2007 (my first DXA scan; osteoporosis diagnosis)
My T-score at the lumbar spine was -3.0 (-2.0 at L1, -2.7 at L2, -3.4 at L3 and -3.8 at L4).
My T-score at the left hip was -2.2 (-2.8 at neck, -2.0 at troch, -1.9 at inter).
My BMD results in g/cm2 were 0.712 at the spine (L1-L4), 0.53 at the left hip (neck), and 0.670 at the left hip (total).
2009 My second scan was done 07/06/09 after the following treatment: Fosamax 70 mg weekly from 06/18/07 to 12/24/07, two capsules Doctor's Best Strontium Bone Maker daily from 01/21/08 to 07/06/09.
Spine (L1-L4): BMD 0.749, T-Score -2.7
Lt. Hip (neck): BMD 0.563, T-Score -2.6
Lt. Hip (total): BMD 0.739, T-Score -1.7
2013 (4 years from previous scan; scores in osteopenia range)
0.871 g/cm2 at the spine from L1- L4 (T-score -1.6)
0.692 g/cm2 at the left femoral neck (-1.4 T-score),
0.775 g/cm2 at the left total hip (-1.4 T-score).
2016 (BMD scores improved but still in osteopenia range)
Spine: Total BMD of the spine (L1-4) is 0.897 g/cm2, with a T-score of -1.4.
Left Femoral Neck: BMD is 0.729 g/cm2, with a T-score of -1.1.
Left Total Hip: BMD is 0.812 g/cm2, with a T-score of -1.1.
Compared to the prior study (August 21, 2013), there was a 3% increase in BMD of the lumbar spine and a 5% increase in BMD of the left total hip.
January 2019 (Spine, left total hip, right total hip, right femoral neck show normal BMD; left femoral neck in osteopenia range)
Compared to the prior study, there has been 9% increase in spine density, 6% increase in left total hip density, but no change in left femoral neck density.
August 2022 (showed normal BMD at all sites)
November 2024. The 2024 scan included a TBS, which found normal bone microarchitecture! The only value that was slightly worse than my previous scan of 18 August 2022, was my left femoral neck BMD of 0.728 g/cm2 and a T-score of -1.1 (osteopenia) in 2024, compared to left femoral neck BMD of 0.741 g/cm2 and a T-score of -1.0 (normal density) in 2022.
For almost a year and a half (3/5/2023 through 8/17/2024), I reduced my daily dosage of strontium citrate from 682 mg of strontium per day to 341 mg 4X per week and 682 mg 3X per week. I resumed the full dosage on 8/18/2024.
Originally (2007), my worst BMD scores were for my spine. My most recalcitrant area now is my left femoral neck.
2 comments:
Hi BoneLady,
I thought I'd share an update, although it probably doesn't qualify as an Inspire success story just yet.
Last year (2025), I shared my REMS scan and FRAX results on this blog. I can't remember which post it was under or what name I used, but I believe you recommended that I consider osteoporosis medication. At the time, that advice was sobering because I hadn't yet done much research on my own.
The real wake-up call came when an endocrinologist, who was evaluating a thyroid nodule, asked whether anyone had ever addressed my 2024 DXA scan showing severe osteoporosis. The answer was no—no physician had ever discussed those results with me. Like many people, I'd exercised consistently for years, so the diagnosis came as a genuine shock.
This endocrinologist approached the conversation from what I would describe as a nocebo perspective, emphasizing fracture statistics over the course of two appointments before prescribing Evenity. What she did not explain was that Evenity would need to be followed by long-term maintenance medication. Looking back, I think her priority was convincing me that treatment was necessary. Out of fear, I agreed before fully researching the potential benefits and drawbacks.
My DXA scans date back to 2003, when I was 50, and my most recent scan was this month, July 2026, at age 73. Despite years of testing, no physician ever reviewed the results with me. The reports themselves are sparse, having been performed on different machines, by different providers, and within different medical groups.
After finding your blog and the Inspire forum, I took strontium citrate for a couple of months before starting Evenity. Following my final Evenity injection in June of this year—and after reading your thoughtful responses to emilymc3 on Inspire—I resumed taking strontium citrate this month.
During the past year, I also completed eight months of a Liftmor-style exercise program at a local medical wellness center. In addition, my physician increased my estradiol from a low-dose vaginal regimen to a systemic dose only a couple of months ago, which is probably too recent to have had any meaningful effect on my bones.
My orthopedic doctor will likely recommend a maintenance medication to preserve the gains from Evenity, but I'd like to take a short break from the headaches and lethargy before making that decision. My hope is that strontium citrate can become my maintenance strategy, realizing—as you once put it—that I'd be a bit of a trailblazer. I also plan to have bone turnover markers checked, even though I understand they're not especially informative immediately after Evenity because they don't follow the usual patterns. I'll also wait a while before getting another REMS scan in hopes of obtaining a more accurate post-Evenity assessment.
I know I've had less than a year of intentional, proactive treatment, but here are my spine T-scores, since that's where my osteoporosis has been most severe:
2003: -0.7
2012: "Completely normal for age" (no T-score reported)
2015: -2.0
2017: -2.3
2019: -2.3
2021: -2.3
2024: -3.5 ("severe osteoporosis")
July 2025 – June 2026: Evenity treatment
July 2026: -1.3 (although I'm still categorized as being at "very high fracture risk" because my mean femoral neck T-score is -2.8); TBS: 1.379, classified as "Normal".
This latest report is honestly a bit confusing. Apparently, I'll receive the complete report in a couple of weeks when I meet with my orthopedic doctor.
Thanks for listening,
Emily
Hi EmilySingingBones,
Your DXA scan total spine T-score of -1.3 in July 2026 after a year of Evenity is a huge improvement over your -3.5 score in 2024. Are you sure the 2024 scan was done correctly? I ask because you had had consistent T-scores of -2.3 in 2017, 2019, and 2021, and then in 2024 (three years later), you got a score of -3.5!
You are still in the osteoporosis range because your femoral T-score is -2.8. It is generally harder to improve BMD in the femoral bone (hip) than in the spine. The hip is mostly made of slow-turnover cortical bone, whereas the spine consists largely of fast-turnover trabecular bone, which responds much more quickly to both bone-building medications and exercise.
Your TBS of 1.379, which signifies normal bone microarchitecture, is worth celebrating!
I hope strontium citrate and systemic estradiol will maintain your gains and even improve on them. Thank you for the update. I'm rooting for you.
BoneLady
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