Osteoporosis Awareness: Time For Some Shock Treatment?

PJ Hamel is an osteoporosis don't-wannabe! Interested Writer, author, baker, daughter, mom, wife, friend I'm a nationally noted food writer and author, with three... Send Message Subscribe: PJ Hamel

Friday, May 08, 2009
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Till my fellow expert patient Pam Flores notified you that May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, I’ll bet you didn’t know it, did you? That’s OK; not many people do. Although this disease has been dubbed “the silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms, it m...

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Thank you for so many of us!
Lainie
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 11:14 AM

I'm 57 and have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I only wish that I would have read this article about, let's say, 20 years ago! I plan on passing this on to lots of my friends and family, men included, and I hope they will do the same!

My grandmother died because of a broken hip and my mother had severe osteoporosis as well and suffered many spinal fractures. It still didn't "sink in". Everyone needs to be aware of their family history and then do something about it....like I didn't!

Thank you for a wonderful wake up call.

re: Thank you for so many of us!
PJ Hamel
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 01:01 PM

Lainie, I'm SO glad you've borken the chain of "unawareness" — and that you're going to let everyone in your life, men and women both, know that osteoporosis is something you need to work on preventing early. Hope you're doing well - exercise, diet... it's boring but it helps! Best wishes - PJH

Thanks PJ!!!!
Pam Flores
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 06:24 PM

Hi PJ, nice blog... I really like your idea of using the stats as a scare tactic to raise awareness, and if you have to scare people so be it!! We all know that knowledge and understanding brings awareness, so if you can accomplish it this way then I'm all for it.

Hopefully more of us know that osteoporosis isn't an old woman's or even a women's disorder, so we all need to take it upon ourselves to get diagnosed, hopefully prevent or treat this before it's too late. Since there are very few symptoms we can't wait around until we have them, because that usually means we've fractured already and turning back the clock doesn't work.

Osteoporosis can occur through pregnancy and lactation, idiopathically in young children and like you mentioned in your other blog, through the excessive exercise seen in some young athletes. There are many in their childhood, or in their 20's and 30's that have this so we need to pay attention.

Thanks for your ideas; I'm going to try this approach since what I've done to raise awareness HASN'T worked.

Pam

re: Thanks PJ!!!!
PJ Hamel
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 06:49 PM

And than YOU so much, Pam, for this thoughtful response, and the links. I always appreciate your thorough, clear posts; you offer so much good information to this site. Coming from a breast cancer background, I'm used to "in your face" awareness-raising, rather than the "kind and gentle" approach taken by the NOF. I think it's time they get a new marketing agency and GET THE WORD OUT THERE already!Myabe we can help in the meantime... Take care - PJ

re: re: Thanks PJ!!!!
Pam Flores
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 08:18 PM

Thanks PJ for your kind and encouraging words! I do believe you just hit the nail on the head, and this has been a personal quandry for me for a long time, on why more people don't know about the hazardous implications of this silent disease. The information on osteoporosis is out there, but the dissemination of it just may be too low key. Maybe the NOF could get some ideas from you for ramping up the advertising message about this, for all of us..

The NOF would probably love it, when you look at the numbers of people who are so unaware. You have another new calling to add to your arsenal of knowledge and advocacy..

Thanks again and keep up the Very Good Work and education for both Breast Cancer and Osteoporosis!!

You have a very wonderful insight!!

Pam, just one of your many appreciative suporters!

Other Blogs by PJ on this topic
Pam Flores
Friday, May 08, 2009 at 06:41 PM

Hi PJ, I hope you don't mind me pointing out some of your other blogs on this topic to our readers.

Members of OsteoporosisConnection.com please see the following blogs by our patient expert, PJ Hamel, on this topic.

"Men Get Osteoporosis Too"

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/65114/osteoporosis

"Young Female Athletes--At Risk For Osteoporosis"

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/56915/osteoporosis

"If You Aren't Worried About Osteoporosis, You Should Be"

http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/48529/osteoporosis

Enjoy your reading...