My Life Story: Ovaries vs Genetics
By Theresa Reagan
Theresa Reagan
I am a 58-year-old woman. Throughout my life, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my ovaries. I knew that they were essential for my fertility, yet at the same time they caused me constant pain. A few weeks ago, I received a medical diagnosis that made me question every medical decision surrounding my ovaries. Like some women, my body has had some complex health detours and to understand where I am today, some background is important.
Early Health History
I was a teenager in the 1970s, when very little was openly discussed about the woman’s body outside of its ability to carry a baby to full term. Pre-internet, young girls relied on our mothers and girlfriends to teach us about our bodies.
I was desperate for more information about my body because it was not like my sisters or girlfriends. While they had periods that lasted for one week, mine would last two or three weeks. Frustrated by the debilitating pain, my mother made an appointment with her OB/GYN. This was a man she worshipped. He had delivered all six of her babies, and she was confident he would identify the source of my pain. I remember his diagnosis: “It’s in her head.” I left feeling embarrassed, shamed and confused.
This was the beginning of my love/hate relationship with my ovaries and the experts who were supposed to know everything about them. I dreaded my periods and resented being told that the pain didn’t exist. I wondered if I was just weak — maybe the pain wasn’t that bad. I stopped asking for help and silently pushed through the next three years.
Once I settled into college, I had girlfriends who told me that my periods were not normal, and they pushed me to seek a second opinion. I did. My first female OB/GYN listened to my health history. “This pain is not in your head,” she said after the exam. “It is real, and it is excessive. Based on your symptoms, I am sure you have endometriosis.” I was relieved and overwhelmed all at once. She was the first doctor who explained to me that my ovaries were covered in endometrial cysts. I needed a health plan to help keep my ovaries healthy for fertility, reduce pain and improve my quality of life. I left with a brochure about the disease and a sense of hope.
During my 20s, I had three laparoscopic procedures to remove endometrial scar tissue and cysts on and around my ovaries. When it was time to have children, I faced a risky choice. My ovaries needed a break, so my doctors recommended pausing my periods with a series of contraceptive injections before resuming with fertility treatments. My doctor took the time to explain the risk to my body — estrogen production was key to long term bone health, but my ovaries were needed for babies and for long-term health. Focused on saving my ovaries and my sanity, I proceeded with the injections. Even though I experienced some side effects, my overall quality of life improved dramatically.
Fast forward to 2006. I was 44 years old with two young children and a leadership position in education. During my annual mammogram, I was diagnosed with an early-stage aggressive breast cancer. The treatment involved a hysterectomy, lumpectomy and radiation. I was overwhelmed. The hysterectomy and ovary loss would speed up menopause and elevate other health risks. After consulting with all my doctors, I moved forward with the surgeries and treatment. I bid farewell to my ovaries…and vowed to find a doctor who could help me chart a path forward with my young menopausal body.
Fortunately, around this time, the medical community was focusing more on women’s health pre- and post-birth. I found an OB/GYN who specialized in treating women like me, and she was key to helping me put together all the pieces of my health struggles and genetics. My mother fractured multiple bones in her 60s, and I learned she probably had osteoporosis. She died when I was 40, and her health was impacted by addictions to smoking and alcohol. I had lived most of my life worried about the genetics of addiction but had not thought about the genetics of bone health. Under the guidance of my doctor, I had a bone scan. The result: a DXA score of -2.2 – a classification of low bone density or osteopenia. She helped me craft a health plan focused on supplements (calcium, vitamin D), a healthy diet that supports bone health, an estrogen patch and strength training 2-3 times per week.
My Diagnosis
Fourteen years into this plan, on October 23, 2020, I learned that my most recent DXA scan was -2.7, a diagnosis of osteoporosis. I left the appointment sad and defeated. I felt eerily similar to the period following my cancer diagnosis. I questioned every life choice, doubting every decision. I allowed myself to sit with these feelings for a few days and then I flipped the narrative. I’ve learned it’s okay to be frustrated and determined, knowledgeable and hopeful. I also knew that if I could survive endometriosis and cancer, I could learn how to live a healthier life with osteoporosis.
Looking Forward: Action Plan for Healthy Bones
Today, I am feeling optimistic. I am grateful to NOF — the website I plunged into headfirst the night of my diagnosis. Along with facts, I also found hope. My doctor has started me on medication, increased my supplement dosage and made a referral to an osteoporosis specialist.
Post-diagnosis, I am hyper-aware of every twist, turn, climb and lift I make. I continue to walk three miles a day plus some strength training, however, I have modified some movements with my hips and lumbar region in mind. I am looking forward to meeting with a bone specialist for targeted guidance on my exercise, diet and overall health. I know that I am the best advocate for my quality of life — and ultimately responsible for carrying out a health plan. I am glad that more research is being done about women’s health now than in the past — and that all doctors are better equipped to advise women at all stages of their reproductive health.
In the past, I learned as much as I could about my diagnosis and connected with others who were also determined and optimistic about recovery and moving forward. In addition to building my bone knowledge, I am reaching out to others to share my diagnosis and encouraging them to advocate for their bone health. My daughter shares my genetic code and small stature. I want her to know that she has to be cognizant of her genetics and work now for long-term quality of life. NOF has taught me that men can also struggle with bone loss, so I am educating my son and friends of all genders about the need to learn more about their bone health.
Going forward, I am hopeful, determined and optimistic. My hope is to meet my genetics half-way and build up my bones so I can stay active for as long as possible.
This story is part of a support initiative called Voices of Osteoporosis: Stories of Hope and Inspiration. If you have experienced osteoporosis as a patient or caregiver, we invite you to share your story. Your story could inspire others to learn how to protect their ability to live their best life and stay bone strong. Click here to learn more.