Happy Birthday Brenda! Are we still counting the years?
Posted By RichC on August 12, 2025
As the saying goes, “better to have a birthday then not to have one.” Yet most of us watching the years tick by wonder, why do the years seem to 
tick by so much faster the older we get?
So, Happy Birthday, Brenda – here’s a George Meredith quote to ponder.
It has been a wonderful year and we both have been abundantly blessed. The medical issues that have been part of the last decade are mostly behind us and Brenda in particular has rehabbed AND then some since her ladder fall in 2015 (has it been that many years!) . Personally I think she is in better shape now than she has been in a long time even with a new shoulder and new hip — and has diligently been spending time improving on all aspects of her health (still watching those 2020 compression fractures in her back). Better health and no pain is something to celebrate on her birthday.
Now the question is, as we prepare to go hiking with Brenda’s sister in Utah, can we keep up with her? (Reminder to younger and middle-aged women in particular: Prioritize your bone health!)
Lots of things can affect bone health. For example:
- The amount of calcium in your diet. A diet low in calcium may lead to low bone density, early bone loss and easily broken bones.
- Physical activity. Exercise makes bones stronger. People who aren’t physically active have a higher risk of osteoporosis than people who exercise regularly.
- Tobacco and alcohol use. Using tobacco, especially smoking and vaping, can weaken bones and raise the risk of osteoporosis. Regularly having more than one alcoholic drink a day for women or two alcoholic drinks a day for men also may raise the risk of osteoporosis.
- Sex. Females are at higher risk of osteoporosis than males. That’s because females have less bone tissue than males do.
- Size and age. People who have a body mass index of 19 or less or who have a small body frame are at higher risk of osteoporosis. That’s because they typically have less bone mass to draw from as they age. Bones also become thinner and weaker as people get older.
- Race and family history. People of white or Asian descent are at a higher risk of osteoporosis than other people. People who have a parent with osteoporosis are at higher risk too. A family history of broken bones also raises the risk.
- Hormone levels. Hormones affect bones. Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. And due to dropping estrogen levels, there’s usually a lot of bone loss around the time of menopause. Before menopause, people who don’t have their periods for a long time — a condition called amenorrhea — have a higher risk of osteoporosis. Low testosterone levels can cause a loss of bone mass.
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