I’m Victoria, 70 years old and a lucky, lucky person. I live on California’s Central Coast, one of the most salubrious places on the planet. Mild weather enables me to enjoy vigorous 1-2 hour walks and 2 mile swims in outdoor pools. Farmers’ markets are plentiful, and local wines are award winning. So here I am, slim, a disciplined exercise-person, with an impeccable healthy diet. I am a registered dietitian doing everything we’re told is good to help prevent osteoporosis. Then lo-and-behold, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis, not just osteoporosis, but severe osteoporosis with extreme risk for a fracture by sneezing or bending over to put on my shoes. What? Seriously? How can that be?

My first thought when I was diagnosed with osteopenia was, “This must be a mistake. I don’t feel any different than the day before. No apparent signs or symptoms. How could this be?” I felt that my doctor was just wrong. After all, as far as I knew, my mother had neither osteoporosis nor osteopenia.

I chose orange for the cast because Halloween was just around the corner. I was 51 years old and working in a school-aged childcare program. That fateful morning, we were playing a spirited game of kickball, and I had joined the losing team to help them in the outfield. An athletic 4th grader stepped up to the plate, the ball was pitched, and he gave it a vigorous kick. The ball went soaring just over my head – here was my chance to be the kickball hero! I put my hands up in the air to catch the ball when Thwack!