Looks Are Deceiving
I thought I'd dive right in with my first official blog with a post that’s a little vulnerable – but deeply real. After all, my mission here is to empower women with the knowledge they need to get proper support early in perimenopause, so they can address symptoms and hormonal imbalances before deficiencies start affecting their lives in ways they never imagined. So let’s begin with my honest, raw story – because that’s where true learning and connection always starts.
“You look way too young to have SEVERE Osteoporosis!”
I honestly hear that all the time, and that is why I decided to title this blog - Looks are Deceiving!!
Let’s go back, say 10 years ago!
That is when I hit full on Menopause. A decade ago I was at the age of 40, and initially had minimal symptoms. At the time, I was a busy mom with a 13-month-old baby, trying to juggle motherhood, work, and life. I thought I was healthy. I ate well (or so I believed), stayed active, and took supplements. I truly thought I had everything under control.
What I didn’t know back then was just how much hormonal support my body actually needed.
During perimenopause, our estrogen levels start to fluctuate and decline, and this can cause all sorts of symptoms – from brain fog, anxiety, poor sleep, hot flashes, (perhaps you can you relate :)), to joint pain! Estrogen truly is our fountain of youth. Without it, aging accelerates both inside and out. On the outside, you may notice changes in your skin, hair, and body composition. But inside, silent and serious changes are occurring:
Plaque builds up in your heart arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack
Bone loss accelerates, raising your risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Brain shrinkage occurs, increasing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Women are experiencing these three silent diseases earlier than ever before from poor nutrition, lack of vitamins/minerals, sedentary lifestyle, and gut health issues.
⚠️ Bottom line Women today are at risk earlier due to lifestyle, hormonal, and environmental factors.
Crazy! No one ever told me. Because I didn’t have obvious symptoms – or maybe I just wasn’t speaking up loudly enough – no doctor thought to check my hormone levels. And back then, I had no idea how crucial it was to educate myself on this topic. If only I had known then what I know now, things could have been so different. That’s exactly why I feel so driven to share this with you and shout it from the rooftops – so every woman navigating her perimenopause or post-menopause journey is empowered with the knowledge I wish I’d had.
THE DAY!
Last March (of 2024), it felt like any other morning. I got the kids off to school and rolled out my mat to try a new Pilates workout from an app I’d just downloaded. Mid-lunge, my knee suddenly buckled. I fell hard onto my side, trying to protect it—and shattered my wrist.
The pain was excruciating. After a rushed trip to the ER and emergency surgery, my surgeon told me words that still echo in my mind:
“You have the bones of an 80-year-old.”
His bedside manner wasn’t exactly comforting, but those words sparked something in me. They were the start of my journey of deep self-discovery and powerful transformation, and the reason I am here sharing my story with you today!
After what I heard I was still in shock. How could this be? I was only 49. I ate well, exercised, took care of myself… or so I thought.
Because I was under 50, I wasn’t eligible for a DEXA scan in Canada unless a specialist signed off. Thankfully, my surgeon did, as he classified my break as a fragility fracture. When the results came back, they were gut-wrenching: a T-score of -5.6 in my spine. If you don’t know what that means – it’s literally off the charts bad. Stay tuned .. I will share more about what your DEXA Scan numbers mean!
After that, I was referred to an endocrinologist. But the waitlist? A whopping eighteen months here in Canada. Unless I had already broken my back or hip, I wasn’t considered an urgent case. (I know… I rolled my eyes too.) I seriously thought about travelling to see someone sooner, but at the time, it just wasn’t financially possible.
Thankfully, my family doctor found a local rheumatologist specializing in osteoporosis in the meantime. She was thorough, kind, and spent over an hour with me, reviewing every detail of my medical history. I felt hopeful. At the end of the appointment, she prescribed me a bone medication medication. Like many, I trusted her advice and filled the prescription. But just after three weeks of research and listening to my intuition, I stopped taking it. I learned so much about my bone cells – what they do, what they don’t do, how they rebuild and break down. But the medication she prescribed didn’t sit right with me. It felt like it was just covering up the problem instead of actually addressing the root cause. And the side effects? Honestly, they were awful.
That’s when I started looking into other options. Deep down, I knew my early menopause and resulting estrogen deficiency were major factors affecting my bones. I needed someone who could help me tackle that directly and support me in rebuilding bone strength – but finding that kind of help proved to be a challenge in our regular medical system. The first solution offered was always bone medication, never hormones (gah!!). This is a huge topic on its own, and one I’ll definitely dive deeper into soon, because I’ve learned so much since last summer!
Back to my journey – September rolled around, and with the kids back in school, I finally got in to see the endocrinologist thanks to a last-minute cancellation. (Quick tip: always ask to be added to their cancellation list – polite persistence pays off!). He was a younger doctor, recently graduated. Sometimes that can actually be a good thing, as they often bring a fresh perspective compared to those who have been in the field for decades. I remember sitting in the waiting room with many seniors, and when he called my name, he looked at everyone but me. He called again, and I said, “That’s me.” He looked confused – I could tell he was puzzled as to why someone “so young” was there.
