Mom turned upside down is WOW!!!  

Over NINE hours later my mother returned to her room. I will never forget the surgeon leaning on the wall totally exhausted and said “I can say with certainty the medication caused this. There are case studies I can show you.” She said I do not know if her femur broke and then she fell or if she fell and then her femur broke. The challenge was inserting the titanium rod but the bigger challenge was finding a way to attach the rod because the bones were so brittle. She recommended we contact our doctor and have my mother taken off the drugs listed in the story below. We did learn there are Class Action Lawsuits pending.

Let’s pass this along to bring awareness to as many moms (WOWs) as we can!  The more people we share; the more people will care.

I received this email from a friend at the end of April…

Subject: My Living Nightmare

4/21/12

Dear Friends,

If you are currently taking or have taken in the past, Fosamax, Actonel, or Boniva (bisphosphonates), or if you have been diagnosed with osteopenia & your doctor has mentioned putting you on one of these drugs in the future, PLEASE take the time to read  this.  I am on a mission to warn as many women as I possibly can of a terrible risk of taking these – small risk – until it happens to you.

In 2004 I had a bone density test and was diagnosed with osteopenia.  My internist put me on Actonel, switched me to Fosamax the next year, and to Boniva in 2006.  In 2008 I began having some swallowing difficulty. The Boniva label said if this happened to immediately call your doctor, which I did. He said I had to stay on the Boniva so I needed to take Prilosec. I questioned him about this 6 months later since you aren’t supposed to take Prilosec continuously, and he said to just stay on it.  I began experiencing pain in my left thigh in August of 2010.  A few months later it started in my right thigh too.  I did some research and found that both statins (which I was also on unnecessarily) and bisphosphonates (which are all 3 of the drugs I mentioned above) could be the cause.  So in May of 2011 I told my doctor that I was stopping both. He wasn’t too happy about it, but I was adamant.  But as the months rolled on the pain didn’t get better but increased, my gait became kind of gimpy, and my back was hurting. Since we had several trips in the fall and then the holidays, I waited until after the first of the year to get an MRI on my back, which my chiropractor said was causing the problem.

The MRI revealed 3 bulging disks and arthritis. So he sent me to an orthopedist.  Dr. Watters did an epidural steroid injection in January that relieved 50-60% of the leg pain and took care of most of my gait problem.  But it also apparently released a muscle that was holding a small stress fracture, causing excruciating pain for a week until they figured it out and put me in a back brace for 6 weeks.  Then Dr. Watters did a second injection which he was sure would take care of the rest of the leg pain. When I went back for my follow-up the end of March he was totally puzzled that I had absolutely no improvement. I told him that I thought there might be a second problem as well – on his clinic’s website I had found a link to an article regarding bisphosphonate use causing femur fractures.  He remarked that I had quit taking them last year, but I reminded him that I quite taking them because I had already had several months of leg pain.  He ordered a bone scan a few days later – 2 hrs. 15 min. not moving!  At my appointment a few days later he said he would have bet anything that the scan would come back negative (I said my bet was on positive), but it did show possible stress fractures in both femurs.  He sent me for a bilateral MRI the next morning – a week ago yesterday – another 2 hrs. not moving. Tuesday he confirmed the stress fractures and handed me off to Dr. Neff, the hip and leg specialist at their clinic.  I saw him on Wednesday and he gave me the bad news that I need a titanium rod implanted in both femurs to prevent them from breaking completely! 

He suggested I do some research on bisphosphonates on the American Assn. of Orthopaedic Surgeons website ( search bisphosphonates). He also sent me a very caring email that night attaching 2 articles from clinical journals.  I have done an awful lot of reading, and I really have no other option.  These stress fractures do not heal spontaneously – they progress to complete fractures. There is a greater than 80% chance that my femurs will completely break in the next few months if I don’t have the surgery!

I have to get clearance from an internist (obviously I’m scrambling to find a new one) and see an endocrinologist (got a good referral and have an appointment May 2) before the surgery.  The good news is that the statistics on total resolution of this problem with the surgery is 100%, & the recovery time is only one month if you have it before a complete break. I have had pain with every step I have taken for 20 months, so I look forward to walking pain-free.

