Is this my body?

Always be thankful for what you didn’t have years ago.  The reason will eventually reveal itself.  What I didn’t
have thirty, twenty or even ten years ago were achy joints. When I was in my teens I could run like the wind.  
Well I was long legged and skinny.  My father had been co-captain of the track team, and a sprinter when he
was in high school.  So I guess my running streak was inherited.  I managed to continue to run and jog off and
on well into my thirties.  While I can still run around a track at least once I usually pay for it later.  

The first time my knees started to ache, I thought, 'What is going on?' When I asked my mother if she had ever
experienced this, she laughed and told me, “No, not at your age I didn’t!”  I was in my early forties.  I admit
when I was much younger I didn’t quite understand it when the old folks talked about their aching joints.   I
guess it takes something to hit home to finally reach an understanding.

I’ve started a daily regimen of glucosamine and chondroitin, which works towards preventing the debilitation of
cartilage in the joints.   

A year ago my mother made an appointment for the two of us to have a bone density test.  I thought, ‘why
not.’  With all of the talk about osteoporosis affecting women it certainly made sense to have the test – just to
be sure I wasn’t at risk.  By the time my paternal grandmother was 80 she had osteoporosis.   I liked that my
mother and I were going to the doctor together for the same test.  You know a true bonding moment for mother
and daughter.  

Technology is amazing. The nurse applied a cream to my wrist and moved the SXA device along my wrist as she
watched the reading on a screen.  It was almost like a massage.  I sat there wondering how such a small
instrument could read the density of one’s bones.  As it turned out my mother’s reading was -05, which means
she is pre-osteoporosis.  But my mother was 71 years old.  So this in fact, as the nurse pointed out, is not a bad
reading.   My reading: -05! The same as my mother’s!  The nurse pointed out to me that there were several
factors as to why I was more prone to osteoporosis – I am tall, on the lean side and had previously smoked for
over 20 years.

While the three of us got a real kick out of the fact that my mother and I had the same reading, I wasn’t
laughing.  I couldn’t wait to get to the drug store to stock up on calcium supplements.  Since then I religiously
take 1200 mg of calcium daily.  To take more than my required dosage would not make a difference, as my
doctor pointed out to me, the bones can only absorb so much, so it is a waste to take more than the
recommended dosage.  

By the way, smoking affects every organ in the body, robbing our bones of calcium, affecting all of the small
blood vessels.  It will be four years, November 1, since I called it quits cold turkey.  Not a day has gone by that I
have hankered for a cigarette.  In fact the smell of tobacco when anyone around me lights up literally makes me
nauseous.  I don’t want to get all spiritual, but I asked God to take this habit away from me once and for all.  
This is the best thing I could have ever done for my health.  I quietly celebrate this achievement every year on
that day.  

Now that I know what it takes to keep my joints healthy I know what to do when my knees act up.  Humidity is
not a friend to achy joints, so it is important for me to stay on top of taking my glucosamine and chondroitin.  I
mean, I still have a desire to run, and to run in a marathon – one day.  In the meantime I’m off to do some
serious power walking!   Yes, this is MY body!

An easy guide to healthy joints:
  • Lose weight
  • Eat joint healthy foods
  • Keep it moving – Walking is cheap, always available and has redeeming factors.
  • Lift weights
  • Check vitamin D levels
  • Wear flats –  I know, I know. We love our heels.  I’m not giving them up either.  But try not wearing them
    every day.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

*Always consult with your physician before starting any exercise or diet program.
The Way I See it...
The Way I See It is just that. True to VisibleWomanOnline’s mission to address a  
particular topic in each of the bi-monthly issues, The Way I See It column is rooted in
opinions and observations related to the topic.

Take it or leave it, my viewpoint may certainly not be the way you see it or then again,
maybe it is. The Way  I See It is my personal soap box. Yes, I said it. After all, the way I
see it, we all  have a right to free speech whether it offends or uplifts. Unfortunately
many are  silenced from speaking their mind or choose to be silent because it is easier to
just  be quiet. I leave you with these words from bell hooks…”I made speech my
birthright…talking back became for me a rite or initiation.”

I totally agree.  
Ivy Pittman
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