He told me my situation was incredibly rare; he and his team were quite perplexed and had never seen bone loss this severe in someone my age. His immediate recommendation was more bone medication. This one was an anabolic osteoporosis drug, typically reserved for patients with extremely high fracture risk. Yep, that’s me! It’s an injectable treatment, administered daily, for up to two years. I know it sounds serious, but if I was to take anything this would be my first choice as it actually rebuilds bone as it mimics our naturally occurring parathyroid hormone. It is very different than the original one offered to me - and most of the osteoporosis population.
But that was my last resort, I still wanted to try everything I could to naturally rebuild my bone density first without pharmaceutical drugs. Thankfully, he respected that choice – which is rare, as many doctors will discharge you as their patient if you don’t follow their protocol.
So, I went all in. I stared deep-diving into everything:
✔️ Bioidentical hormones and HRT - Wow what a journey that was! Stay tuned I will share every single detail with you!
✔️ Essential supplements (AlgaeCal became a staple)
✔️ Root-cause functional care (again, I have so much to share about this journey!)
✔️ Whole-food nutrition (hello, 100g+ of protein a day)
✔️ Strength training, stomping, vibration plates, heel drops – all crucial for bone health.
I connected with a functional doctor for bioidentical hormones. She was the first one who popped up on Google (haha I had no clue what I was doing last year), which was not really the best idea as after a few months, I realized she just wasn’t the right fit. It can be challenging to find a practitioner who truly listens to your story and invests in your care. This is honestly a major hurtle with SO MANY. Stay tuned I am just finalizing a toolkit where I will share “What to ask your Doctor in Perimenopause: labs, questions, and clarity”. It is going to be your ticket to find someone to help you manage your menopause your way!
Eventually, I found another functional practitioner who was deeply compassionate and truly listened. Around the same time, I also connected with an absolute GEM of a physician within our Canadian medical system – someone who specializes in menopause and genuinely cares about my story and my health journey. One of the first things they both said to me was, “You were failed by the system. This should have been addressed years ago.”
Hearing those words brought me to tears. Honestly, I’ve cried many times thinking about how different things could have been. But their validation meant everything because deep down, I already knew the truth: estrogen is the number one protector of our bones. And with virtually none left in my body, it was critical to get safe, effective levels back in place.
Both practitioners were more than willing to start me on a safe dose of estrogen for my estrogen deficiency – something I had been denied for a whole year from other practitioners (at least 4)!
What absolutely crazy to me is that despite being in menopause for years, not a single doctor ever checked my estradiol levels. Not one. Stay tuned, I have stories to share about how I had to become loud (yet always polite) to advocate for myself with different practitioners – and some of the things they said to me were just unbelievable!!
I am a huge believer in hormone replacement therapy for anyone who has a hormone deficiency, which will be all women sometime in their lives. For me, it wasn’t optional; it was necessary to protect my bones and my quality of life. And I understand that HRT is not for everyone, and yes you do need to discuss this with your doctor. But what is frustrating is when a woman is actually ready to even discuss that they want help to support them in Menopause, because less than 4% of doctors in the US and Canada have current training in hormone health for women, it makes it incredibly challenging to have that conversation let alone start managing it!
Rebuilding bone is hard. Some say it can’t be done. But I’m giving it everything I’ve got because I want to live a vibrant, full life – now, and in 30 years when I’m still loving my kids and my future grandkids.
Ladies, osteoporosis is a silent disease. And I am going to teach you all about it, and how incredibly important it is to protect your bones NOW for later! Osteoporosis does not hurt until you fall and break a bone, so you may not even know your bones are screaming for help until it is too late!
Here are some stats!
🔹 1 in 2 women over age 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. (International Osteoporosis Foundation)
🔹 Women can lose up to 20% of their bone density in the first 5-7 years after menopause due to the rapid drop in estrogen. NUTS!
🔹 90% of hip fractures are due to osteoporosis, and hip fractures significantly increase risk of death within a year, especially in older adults.
🔹 Osteoporosis is underdiagnosed: Only about 20% of women who have a fracture receive testing or treatment for osteoporosis afterward.
🔹 Osteoporosis is not just an “old woman’s disease” – bone density starts declining in perimenopause. Gut issues, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, chronic stress, and poor nutrient absorption can accelerate bone loss even in women under 50. Hello that’s me!
🔹 Estrogen deficiency is the #1 cause of osteoporosis in women. Ladies read that one again!
🔹 By age 65, a woman’s risk of osteoporosis is equal to her risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer combined.
🔹 Many women are being diagnosed earlier than ever before due to:
Chronic gut issues affecting calcium and nutrient absorption
Hormonal imbalances in perimenopause leading to rapid bone density loss
Undiagnosed early menopause (natural or surgical)
If only I had known then what I know now. I would have gladly paid out of pocket for a DEXA scan years ago. If you’re 35 or older and haven’t had one yet, I’m urging you – honestly, I’m begging you – please go book one now.
Every woman deserves to know her baseline bone health. Waiting until age 50 in Canada or 65 in the US might be far too late. It certainly was for me.
Thank you for listening and being part of my first blog post. This was a very vulnerable post for me to share, but I want to bring awareness to all women to not only educate yourselves on the obvious menopausal symptoms, but the silent ones too!
Remember my friends: looks can be deceiving.
You never know what silent battles someone may be fighting.