Peripherally, routine blood work in December showed low hemoglobin, suggesting internal bleeding, so my internist urged me to get a colonoscopy. I felt that the problem was more likely to be esophageal (remember the swallowing issue). I found a good gastroenterologist and had both an endoscopy and colonoscopy. The colonoscopy was fine. The bleeding was from taking too much ibuprophen to relieve the leg pain – that’s all resolved now. I do have a hiatal hernia and Barrett’s esophagus (a pre-cancerous condition, but not serious). The Boniva website says not to take Boniva if you have any esophageal problems as it will aggravate the problem. The doctor won’t confirm this, but I suspect Boniva caused the Barrett’s.

If you hear anyone mention leg pain, ask them if they are taking one of these osteoporosis drugs.  If they are, they need to get to an orthopedist immediately. I hope that none of you have or will develop this condition.  But I feel compelled to warn as many women as possible about this.  I think going forward I’ll just rely on exercise, calcium and Vitamin D, and the good Lord, and take my chances. I’m truly blessed to be in good health and not have a life-threatening condition. But it does make me angry that the very drugs that were supposed to protect my bones have caused stress fractures in my legs that quite likely can lead to a complete break if I don’t have surgery.

The current statistics show these fractures happening to 1 in 1,000 women who have been on bisphosphonates over 4-5 yrs. Half of them are bilateral (both femurs). I suspect those stats will go up in the next few years as there are probably a lot of women like me walking around with un- or mis-diagnosed leg pain. In 2010 the FDA required the manufacturers of bisphosphonates to put a warning on their labels of a small but significant risk of femur fractures.  I had 3 doctors that didn’t figure it out – it took my own research to get a diagnosis.

Please forward this to anyone you think might need this information.

Belle

P.S. Yesterday I talked to a friend in Dallas who had both femurs completely break 11 months apart 3-4 years ago.  This came with no warning or prior pain– she just found herself on the ground both times, wondering what she had tripped on.  It wasn’t until several months after the second one that the doctors figured out both were a result of her bisphosphonate usage for 5 years.  Many doctors just aren’t keeping up with the new guidelines, or are being influenced by the drug companies.  Also yesterday a trainer at our club said she had a neighbor, a physician, who had the same thing happen while she was out walking. I suspect some of you will have similar stories.

Have you ever seen a baby porcupine?  Look at these beautiful images and learn the fable.   

Fable of the porcupine

It was the coldest winter ever – many animals died because of the cold.
The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together.

This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other.

After awhile they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen.
So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.

This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion,
but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others.

This way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story:
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.

Until Next Time,

B

P.S. Be sure to connect with me on my new Facebook page

Last month’s blog was titled “What is Missing from Your Spring Cleaning List?” As I started this month’s blog, I went back to last month’s to see how I ended. What hit me like a ton of bricks is I mentioned ME being my most important client and then a quick one-liner on health. Recently, the universe has been trying to get my attention in the area of health.

It’s been an interesting couple of months.  My elderly mom was hospitalized (and still is) after a fall (and broken femur) mid-February. While I was visiting her in the hospital, I ended up in the ER myself. The ER doctor apologized and said I had the hospital virus…a nasty stomach and intestinal flu.

Two weeks ago, I was part of a team training new coaches. The morning of the training, I took quite a fall and injured my back. I was treated by doctors during the  week and completed the training.  As soon as I landed in Chicago I went to the ER due to the severe pain.  Prognosis: badly torn muscle in my lower back…six to eight weeks, and I will be good to go again.

I love the saying, “God grant me patience…but please hurry.” Patience is not my forte. I should be back home helping with my mother; I should be connecting with my family; I should be reorganizing my office after being gone for so long; I should…as you can see, I can go on and on.

My clarity question to coaches I’m working with asks: “Is this something you feel you should do, or is it something you want to do?”  Goodness, I must heed my own mentoring.  All the “Shoulds” are stressing me, both physically and mentally, and are definitely NOT supporting my outcome of a healthy body.

In mentoring, I’m often reminding coaches who their most important client is (themselves!).  What I realized today is in easy times I can say, “Yes, I am my most important client,” but when things are not going my way, I often push me aside, while expecting the same pace, the same standard of excellence, and the same results as when I am in tip-top health.

To effectively heal and get back on course, I will remain disciplined, intentional, and present. Even more importantly, I will lovingly remind myself to take exceptional care of my most important client…ME!

