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Some months ago I fell on the concrete driveway - came down heavy on my left side, managed to keep my head from connecting too hard, but my glasses dug into my face and I got a black eye. Other that there was little damage – hardly a bruise. Boy was I thankful. I picked myself up, looked around to see if I needed to get embarrassed because someone saw me do this clumsy stunt and went back to doing my chores.



But I still wonder why I didn’t break a bone or two, or even bruise badly where I landed, considering that I am 85 years old. It wasn’t a gentle subsidence onto the driveway, it was quite a forceful fall. I went down like a sack of potatoes.



A big concern as we get older is breaking bones. Our balance is not as good, our vision is not as good, our coordination is not as good…



Bones are made of calcium, mainly I think we all know that, but not everyone knows that there is a lot of protein in bones too. Calcium makes for rigid strength, proteins for flexibility. Bones need both.



How much protein do we need to keep our bones, and the rest of us, healthy? The answer to that is: take your weight in pounds and divide by half. That gives you a ballpark figure of how many grams of protein you need daily - at least. Are you getting enough? Check it out. There are lots of websites to help you do this.



This is all part of self care. I make sure I have enough of both and believe that is why I didn't break a bone when I did my driveway stunt. So thankful!

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My poor mom was put on Fosamax and was one of the unfortunate people who had it eat away at her jaw. After suffering many infections and having all the teeth pulled on one side they finally figured it out. By then the damage had been done. I think there is still an ongoing lawsuit re: this drug.

Since breaking these metatarsal bones I'm really going to be extra cognizant of what I eat to protect my bones as much as I can.
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golden23 Dec 2022
Oh gosh, gershun, that's terrible. Your poor mum. It's good to be aware so that you get enough protein and calcium. I use a website to record my carb, fat and protein intake daily. It gives me some comfort that I am getting what I need and doesn't take much time. I used to use another one that is much more detailed but I always came up fine except for calcium because of the lack of dairy so since I take calcium pills now I think I am OK in the other nutrients.
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Golden, good for you that you are strong and hale. This is a timely topic for me for as you know I just broke my two metatarsals. I've been wondering about this while I've been mending the last four weeks. My mom had really bad osteoporosis. She was so fragile. I was afraid to hug her in case she might break. I so hope I have not inherited this. But when I fell and broke my toes it didn't seem like an extremely bad fall so when the doc told me I had fractured something I was shocked.

Now I'm scared that I'm going to do this again. When my foot finally heals and I'm back to walking normal again will I feel as safe? I sure hope so.

I'm not a great eater. When I do eat I make healthy choices but I've always been a picker, not someone who eats big, hearty meals. Given a choice I'd just as soon pop a calcium pill to be honest. I have been eating a lot of chia lately. I've heard that it's a source of protein and I do like my yogurt and cheese. Never was a big meat eater though.

But thx for bringing this up Golden. Perfect timing for me!
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golden23 Dec 2022
gershun - to some extent I was thinking of you when I wrote this. We have read several accounts of caregivers on here breaking bones. I was wondering why the difference. I don't know all the factors but diet has to be a big one. Also exercise. Popping a calcium pill is fine. That's what I do as I am allergic to dairy. ~1000 mg a day. ~ 333 in the morning and ~ 666 at night. It's good to take the ones with magnesium, or extra magnesium too. Protein pills or shakes are also available. Lots of shakes give you about 15- 20 gm protein per shake. Greek yogurt and cheese are awesome sources of both protein and calcium - 2-3 servings a day of dairy will give you enough calcium, 5 cups a day will give you enough protein. You can eat enough protein even if you are a vegetarian but you have to eat carefully,  2 1/2 tbsp serving of chia seeds is 5.6 gm protein so it is not a great source as to eat enough you probably be would be taking in too much fibre.
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Yep, the old, "Did anyone see me do that?" LOL!

I had 2 lab puppies and they went 2 ways at a fast pace while going down a dirt embankment, I was holding both leashes. I hit hard and ALL I could think of was, "Did anyone see me?" Not "Am I broken or bleeding?"

Such great information. I am a bit obsessive about feeding us enough protein, calcium is easier to get passively with our diet. I believe I have avoided broken bones because of this.

