my husband plays it as well, there's competitions at the weekend so it's with players at the same level all over the globe, it gives my brain a workout!!🙃

I love Regency /Historical fiction but it has to be authentic to the period.

Please keep in touch, especially if you need an ear to have a good moan to, Osteoporosis is hard to cope with especially as lots of folk don't realise how awful it is, I really do care

Hugs xxx

[fraid in reply to CinnamonRose]

Thanks, sweet of you. I have been told off before on here for promoting my 2 published books, trilogy of my memoirs but 3 rd stalled when my 2nd publisher 'folded'. If you pm me, tho I don't know how that works, maybe I could tell you more? Also just finished 4 th, fiction. 🤗

[Met00]

I'm not sure if it means that's the equivalent age of your bones. I've read that it means that proportion of people the same age have the same bone density. So for you that would be 86% and 96% have the same density at those sites.

[Boneness in reply to Met00]

I see what you are saying, but it does not say anywhere on the graph attached to the scan result that it is a percentage? It only says Age Matched. I am trying to take this further with specialists who know what these readings all mean! It is double dutch to us simpletons!

[Met00 in reply to Boneness]

I've just checked my z-scores against age matched scores. Z-scores compare bone density to average for age, so if age-matched scores indicated the relative age of our bones, you'd expect the higher the number (ie age) under age matched scores, the lower (worse) you'd expect the z-scores to be. My age-matched scores are the opposite : they are lower where my z-scores are lower, which ties in with age-matched scores reflecting the proportion of people of the same age having the same bone density.

[strongmouse in reply to Boneness]

As we age a certain amount of bone density loss is normal. My understanding is that these graphs show what would be considered normal bone density for someone's age. A certain amount of bone density loss below what would be considered normal for your age is classed as osteopenia and lower than that osteoporosis. It sounds as though your bone loss is considerably greater than would be expected of someone your age.

The advice would be to slow this loss down by medication (if advised by a doctor) and helping build your bones back up by exercise and diet if possible.

theros.org.uk/information-a...

[Boneness in reply to strongmouse]

I have been on various medications/hospital infusions for 15 years now and yes I have osteoporosis and originally osteopenia in hips too. This is my point that my bone loss is considerably greater than would be expected for my age! I am not anything like 86! I need professional advice, but thank you for your reply anyway!

[laniado]

hello. DEXA scans have numerical standards based on relative radiological density. ie they measure your bone density based on comparisons of healthy bone relative to age. For example what does a normal healthy spine of a 67 year old woman read on a DEXA scan. What does your spine measure. Then it gives you a number. So if your spine % of remaining bone is about on par of that of a woman of 86 would have that is where they get the comparison.

[Boneness in reply to laniado]

It does not mention on the chart anything about a percentage. It says my age match is 86! Yet nobody seems to know where this figure actually comes from. I even asked my consultant and she did not have a straight answer to my question!

[CinnamonRose in reply to Boneness]

Why not phone the ROS they've a team of lovely folk that are well up with all the latest OP news/treatments . If you write a list of questions before you phone then it's easier, when I phoned the first time I really was all over the place with this diagnosis and they're very understanding and reassuring.

[Boneness in reply to CinnamonRose]

Thanks for suggesting that, but unfortunately I try to avoid phone calls because I cannot hear very well, due to radiotherapy as have a brain tumour! So I email as much as possible. I have done this and just wait to get a reply from ROS.

[dcdream in reply to laniado]

T scores compare your bones to a 30 year old. do you really think that makes sense? What is your Z score? I've had osteoporosis for 12 years and never fractured and am in severe range. Never took meds but maintain a healthy lifestyle and nutrition. I try not to have my scores impact my happiness and outlook on life. They say it';s a silent killer but I have friends with no osteoporosis and my age 71 and they have height decreases more than me and have already fractured. I also have friends on osteoporosis meds and they are my age and fracturing. go figure!