Here are some questions to ponder:

1)   What could you do differently knowing you really are your most important client?

2)   How would you schedule yourself first, to emphasize your most important client status?

3)   In what area(s) of your life could you ask for help, say “no”, or share what is going on when you are not at your best?

4)   How can you be more present and take better care of you?

To Your Health,

Brenda

I have added many things to spring clean besides my home. For example, my car which is always clean gets the coins and small papers between the seat removed. Under the seats are cleaned and of course the glove box (do they still call it that) which I have also jokingly named the catchall is emptied and restored so it can be opened without items flying out.  For me the most important area, and I have to admit the most difficult area,  to spring clean is my life.

I go to a quiet peaceful place; somewhere that makes me feel happy and I begin the process. I have an open and honest look at what needs to be cleaned up, reorganized, and maybe even let go. Here’s an example of some of the areas I spring clean. It’s critical to inventory my life during spring cleaning to maintain balance and harmony within myself. 

• Me, my most important client. What are areas in my life that are just given a light dusting? An example is my health. I do some things for my health but there are definite things I could do to make it spick and span. I could also clean up my calendar and actually schedule and most importantly keep and schedule appointments with me. Do I have my yearly exams scheduled, workouts scheduled, etc.
• Relationship with my husband. Has he become the picture on the wall? I remember when I purchased that picture on the wall. I loved it and could stand for hours looking at it. I made up a song with my grandson and we would dance and sing it when we by the picture. Now the picture is on a different wall. It’s there, I know it’s there and I am sure everyday I walk by it is going to be there. Maybe I straighten it just a touch, run my finger over the top to make sure it is clean and occasionally I do stop and take the time to admire it. My motto is to be in love one day past eternity. What spring cleaning could I do to spruce up this area of my life?
• Family. In my home, this is would be what we call the “important drawer.” It contains the spare set of keys, vet and emergency numbers for our pets, scissors, two screwdrivers (flathead and phillips)…well, you get the picture. That is what is supposed to be there, but I can honestly say that I have to clean that drawer quite often because everything gets shoved in there and then then it reverts to the “catchall”. How I am ensuring my family remains important versus the catchall? Each person has a individual relationship with me. Am I just doing the catchall and not making them important? Do I see them at a family function (catchall) and call that interaction “important” for them? Do I schedule individual time, a card, a text just for them? What does “important” mean to each family member. I think that is even more critical than my definition of important.
• Friends. This is my makeup drawer. I am always saying to my husband, honey this is the greatest thing for my face, hair, etc. He just smiles and says I am sure it is because he knows there will be a newer, better item in my makeup drawer the next time I have a facial, get my hair done, etc. The problem is I don’t get rid of the stuff I no longer use. I’ve spent too much for it; maybe one day I will use it, I don’t even really like it and sometimes I can’t even remember why I got it. What friends do I look forward to seeing? When I say I cannot see them am I disappointed? What friends do I on occasion make excuses not to see? What friends is it time for me to limit my time with them and love them from afar?  For this area of my life I read the Reason, Season, or Lifetime poem.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. — Unknown

• Profession. In my home this is my kitchen. I am in there every day. I know there are ways to keep it better organized and maintained. I am cleaning every day and making changes but I am not deep cleaning and organizing. It’s always the room that gets cleaned up first, but quickly. Sometimes it is very hard to find that pot I need in that cabinet. When’s the last time I cleaned that oven? It’s easy to lose yourself in something you are involved with every day. It’s harder to see improvements that are needed. When I’m cleaning my business I think about things like am I excited about my work? Is it time to ask for a challenge? Is it time to leave or make changes? How can I step back to balance?

This process helps me unclutter my life and embrace my truth. It allows me to be in flow. I will be the first to admit it is not easy. Some things I see I just say I’ll do that when I spring clean, one day I need to donate that, or goodness, why do I even keep that. I have found that inventorying my life (sometimes twice a year) just as I do my home brings the same breath of fresh air and new beginning.

Here’s food for thought.

1) When was the last time you did some spring cleaning in your life?

2) What area would you start with?

3) Why is it important for you to schedule time and begin the process?

Until next time,

B

Beautiful video about love. Two elephants reunited after 20 years – enjoy!

