Literally Born for Osteoporosis.... Warning Long Post

My quest for destiny with Osteoporosis started when I was born.  My mother could not breast feed me and then it became known that I was allergic to all dairy products....  During the 70's and 80's doctors did not put kids on extra calcium supplementation.  My mother was not good about giving vitamins.... So, I grew up with a calcium deficiency.. I am a very, very petite woman.  4'8 1/4 and weigh 82lbs. On top of this, at the age of 14 I developed severe and painful endometriosis. It was so bad, I was begging for a hysterectomy when I was 18 - 19.

It was a miracle when I got pregnant with my daughter... My joy was clouded by the lack of calcium again.  She pulled most of my calcium and my teeth suffered for it.  At the ripe old age of 21, I had a full upper denture.....

During the fall when I was 22, I started to Hemorrhage and passing small plate size clots..... the doctor that was seeing at the time told me that it was normal.  I freaked. Being a EMT (Volunteer), I knew the difference between menstrual blood and arterial blood. I contacted the doctor who diagnosed the endometriosis... I lived 80 miles away.  He got me right in and put me on Depo Provera to stop the bleeding. He asked me what I wanted to do.  I told him that I wanted everything to be done... the pain was was killing me, I was a ashen gray color, anemic. Whithin a week, I was in the hospital getting my Hysterectomy and partial oopherectomy. Come to find out, the endometrosis was SOOOO bad, it ripped my uterus free from the ligaments and tore an artery.... It was literally flopping around inside of me.  (I was right about the arterial bleeding) He left one overy with the hopes that it would start to work.....  That was removed several years later.  It never worked, that damage was too severe.

After my hysterectomy, I was never told about how important calcium and vitamin D are.  Growing up allergic to milk and dairy, you almost develop a distaste for it.

I didn't find out how important it was until it was too late.  My mother was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 1997.  It was then I was really awakened to the dangers of the "No Calcium" zone.  It was a rude awakening.  I started to take calcium but I was tooo late.

I started to notice that I was losing my height in 2000.... I would go in for a well check, and notice each time I am a little shorter.  Prior to the osteoporosis, I was 4'11".  I mentioned it to my doctor and he literally blew it off....... That went on for several years, with several different doctors.

I lost my bottom teeth in 2004.  Here I am, 31 years old and have a full set of dentures. No great story like "I was in a car accident" or other similar events.... Just plain old lack of calcium........

February 2005 my marriage failed. Lost any and all health insurance, made too much money for medicaid but way too little for the medications that I needed. Something had to go, I had to keep a roof over my head, gas in the car to get to work, pay all of the rest of the bills..... Spouse won primary residence of our daughter. Now I am paying 68.00 per week child support......  Weekly child support took over half of my pay check.  I lived 45 miles away, took a lot gas (and money) to go get my daughter for a visit. (he refused to even help out, if I wanted to see her, I have to go get her and bring her home!) Spouse only cared about him and what he thought was due to him...... Food was scarce during this dark, dark time......  So, that is the way the cookie crumbled. I lost a ton of weight due to the struggle of trying to just keep my head above water...... It is amazing, the affects of stress to your body.