Osteoporosis

Lets say it fast and get it over with. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. This leads to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture (broken bones), particularly of the hip, spine, wrist and shoulder. Osteoporosis is often known as “the silent thief” because bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis, because the names are similar. Osteoporosis is a bone disease; osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and surrounding tissue.

Neither of these are anything that I've spent any time thinking about until very recently. As I ramped up activity levels there was a corresponding increase in the stresses on my body. For a while I was wondering if I'd broken or cracked one of the small bones in my foot. The x-rays showed these neat striations where new bone had been laid down, which is a good thing.

More recently I've had a very creaky lower back and periodically stiff right hip, especially where the top of the hip flexor is anchored. It's taken longer to get sorted than pretty well any other injury. Since I've started to get really regular with pigeon pose, it's been feeling much better.

Plus there is the age thing. Up till now it hasn't been much of an issue, but it seems to be getting a bit closer on some days. The workouts seem to helping hold it off.

Today was a relaxing day. We slept in, then bused into Hamilton. Last year we had a great day touring the botanical gardens, and attending a jazz event there, so we wanted to do that again. Desmond Smith is one of Bermuda's top sax players, and for this does a very nice mellow show. Plus the rum swizzles never hurt. Then into Hamilton itself for a little bit of shopping.

The fun thing was being in shorts and a t shirt, with the locals wearing coats, and complaining about the cold. They cannot conceive of Canadian cold. Then they would never complain about Bermuda weather again.