Especially since I was diagnosed and treated for osteopenia in my early 30s.
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golden23 Dec 2022
Oh my, lab puppies would be challenging. Embarrassment was my first thought too. I am a bit obsessive about protein as well. I remember coming downstairs at breakfast time when my dd was old enough to supervise her brothers and hearing this conversation:

Dd "What do you want for breakfast?"
Oldest son "Toast and jam."
Dd "You can't have just toast and jam. There's not enough protein in it."

Me *fist pump* "Yay, I did it."

I am sure the diet you follow has prevented breaks. Good for you.
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Wow, Golden!

I am so sorry that you fell. It could have ended up being so much worse.

I loved cycling. It was nothing for me to ride for miles and miles and miles, daily, just for fun. I cycled like that for most of my life, since a young teen.

Anyway, I hopped on my bicycle for my usual ride and there was debris in the road that I didn’t see. Down I went, hard!

I actually saw my open compound fracture occur when I hit the street. I went into shock though and didn’t feel any pain right away.

Fortunately, a guy that was driving right behind me stopped to help and I told him that I was fine! LOL

He looked at me kind of funny and then said, “Lady, you are not fine, I saw you fall. You are in shock and I am going to call 911 for you and wait with you until an ambulance arrives.”

I said to him, “ What about my bike? I can’t leave my bike in the street! This dear man took my bicycle to my home. He called my husband and filled him in about my accident and waited with me until help arrived.

By the time I got into the ambulance the shock had worn off and I was screaming in pain and yelled at the driver to stop hitting so many bumps! LOL 😆

The guy riding in the back with me was trying to calm me down and said he knew that I was in pain but that I couldn’t scream at the driver.

The driver screamed back saying, “I am sorry but I can’t help hitting the bumps and I am trying to get you to the ER as fast as I can.

As soon as I got to the ER I was screaming for meds but they wouldn’t give me any until the doctor came in.

As soon as the surgeon walked in and saw both of my bones broken he screamed at them to give me meds immediately!

I had surgery, steel rods on both bones. My ortho surgeon said after the surgery that I would be paralyzed. I didn’t believe him but he was right.

My parents came to see me in the hospital the next day. Even with the morphine drip I was in pain. The doctor said that with my injury the morphine would only take the edge off. Later on I had intense muscle spasms.

My mom says, “Honey, you don’t look comfortable. Let me adjust your bed.” I said, “Please, Mom don’t touch anything because I just got in a position that I can sort of tolerate the pain.” Of course, she ignored me and started pushing my hospital bed buttons.

I had to ask my dad to make her stop.

At least I waited until I was 44 to break my first bones!

After three months of aggressive physical therapy I made it through. Some permanent damage but most of my range of motion came back. No grip strength though.

My ortho surgeon told me to switch to an exercise bike after my accident because if I broke my arm again he wouldn’t be able to fix it.

I get searched at the airport because of all the metal in me. I tell them ahead of time but they search me anyway.
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golden23 Dec 2022
Oh, need -what an awful time you had. I guess you have to avoid a bicycle now! I am glad you got your range of motion back. Please be careful!!!
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Golden, you simply amaze me! Before I comment on bones, my dad was a instructor his entire career at a two year college. He retired just as computers were taking over the world. When he retired, he retired completely, refused to learn anything new, most especially anything technology or computer related. It was continually frustrating for all. No emails, no sharing pictures or information, etc. So hat’s off to you for your openness to continued learning and growing. It’s a huge example to us all. I’m so glad you weren’t injured in your fall. I’ve had many seniors tell me that falling easily takes over as the big fear in daily life. Neither of my parents ever broke a bone though my dad especially had some nasty falls. Calcium is often discussed but you're smart to think of the protein aspect. I will be checking into this for myself. Already have the creep of arthritis, want to be proactive in preventing whatever I can. Thanks for the info
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golden23 Dec 2022
Thx Daughterof1930 I love technology. My mother taught herself to use a computer aged 94. She said that's how the young people communicate. I am self taught too, but ended up having to teach a basic computer course at college. It was fun.

