A Tale Of Two Ladies: Who Would You Rather Be?

I wrote a story that narrates one day in the life of two imaginary and very different women who share one thing in common: they were both diagnosed with osteoporosis. It begins with N. Slaved, the “perfect patient” who obediently follows the mainstream protocol to solve her bone health problems. The second heroine is I.M. Free, a “reluctant patient” who takes matters in her own hands and chooses to conquer osteoporosis without taking drugs. These are their stories…

The Story of N. Slaved

N. Slaved is turning 55 today, and as she wakes up from a heavy slumber – courtesy of her latest sleep-aid prescription – she is determined to make this day a special one. She steps out of bed, hoping it will be a bright and sunny day… Ouch!! If only her joints wouldn’t hurt so much… maybe she’s overdoing it with the step aerobics classes. Should she cut down to once every two weeks instead of once a week? Maybe not… her endocrinologist told her to try to “get active” and do some weight bearing exercises for her bones. So she joined the local gym and has been forcing herself to not miss a class. If only her joints wouldn’t hurt so much!

Outside, the sky is covered with dark menacing clouds, as if ready to unleash a rainstorm that would turn the snow into a grimy slush. “Not today”, she cries out loud. She is petrified of falling and breaking a bone. She knows all about the painful recovery after she fractured her ankle five years ago. That’s when she had her first ever DXA scan, and of course, it showed some bone loss. Not too bad, though, but bad enough that her doctor gave her an osteoporosis prescription she would have to take for many, many years… or else she could end up crippled in a wheelchair. Who wants that?

So on that fateful day she drove straight from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy and filled her prescription. If there was something she could do to strengthen her bones, she was certainly ready to take action. Her doctor wants to help her, but he is always in a rush… But he is a good man. He even sent her to the endocrinologist because of what he suspected was a slow thyroid.

And he was right! The slow thyroid could explain her recent weight gain and low energy. Oh, the blessings of Modern Science! One simple test and all the answers are there. It’s so easy… just one little pill each day and her thyroid problem became a thing of the past. That was six years ago, and now she’s taking a lot more than one pill a day. Hmm… let’s see.

She takes the daily osteoporosis tablet, then the thyroid pill, of course. And somehow the number of pills just kept growing, for no apparent reason. A prescription for the mysterious acid reflux she developed out of nowhere. Well, not out of nowhere… her doctor told her is part of “aging”. So twice a day the purple pill, and then, she also takes the pain meds. At least for now she can thankfully manage with over-the-counter pills. They cost a lot less. The pills help so long as she takes them every day, at the risk of getting a stomach ulcer…but lately her joints hurt her more than ever.

Oh, how those pesky years keep adding up! But it all happened so suddenly. Until she broke her ankle, she never had bad aches and pains, and her stomach was usually fine with just a couple of chewable antacids now and then. Strange, how aging is so cruel, she thought.

But her doctor is an optimist. He keeps telling her that as long as she takes her drugs, she’ll be fine and she’ll live a long life. Her thyroid, her stomach and her sleep are thankfully under control with those fantastic drugs. And she’s also working on her cholesterol with one tiny little pill that her doctor told her can do the trick. Amazing! Well, maybe not so amazing… her cholesterol is still too high, but at least it’s not getting worse. And it would be great if her T-scores would at least stabilize. The first couple of years there was some improvement, and then it all went back to where she started… A loud thunder brings her back to reality. She clears her throat and starts singing “Happy Birthday to me”.

Funny, she’s been noticing her voice keeps getting raspier lately, yet she was never a smoker. But her hoarse voice and the almost constant throat aches, especially when she swallows, is that also from aging? Could it be the flu, even though she got the flu shot this year? Doubtful, but she must remember to ask her doctor next time. And her appointment is coming up soon because her prescriptions need to be renewed yet again… Expensive! Even with her low co-pay she spends well over $100 a month for what she affectionately calls her “good health cocktail”. The osteoporosis pills alone cost her almost $40 for a one month supply! But it’s a small price to pay to REALLY be healthy and prevent dreadful fractures. She smiles, and limps over to her closet.

While getting dressed she decides to skip breakfast and treat herself to her favorite lunch: a double bacon cheeseburger, without the sliced tomato. Her gastroenterologist told her to never eat tomatoes or citrus fruits because they could aggravate her acid reflux. Thank goodness he’s watching out for her health! But on her birthday she’ll splurge and will have ketchup. Yes, she’ll order the cheeseburger with a diet cola and ice cream for dessert. It’s so easy to stay healthy!

The Story of I. M. Free

A loud thunder woke her up, and suddenly, a heavy curtain of water enveloped her garden, blocking its view and the bright yellow hammock she bought last week. It’s her birthday today! Has she really been in this beautiful planet for 55 years? She feels better than when she was 30!

Out of bed with a light and graceful step, she puts on her yoga pants, throws on a t-shirt and takes a deep breath. “Happy Birthday to me”, she hums, smiling as she walks to the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. She’ll definitely work from home today; no sense in battling traffic in this downpour.

Baam! Another deafening thunder shakes the house as if an underground train was riding beneath the floor. She remembers the fateful day, five years ago, when she got off the city bus and tripped on the sidewalk. By the time she arrived to the office her ankle had swollen to twice its normal size and it was hurting tremendously. She checked herself into the emergency room, and in a couple of hours got the devastating news that her ankle was broken, and worse, that she had osteoporosis. “Take this prescription and fill it right away”, the doctor told her, “your bones are crumbling and you’ll end up in a wheel chair if you don’t take the drugs to cure your disease.” She had a dizzy spell and cried for a few minutes. Limping miserably down the long hospital hallway, she finally found a cab to go back home and think things over.

As the shock of the news was starting to wear off, her thinking got clearer. So her bones were crumbling? She’ll end up in a wheel chair? NEVER! She is a fighter and she will solve her bone health issues without the useless piece of paper the doctor gave her. With her ankle hurting in the tight cast, she searched the internet and read that osteoporosis is not a disease, that there is a drug-free and easy way to naturally have strong and healthy bones. This is the osteoporosis solution I’ve been looking for, she thought, and for a little more than the cost of one month of osteoporosis drugs, she ordered the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.

The whistle of the distiller abruptly interrupts her day-dreaming. As she empties the water into the glass jars, she smiles, remembering how petrified she was when she decided not to fill the prescription. But the Osteoporosis Reversal Program she had gotten made so much sense. She immediately understood that drugs work against the body and that the Osteoporosis Reversal Program works with the wisdom of Nature. Good and balanced nutrition including the Foundation Foods and Supplements, the right type of exercises and specific relaxation techniques are the best bone “medicine” in the world. Soon after, her bones became strong, healthy, and most importantly, resilient and renewed. She has peace of mind, and her doctor is amazed at the improvement.

And she feels and looks great…nobody believes her age… Better yet, she is not afraid of falling and breaking bones because she knows that she is not meddling with her biology. Also, she never has pain anywhere, so she can stay in good shape and that helps her balance too. She smiles and realizes that she hasn’t filled any prescriptions for almost five years. Way to go, I.M.! She should pat herself on the back, especially today, on her 55th birthday.

Back to reality now… She’ll work for a few hours, then do some yoga stretches and go out to celebrate with her friends. While she has her breakfast, a delicious mixture of granola with strawberries and almond milk, she decides that next weekend she’ll visit her family in the mountains and they’ll go hiking for hours, as they usually do. It’s so much fun… Life IS beautiful!

Take your pick

So who would you rather be, N. Slaved or I.M. Free? Please write your comments below and let me know what you think.