Monday, February 4, 2013

Calcium + Vitamin D

In talking with my gynecologist, Dr. Vineela Poddatoori, she asked if I had had a bone density test. No, I replied. What's that? Like I need another test.

Women my age often suffer from loss of bone density, and an x-ray can show where I'm at. We decided that, since the test normally applies to 65+ year old women, I would opt for one next year. She also thought that I had been irradiated enough for one year.

She then gave me a sheet about "Calcium & Vitamin D Supplementation." In truth, I had been taking a Calcium/Vitamin D supplement due to advice from my GP, Dr. Miller, but I have so many pills to take a day as it is (10) that I gave up one this one.  I vowed to start again.

The vitamins I have offer a paltry amount of either calcium or Vitamin D. So today I found one that ups the voltage.

The sheet she gave said that for a woman age 50-65 not taking full-dose estrogen -- that's me -- I should take 1500 mg a day. And let me tell you: it's hard to find a once-a-day pill that will give you that quantity.

But I found one that will give me a rather easy-to-swallow (gel filled with liquid, not hard edges) that approaches that amount for both Calcium and Vitamin D, AND it was on sale. And, if I start now, perhaps that bone density test won't show a lot of bone loss. Well, I'm starting late, but you have to start somewhere.