How I Turned the Tide on My Osteoporosis

Five days after the kyphoplasty procedure, I suffered a perforated bowel from undiagnosed diverticulitis (unrelated to the kyphoplasty) and went into septic shock. My lungs and heart were failing as I was spirited by helicopter to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

I was unable to walk after sepsis, and endured months of excruciating rehab and another abdominal surgery. I felt my fear and regret unfolding into waves of primal survival instinct and determination as I fought to recover. My primary-care provider recommended aquatic therapy, and I was all for it. I wanted some relief and needed a goal to work toward.

The exercise that turned things around

Water exercise turned out to be the ideal medium for strengthening my damaged core and legs. After I was discharged from a rehab center, I started going to the YMCA to swim and lift weights. I walked as far as I could every day, my goal being those magical 10,000 steps. However, my DEXA in 2022 showed no improvement. In January 2023, after I fractured my wrist while playing with our golden retriever, Henry, I decided to find a specialist in bone health and metabolism.

I booked an appointment with a specialist at Johns Hopkins. When I asked about bisphosphonates, he explained that they “do not build bone, they prevent bone loss.” After reviewing my records, he recommended a bone-building medication that contained a synthetic form of parathyroid hormone.

A little patient education goes a long way

This time I felt more confident. I finally understood what was at stake, and hiding my head under the covers wasn’t going to help me.

I had only recently started self-injecting the medication, however, and was also training for a charity walk, when I felt sharp pains deep in my left shin. When it didn’t improve a few days later, I limped into the office of an orthopedic surgeon.

An X-ray and an MRI revealed a compression fracture. We tried treating it with rest. My surgeon explained that although walking is usually a great low-impact activity, too much walking can lead to the net accumulation of tiny, microscopic cracks.

My fracture was located in a common area that had the potential to break and become more serious, so when rest didn’t work, we scheduled surgery. But a bout of pneumonia stalled it and drastically reduced my activity. Six weeks later, though, we decided to forgo the surgery because my pneumonia-induced “vacation” was apparently just what my shin needed to start healing.

Instead, the surgeon prescribed a device that emits ultrasonic waves through the skin into the bone to stimulate the bone cells to heal. After a few months, X-rays showed a healed fracture.

Diving in to safely strengthen my bones

My surgeon also suggested I spend more time in the water instead of pounding the pavement. I found lap swimming boring and lonely, so I jumped into aquatics classes. Since then, I have spent weekday mornings “skiing,” “running,” lifting aqua weights, “surfing” on kickboards and noodles, in deep water and in the shallow end, where I dance and jump on the pool floor.

I’m lucky our YMCA has exceptionally trained instructors and high-intensity classes like Aqua HIIT. While some trainers might say exercising in the water isn’t enough to experience the benefits of weight-bearing exercise on land, my recent DEXA in March showed significant improvement! There isn’t much research yet on links between aquatic exercise and stronger bones, but there is some evidence that it can help.

Michael Murray, a physical therapist and aquatics specialist at Duke Physical Therapy in Durham, North Carolina, and president of the APTA Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, explained that high-intensity aquatic exercise can provide some degree of weight-bearing benefit as well as significant resistance training. This enables people who risk getting injured on land to safely strengthen their bones in water.

Studies show that patients with osteoporosis can make health gains and improve bone health by participating in aquatic exercise. “When you’re exercising in water that is chest-high, you’re unloading about 50 to 75 percent of your body weight when standing still; and when you jump around on the pool floor, you’re getting more weight-bearing activity than you think,” Murray explained.

Meanwhile, I’m having a blast and feeling better. 

Riding the waves of hope for strong bones and a brighter future

My doctor stopped short of calling my latest DEXA results a “cure” or “reversal.” Like any chronic disease, or diabetes or high blood pressure, osteoporosis can be managed successfully. I will start a bisphosphonate infusion this summer to maintain my gains.

My back still aches, and my loose ligaments are what they are. But I turned everything around. I found a doctor who explained things well, I’m suffering less pain, and I’m engaged in a safe exercise routine that keeps me active.

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.