Life update from Summer

Life update: Navigating osteopenia, hip fracture, and living with a new chronic condition

So, I wanted to share a little life update with you all, as it’s been an interesting few months working through a new chronic condition diagnosis & a hip fracture!

I’ve never been much of a runner. In fact, before this year, the thought of running any significant distance seemed almost impossible. But in January, I made a decision to sign up to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October. The reason? I wanted to give back to Crohn’s and Colitis UK, a charity that’s incredibly close to my heart. After years of battling Ulcerative Colitis, and now finally feeling fit and healthy thanks to my stoma, it felt like the right time to challenge myself in a new way.

So, I laced up my shoes and started running. I followed a training plan, slowly building up my fitness and my confidence. I went from not being able to run any real distance without stopping to running 8km without stopping.

I started feeling this awful pain in my right hip. At first, I brushed it off, telling myself it was just a normal part of running and ignored it for about a month. After all, don’t all runners get aches and pains? I figured it was something I could push through, so I kept going, ignoring the pain even as it got worse. But when my leg started to spasm, I knew something wasn’t quite right & I needed to get it checked.

I finally went to see a physio, who was immediately concerned that it might be a stress fracture and referred me to a sports specialist doctor through my private healthcare. The thought that something serious could be wrong hadn’t really crossed my mind, so when they told me I needed an MRI and should stop running immediately, it was a bit of a shock.

The doctor explained that I had a stress fracture, as I had been running too much, too quickly, and my bones weren’t strong enough to handle the stress. But what really shocked me was when they mentioned that my history of Ulcerative Colitis and the years of taking steroids might have weakened my bones, ultimately leading to the fracture.

After both my stoma and barbie butt surgery I thought my history was Ulcerative Colitis was over, I didn’t think it would still be affecting me all these years later. I was put on crutches for seven weeks, with strict orders not to put any weight on my right leg. Seven weeks felt like such a long time, especially since I had a trip to Mexico planned during that time. But I wasn’t about to let it stop me. I went on the trip, had an amazing time, and even went snorkelling, just using one leg to swim! I got to swim with turtles, baby sharks, and stingrays, so it wasn’t all bad!

Once I was finally off crutches, I had to have a DEXA scan to measure my bone density. That’s when I was diagnosed with osteopenia. Which means my bone density is lower than normal, making my bones weaker and more prone to breaking. It’s the step before osteoporosis, and hearing that at 24 years old was upsetting. After everything I’ve been through with Colitis, to find out that it’s still affecting me in this way—it was a lot to take in.

I started to wonder if this could have been prevented. When I was on steroids, I took calcium and vitamin D tablets, but only for a short time. No one ever told me about the potential long-term effects on my bones. It’s hard to know if things could things have been different if I’d known, but ultimately, I will never know.

Now, I’m seeing a rheumatologist to figure out how to improve my bone density and prevent things from getting worse. I’ve had my first appointment and am waiting on more test results to see what we can do. The one thing I’m grateful for is that I found out now, while I still have time to reverse the effects. As I am only 24, I have about 6 years to increase my bone density back up to a normal level. If I hadn’t started running, I might never have known about the osteopenia and it may have developed into osteoporosis, potentially at an age where it is a lot harder to reverse.

Since coming off crutches, I’ve been working hard in physio to build my effected leg strength back up. It’s been a slow and frustrating process, but I’m determined to get back to running. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that my history with Ulcerative Colitis will be the reason I can’t run the half marathon for Crohn’s & Colitis UK this year.

But I’m not giving up. My focus now is on improving my bone density, gradually building up my running again, and, most importantly, trying not to break any more bones along the way! It’s been an interesting few months with a lot of unexpected twists and turns, but it’s also taught me the importance of listening to my body. I may not be running the half marathon this year but watch this space as I am determined to run one next year!

Summer
@summers_stoma