Hi Reader, Welcome to July Strong Women! Things around here are shifting with my husband newly retired,— I’ve been reflecting on what consistency looks like this season. Whether you’ve recently retired, work part-time, volunteer, or are navigating the quiet of an empty nest, this thought might sound familiar: "Now that I have more time, how do I actually stay consistent with exercise?" It might sound ironic, but having more flexibility can actually make it harder to build and stick to a...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, If you are new here, welcome! Last week, I sent an email with the results of my DEXA scan T-scores . This week, I want to take a closer look at another part of the report. It may be part of your DEXA report as well. Let's look at and interpret the TBS scores. What is TBS?TBS stands for trabecular bone score. It is a way to assess the quality of your bone structure, not just the density. The T-score tells us about the density of our bone, but the TBS numbers provide insight into the...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, This is an email I have been meaning to write since March, but life..... I finally had my first DEXA scan, and I want to share my results and thoughts with you. But first, the background!Sometime around 2018, I noticed bone discomfort at night. This was concerning, as I have a history of breast cancer, twice! You can imagine that bone pain is a big RED🟥 FLAG when you have had cancer. My doctor was great. We quickly looked into it and realized I did not have metastatic cancer (yay),...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, While I sit and wait for my retinal tear to heal (2 weeks post-surgery visit tomorrow!), I’ve had time to reflect on some of the most common questions I hear from you. Here’s one of the most frequent: "If I’m lifting weights and doing the right exercises, how long before my bones get stronger?" Let’s break it down together. ✅ The Good News: You can build stronger bones after menopause.But bones respond more slowly than muscles, so we need to give them time. It typically takes 6 to...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Over the past few weeks, I have been doing my best to go through the details of DEXA scans to help make them more understandable. Many of you have asked me what they mean, and I am trying to help you sort through them! If you missed the emails, you can read about ✅T-scores here, and ✅TBS measurements here. This week, I want to review the FRAX tool. Before you ask, let me tell you straight up, it is NOT included in all DEXA scans. Just like the trabecular bone score (TBS) is in some...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Last week, I reviewed what the T-score from your DEXA scan tells you. This week, I want to talk about your TBS score. The TBS score is your Trabecular Bone Score. It is calculated from the same measurements taken during your DEXA scan. The TBS measures the inner bone quality. The scores tell you how your inner bone, the trabecular bone, is connected. This differs from a T-score, which measures your bone density, or the quanitity. When you see your TBS scores on your report, you...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I thought it would be good to go over the basics, the T-score, the main piece of information we get on DEXA scans. Quick review: A DEXA scan, or DXA scan, is short for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. It's basically a bunch of X-rays done back to back to create a bigger picture of your bone. Once this picture is created, it is compared to other DEXA scans and assigned a score. You will most likely get several T-scores on your report. One score from your femur (DualFemur). This is...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Today, I am going to dive into a question that some of you have asked about—the relationship between levothyroxine (brand name Synthroid) and bone health. A paper presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Nov. 2024 presented research questioning how, even when following the current guidelines, levothyroxine use appeared to be associated with greater bone loss in older adults. I know how important it is to have clear, reliable information. And to have access...
7 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Have you ever seen ads for Dexafit DEXA scans and wondered what you would find out? I did—so I went and tried it myself. What I discovered is worth sharing with all of you, so I wrote it all up in my latest blog post! 📢 In my blog post, I break down: ✔ What I expected vs. what I actually got at Dexafit ✔ The huge missing piece when it comes to bone health ✔ Who a Dexafit scan might be useful for (and who should skip it) ✔ How to get the right DEXA scan for all your bone health...
8 months ago • 1 min read