osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

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DebE13
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osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

Post by DebE13 »

Does anyone else have osteoporosis issues? I've had CC since 2007 and had thyroid cancer and a total thyroidectomy in 2013. Almost four weeks ago I injured my knee at work and am now wondering if I need to look into further testing. I manage a warehouse and was cleaning the floors. I attempted to push a scrubber machine (dead battery- otherwise I would have driven it) out of the way and happened to be standing at an angle to it. When I pushed, I twisted my knee and heard a very loud pop. After that, I could not walk on it. Long story, short.... I had an MRI and I did more damage to my knee that I thought possible. The summary is as follows:

1. 8x6x3mm meniscal ossicle in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. Tear of the tibial attachment site of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus, consistent with a meniscal root tear. No evidence of lateral meniscal tear.

2. mild sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament

3. acute, nondisplaced osteochondral fracture of the posterior aspect of the medial tibial plateau with a vertical component extending through the articular cartilage and associated bone marrow contusion. (this did not show up on the xrays)

4. moderate sized hemarthrosis of the knee joint.

I have pushed dead machines in the past to move them and they rolled with ease. I didn't not know this machine had a wheel lock in place so it wasn't going anywhere. Anyway, I keep running this through my head and I simply can't believe I could do this much damage. It's a pretty lame story. At best, I would hope to have some interesting tale to tell related to the injury. When I went in, the walk-in doctors for the Bone and Joint clinic were so backed up with patients that no one was available to see me. Instead, I was squeezed into one of the surgeon's schedules. I thought better yet. I had x-rays done and was sent home with an ace bandage. This happened on December 14th and had the MRI the following week. I did not see the surgeon again until January 5th where I learned of the damage. He went on vacation through the holidays and told me the x-rays showed no breaks- so use it. And I did. I was walking on for three weeks. :shock:

At the time, the doctor said due to COVID, all the surgeries were so backed up that it didn't matter if I saw him in December or January because they were scheduling surgeries out to February/March. My mind was blown. Well, that doesn't even matter now. I am now supposed to stay off of it for 6 weeks. I go back February 15th to discuss if surgery is needed for the meniscus tear. I'm pretty sure it will be.

So my concern now is - do I have more going on that should be addressed? I have a very physical job and am lifting and on the move all day long. I'm not sure if I'm overreacting but I also want to be proactive. It seems GI issues alone can contribute to bone issues and add thyroid issues to boot and I may be a recipe for disaster?? Please tell me all the sitting around I've been doing has made me crazy.

I turned 50 last August, started menopausal symptoms, and feel like life is going to hell in a hand basket pretty quick.

Would a bone density test be a good idea?

As a side note, my trips to the bathroom have decreased. I carefully weigh the merits of each step as my good knee actually hurts more than my bad knee. Snacking and grazing has come to an end and I've eliminated foods that weren't helping my situation anyway. It is not a remission but a slight improvement.
Deb

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path, and leave a trail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

2007 CC
2013 thyroid cancer- total thyroidectomy
2013 Hashimoto's - numbers always "normal"
2017 Lyme's Disease
Vandolyn
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Re: osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

Post by Vandolyn »

Deb, I have really bad osteoporosis because of LC. I fractured my femur in 2020 in 4 places. I was in a wheelchair for 10 weeks and a walker for another 4. My doctor is very conservative and wanted me to heal properly. Thankfully, it seems I have healed. Your injury you are describing does not sound like osteoporosis to me. I think you must have twisted your knee to have caused all of that to happen to you. Having said all of that, I would recommend anyone with LC to start bone density tests in their early 50’s. Had I started the tests earlier, I could have probably stopped some of the damage. I was relying on my doctor and she did not recommend one. It never occurred to me to get one. When I did, it was too late.

Good luck to you. I have two knee replacements. Knee problems are not fun but they will heal.

Vandolyn
brandy
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Re: osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

Post by brandy »

I agree, your injury could have happened to anyone.

I'd still get the bone scan to see your status.
Jerseagrl
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Re: osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

Post by Jerseagrl »

What do you take for bone loss?
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tex
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Re: osteoporosis and GI/thyroid issues

Post by tex »

Hi,

Welcome to the group. Taking a vitamin D supplement will allow you to absorb the calcium in your food. And taking a magnesium supplement will allow insulin to transport the calcium from the bloodstream into the bone cells where it's needed. In other words, if you have osteoporosis, or osteopenia, you have a deficiency of vitamin D and magnesium. Microscopic colitis depletes vitamin D and magnesium, and so does budesonide, coffee, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), many antibiotics, and many other medications.

Tex
:cowboy:

It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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