We're on a mission to empower women to live a brilliant midlife and beyond. A major influence on how that plays out for us as we age, is our Bone Health.
Brodee found out the hard way that she had osteoporosis when she broke her ankle whilst jogging. Though because of her age (she was 55 at the time), she considers it her lucky break. Osteoporosis had revealed itself to her and her GP. Otherwise fit and healthy, she had time and options to turn this around. And turn it around she did.
She admits she should have had her bone health on her radar because her mother had the disease and she has a smaller, slight build. Both are risk factors for osteoporosis. And so should have her GP. A doctor she had been seeing for years—she should have twigged too.
So off for a DEXA bone scan she went and the diagnosis was confirmed - osteoporosis.
What was her next move? She gathered her bone health team together and formulated her Bone Health plan. Within 5 years Brodee had overturned that diagnosis of osteoporosis (The Big O). Her bone mineral density scan now shows her to be out of the osteoporosis range, and sitting within the "normal" range for her hips, significantly reducing her hip fracture risk. Her spine measurements have also vastly improved to be borderline normal/osteopenic—osteopenia being a milder form of bone loss that carries lower fracture risk than osteoporosis.
It’s a brilliant outcome that's not only reduced her fracture risk but also boosted her strength and confidence, fueling her mission to help women discover their enormous agency over aging.
We talk about how she turned her diagnosis around and how having a Bone Health Plan was central to that. How having agency in executing that plan is nourishing for our mental and our overall health.
We chat about the gaps in women’s health, between our health and life spans and how the health system is letting us down. How being our own health advocates needs to be a priority to fill those gaps…for ‘Future You’. Bone scans are important—a way to understand what your Bone Health status is. We go there too in our conversation. DEXA has been used for 40 years to know bone mineral density but it has its short-comings.
New technology is on the rise. REMS bone scans which give a Fragility Score tells us how strong our bones are (bone quality) independent of bone mineral density (T-Scores). Brodee’s going to get one of those done too and compare it to DEXA. That could be a great part 2 chat :)
We talk about the game changing impact the right exercises done the right way can have; backed up by brilliant research work of fellow Aussie Dr Belinda Beck and her now international ONERO exercise program.
Brodee’s story is truly inspirational. One that is the very definition of ‘it is possible’ and that we absolutely can.
Join us as Brodee shares her very honest, from the heart story so that you may have hope if yours is similar.
It’s a reminder to put your Bone Health high on your priority list as you age with power.
‘Future You’ will absolutely thank you for it.
It’s a key component of her mission to help us age with vibrancy and power. A mission she’s bringing to life with her Road Trip To Younger magazine. It’s brilliant. Find out more about that on Brodee’s Substack here, including her Build Your Bones series, coming soon.
Thanks so much Brodee for your time, your wisdom and your care. Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video!
Join me for my next live video in the app.
Anita xx
p.s. Oh! If you found this conversation helpful, please consider sharing it on. It’s how this podcast and its ageing with power information, grows grows and reaches out to others.
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Below are links to things we spoke about in our chat you might want to check out further:
Road Trip To Younger magazine - with Brodee Myers-Cooke
ONERO exercise program specifically designed for better bone health
REMS Bone Scans - find out more about it and where to have a scan done near you. They’re in the US, UK, Europe and Australia.
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