Osteoporosis made a sudden, undesirable change in my
active life this summer. I have thoroughly enjoyed dragon boat paddling with the Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer
Survivor Dragon Boat Team for the last nine years. For just as long, I have taken an osteoporosis medication,
have exercised religiously, and have paid specific attention to my calcium and vitamin D intake. In June,
when I received the results of a recent bone mineral density test, I was told that I had significant decrease
in the density of my right hip and spine and that I must avoid the aggressive stretching that goes with being
a competitive paddler. The advice was devastating. My planned trip to compete at the Edmonton festival had to
be cancelled. However, all of these changes cannot mar how my “boat floats.” I am more determined to walk and
to swim, and I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie as I sit in the boat with my Buddies on beautiful Lake
Banook.
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