If you can’t view the video above, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28E2EKBlr0k

After pondering on this definition I realized that while this is easier for me with family and close friends it is much harder to do with myself and as such the focus of this month’s blog.

Many years ago I was so excited to attend a certification program on becoming a Certified Relationship Coach. I thought this would be a win-win for me. I would become certified as a relationship coach and I would know how to fix my husband. Well my jaw hit the floor when the facilitators explained the focus of the course was the relationship you had with yourself. So I composed myself and changed my outcomes for the course to getting certified and now it would be a breeze because of course I have a great relationship with me.

Fast forward to the end of the course and I did accomplish my first outcome of getting certified; however, the second outcome, my relationship with myself is a constant on-going process.

The basic premise is in order to have a solid, strong relationship with anyone including yourself is you must have commitment, trust and communication.

Commitment for me means having integrity; trusting that I will do what I say; empowering myself and others.

Trust for me means each time I do what I say I am joyful, excited, I can count on myself. The more this happens the more confident and dependable I feel.

Communication for me means I will have the same respect, softness, and caring that I use with others. One example I use quite often as how I communicate with people who I don’t know whether it be in a supermarket, a homeless person, or the doorman at my building. I have such an understanding and appreciation for what they have to do daily and I want to take a moment to show I care whether it be a smile or slowing down to chat for a minute or two.

Here’s my challenge to you: Assess the relationship you have with yourself focusing on Trust, Commitment and Communication.

1. Do you trust yourself when you say you are going to do something for you?
2. Is it a real commitment? Do you schedule it?
3. How do you communicate to yourself when you follow through with your commitment and how do you communicate with yourself when you put yourself second to someone or something else?

I mentioned earlier in this article that it is a constant on-going process for me and what I have learned along the way is to have patience with myself. I continue to focus on being less critical of myself and communicate in a softer, kinder way. I am accountable for the commitments I make to myself and I trust that I will do my best to follow through on a daily basis.

Commit to the ideal relationship with yourself. Create new and exciting ways to grow and nurture the most important relationship in your life.

Until Next Time,

B

P.S. Be sure to connect with me on my new Facebook page

I realized health was a major focus which is why there is the mini health treasure map which I keep on my workout machine. 2012 vision created; now what?  

I decided to do something different this year. I wanted to get a jumpstart on my health so I decided to do a cleanse. I knew the only way that I would absolutely stick to the cleanse would be to purchase one that was super easy. So I purchased an organic juice cleanse that was delivered fresh on Saturday night to begin promptly Sunday morning. Six bottles a day, one every two hours.

The result was I committed to do a cleanse once a quarter. And here’s why. I wasn’t hungry, the drinks were delicious and I even lost a few pounds. But the biggest reason was how I felt every day. No more headaches, no more brain fog and some newfound energy and focus. The last part says it all. I have read about, coached clients on, and been asked about food allergies. Now, I am rethinking that and have begun to slowly add things back in to see what, if anything, could have been causing the aforementioned issues.

Honestly, there are a few things I know contribute to my headaches and I avoid those things. To figure out what else was causing the headaches and brain fog was in the too hard box but now that I have a starting point it’s a no brainer and has been quite informative.

What has been something in your past that you know there is an underlying reason for the cause but you, like me, placed it in the too hard box or the “I’ll do that one day”?  For me, it was figuring out foods were causing my headaches.  For you it could be why someone pushes your buttons, how does the clutter return, why you struggle with time management, etc.

What decision can you make right now that could really get you that New Year New You excited feeling?  Need inspiration, create your treasure map and trust you will be guided in the right direction.

To Your Success!

B

EVERYONE participates even the little ones. We created my granddaughter’s first one when she was 18 months (pictured below).  Obviously her mom and I did it but as you can see her brother who is 2 years older did his own.

The idea is to go through magazines, etc. and see what resonates with you for the coming year. It is very interesting to see what the little ones pick out. Sandboxes, playing, singing. Very cute. For adults we focus on what we want to happen in the coming year. New Job, Travel, Great Health, etc. There are years I have created my treasure map and areas of focus are quickly created. One year; however, I realized I had no professional focus just by looking at my treasure map. I took a break for a day and when I went back the next day to work on my treasure map I was able to add things that would help me focus professionally for the coming year.