If you stick a bone in acid and leave it for long enough the calcium will leach out and you will be left with a "rubbery" bendable "bone". which is protein.

I know falling and breaking bones is a big issue for seniors. I am more cautious than I used to be.

In the last years the recommended amount of protein for seniors has been increased. You need more as you get older to keep your body in balance. That's not always easy for seniors so it is important to have an idea what it means in real life.

For example a150 pound woman needs at least 75 gms of protein and it should be spread out between all three meals.
In actual food terms that could be; 1 egg (6 gm), 1 tbsp peanut butter (5 gm) , 1 cup skim milk (8 gm), 6 oz Greek yogurt (18 gm),
1 3 ounce serving of chicken (28 gm), 3 oz tuna (22 gm)
which would give you 87 gm protein - about right,

It's not that hard and very important for your bones, and more.
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There is an app that is available through the Area Agency on Aging here. It is an app to use daily that helps with balance and strength. It is called Nymbl. Wonder if it is available in other places. There is no cost for the app for residents of the area. The app gives instruction to do two different activities at the same time, one is a physical activity, the other one that uses the brain. It is quite effective for many.

And if any of you are taking Boniva, check with your doc on taking a break from it. My mom took it for many years and studies show that it causes very brittle bones that will break easily and the breaks are more shattered so more difficult to fix. After the research mom's doc took her off of it. She never broke any bones, thank goodness.
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JoAnn29 Dec 2022
Yes it does cause brittle bones which defeats the whole purpose. If you notice, its not advertised that much anymore.
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Has everyone heard of the standing on one leg test and its association with health and longevity? I’ve seen it on news and read about being able to stand on one leg for 20-40 seconds is a sign of good bone mineral health and is a good practice to do daily. So now I look like a flamingo while I brush my teeth!
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NeedHelpWithMom Dec 2022
Flamingos are beautiful!😊
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Golden,

I saw where you wrote that your mom laughed when someone fell.

Sometimes, scenarios can be funny looking! Like a scene out of a movie.

One time I was out to eat with a group of friends, during this time of year, for a holiday dinner and gift exchange.

Anyway, we all ordered cocktails before dinner. The restaurant was packed. The waiter was super busy and was rushing to serve our drinks to us. He slipped and all of our drinks went flying in a million different directions.

Well, my friend, Cindy and I started laughing hysterically because it looked so crazy! Another friend started screaming at us that we shouldn’t be laughing because he could be hurt.

The waiter got up and saw Cindy and I laughing and he started cracking up too. He wasn’t hurt, a bit embarrassed and he obviously had a terrific sense of humor.

We gave him a huge tip!
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Golden, I do appreciate you thinking of me when starting this thread. Very good info. on here.

I used to be anorexic when I was in my early teens and never have had a healthy relationship with food. If I over indulge one day I'll eat next to nothing the next two days. Very bad I know. I should know better but old habits die hard.
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golden23 Dec 2022
It is hard to break habits - but not impossible. When you (and others here) break a bone for what seems like a very small accident and I, much older, really slam myself on a concrete driveway and don't break anything, I start to wonder if I can share anything that would be helpful for others. I do hope you start to eat more protein throughout your day and be sure to get enough calcium and magnesium and Vitamin D. You don't have to eat more meat. Dairy works just as well. Be intentional about getting what you need. It will pay off as you get older. I hate to think of you and others suffering later on when it could have been prevented. (((((hugs)))) Hope your foot is getting better.
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golden23, welcome to the fall in the driveway club !! For me it was fall off my shoes in the office parking lot years ago when in my 60's. I did break my upper arm. And my eye glasses went flying. Never wore those shoes again.

Yet my Mom had many falls but never broke a bone. When I saw her grocery list I knew why, milk... cottage cheese... regular cheese... yogurt... ice cream.

Unfortunately, I am lactose intolerant. I do take 2 Tums every day, those I can tolerate but not calcium tablets.
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Midkid58 Dec 2022
I've become lactose intolerant as I've aged and I take lactaid pills to give a boost of the enzyme that regular milk and cheese naturally have. Bloating is miserable, so I always carry my lactaid!
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