Osteopenia and the Orthopedist

Yesterday Sammy fell off his bike, as normal kids do.  Unfortunately, this morning, Sammy was still unable to walk on his left foot so I took him to his pediatrician.  She felt the orthopedist was needed so we hiked (well I carried Sammy) over to Dr. W.  He was very nice and took a set of X-rays....Sammy was an old hand at this!


I was afraid of a break...the news was better than that in some ways, but worse for the long-term.  Sam's foot showed no breaks, but the Orthopedist explained he had quite sever signs of Osteopenia.


Osteopenia refers to bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal peak BMD but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis. Bone mineral density is a measurement of the level of minerals in the bones, which indicates how dense and strong they are. If your BMD is low compared to normal peak BMD, you are said to have osteopenia. Having osteopenia means there is a greater risk that, as time passes, you may develop BMD that is very low compared to normal, known as osteoporosis.

Sam's foot was put in a cast as Dr. W. felt it needed protection and would most certainly have some fractures (albeit tiny) due to the osteopenia.  So Sammy chose the red cast and is now thoroughly miserable at the thought of being even more different.  No matter how many times I explained this kind of thing happens to ANY kid...he is too exasperated to take it in.  

I, being me, emailed Dr. C. at CHAM and got the okay for Vitamin D and Calcium supplements.  He also explained that this bone issue usually happens to older children on treatment, but can happen to children Sammy's age.  His words saddened me as he also explained the problem can correct itself, but over MANY years!   

Info on calcium:

Calcium in foods:
Milk (8 ounces) 300 mg
Yogurt (8 ounces) 400 mg
Cheese (1 ounce) 200 mg
Broccoli (1/2 cup) 47 mg
Pinto beans (1/2 cup) 40 mg

If your diet is low in calcium and you are unable to get the level up to 1200 to 1500 mg per day, then taking a calcium supplement pill is recommended. A wide variety of calcium supplements are available at the grocery or health food store. See the following web site for a discussion of calcium pills: www.nof.org
According to a Calcium Calculator, Sam get enough calcium in his diet:
  

7 times a week a	glass, 200 ml	Milk, semi-skimmed
7 times a week a	pot, 150 g	Yoghurt, low-fat, fruit
2 times a week a	serving, 85 g	Broccoli, boiled
1 times a week a	serving, 90 g	Green / French beans
1 times a week a	average serving, 75 g	Ice cream, dairy, vanilla
1 times a week a	portion, 230 g	Pasta, plain, cooked
1 times a week a	portion, 220 g	Macaroni cheese
3 times a week a	9" - 10" pizza, 410 g	Pizza, cheese & tomato

The medicine is obviously the culprit and we need to increase the 'normal' amounts quite considerably, including Vitamin D to boost calcium absorption.  

I am hoping my Superman beats the odds...he is becoming so good at that...and defeats cancer, osteopenia, and the worsening sadness he is feeling.  He will be in a stroller or wheelchair for a few weeks so we will see how things go.