My completed treasure map is placed under the glass on my desk. Additionally, I take a picture of it and make it my screen saver. It’s a great way to see it all the time. Some of my clients hang it in their closet, post it on their bulletin board, or place it somewhere where they can see it daily.

The basics…

Suggested Materials: 

1) magazines, catalogs, saved thank you cards, birthday cards, etc.

2) construction paper, double stick tape, glue. Purchase enough so everyone can have their own.

3) stickers (there are so many to choose from now that scrap booking is so popular).

4) scissors for adults and also age appropriate scissors for young children.

5) crayons, markers, highlighters

6) I also purchase a roll of butcher paper or drawing paper. Children get bored easily so this gives them an opportunity to lay on the floor and draw or color. It’s fun for them to have a continuous roll of paper to play with.

The key with the treasure maps is to either keep magazines throughout the year and put them in a bankers box or we have a Treasure Map fund and just go out and buy magazines. We buy bird, flower, wedding , inspirational, sports, GQ, Oprah, Robb…you get the idea. The one rule we have is everyone gets at least one fresh brand new magazine but after that it is a free for all.

Ladies, just so you know the men do the treasure maps but they usually pick up a magazine and start reading so don’t worry about them just create your own. Eventually they do finish their treasure map.

It’s so much fun to look back over the years at all my treasure maps and see how much has come to fruition. And it’s a fun way to get everyone involved and also a super tradition everyone looks forward to!

Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained

Here are some of ours from the past!

After Thanksgiving we move into Christmas and this got me thinking about family traditions and how we all get together. Sometimes we think whose family will be with me this year? Why? Did I agree to that? Oh, okay. Second, are there new
kids, new wives, anything I need to know NOT to bring up? Third, how do I enjoy and survive this joyous time.

Why is it that the most trademarked family traditions can be the most scary? Childhood memories, obnoxious spouses, and just plain ole mom and dads can send me into a tizzy. Here’s how I have learned to appreciate being with those I love the most:

1) I attend family get togethers as often as I can and make the event my primary focus. In other words I have to let go of how I want to be treated and just look to be still. I make sure I leave my hot buttons at the door.

2) I’ve learned from many over the years that most people really just want to be loved and have a connection. Yes, maybe I do have someone in my family that is just obnoxious and I have learned it is their way of protecting themselves. I focus on building relationships and making loved ones feel loved. It helps you to understand the only person you can change is you. Accept the other person where they are and realize they really are doing the best they can.

3) Limit my time. I know for any particular event, there is a beginning and an end. Keep that in your radar at all times. You can stretch yourself to provide comfort, significance, or just a bit of connection to anyone. If this was the last time you were going to see this person before they died how would you treat them?

4) Have cues for those that are you trusted advisors. Ask them to look out for you, to make sure you are not alone with a particular person, to have each other’s back. It makes it feel safer when you know you are not alone.

Everyone goes through the holidays with some stress…whether it is meeting the gift expectations, everyone getting along, visiting family who is difficult, etc. I hope that these 4 tips help you enjoy your holidays and your family.

Happy Holidays!

I’d like to share my experience with Amberen, a natural treatment that has eliminated almost all of my perimenopause symptoms. You can order from the website and I’ll tell you how in a moment.

By the way, my name is Brenda. For the past four years I have had HRT treatment with two different doctors (one which literally almost killed me). I originally sought treatment because I was having bouts of anxiety and sadness. The last time I went to see him he said I had gotten worse each visit and he pondered if it was something he was prescribing as his mother-in-law had a similar response to treatment. I say the last time because I walked out of the door and promised myself to never return. Well, I never did go back and let him know he was right. Once I stopped the HRT treatment the suicidal thoughts and depression started to lift. However, my levels were very off and once again I started HRT treatment with another doctor to no avail. That’s why I decided to share my experience with Amberen.

What you’re likely to experience within a week of taking Amberen is reduced frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats; normalized sleep cycles; and less irritability and moodiness to name just a few things. It is all natural so you won’t have to worry about the side effects that could be experienced from prescriptions or compounding drugs. You’ll also find that within a few days of taking Amberen you will notice a lighter happier you and the brain fog lifting.

I know from my own experience with Amberen and having friends achieving the same results, you too can have your life back.

To try Amberen now, I invite you to click here to get started.