Meet Debra who ‘dared to defy’ after her osteoporosis diagnosis

I found out I had osteoporosis after my doctor sent me off for lots of tests and a bone scan, because of the menopause. 

I thought I would be fine because I'm quite healthy. Then I saw on the doctor’s computer screen it said that I had osteoporosis, and I was shocked. I was also really scared.  

“I just thought, ‘What does that mean? Am I going to keep breaking my bones all the time?’ Everything was a blur.” 

My doctor put me on alendronic acid, which I was on for over five years. When I went back for a review, they said that I couldn’t be on the medication for more than five years and I was just taken off it. I wasn’t given any other information on what I should do, which worried me. I was left on my own, really. It was quite a difficult time. 

“After my diagnosis, I started looking at what I could do to help myself. I was looking into exercise like running and anything that involved impact, to improve my bone strength.”  

I'm a swimmer and volunteer beach lifeguard, but I changed my whole exercise outlook so that I could incorporate weight bearing and muscle strengthening exercises. I’ve never been a runner and quite honestly didn’t think it was for me, but after a conversation with my sister-in-law, we decided to do the NHS Couch to 5k in 2014.  

I went from hating running to really enjoying it.  

In 2016 I did my first 10k race, followed by another one that year. I did another 10k in 2017. Last year I completed 5km races, a 10km race, a half marathon and a triathlon. I even completed a spooky 5km fun run with my friends - we all dressed up in skeleton outfits as a nod to raising awareness of osteoporosis! 

I also go to the gym as I’m trying to improve my bone density through using weights. When I started exercising after my diagnosis, I was anxious because it was out of my comfort zone, and I was worried I would damage my bones further rather than improving them. I’ve taken lots of tips from the ROS website on the best ways to exercise for bone health, and this has helped me build up my confidence. 

“When people ask why I run, I tell them, ‘I’ve got osteoporosis. I'm investing in my future’.” 

I’m very open about having the condition, but when I mention osteoporosis, it’s almost like people scuttle off. Maybe they’re embarrassed, or maybe they don’t understand what the condition is. There’s definitely a taboo around osteoporosis – people tend to think it's an ‘old person’s thing’.  

I found out about an inclusion in sport series on Amazon Prime, Dare to Defy, with people with hidden medical conditions and disabilities encouraged to apply. I got in touch to tell them I'm very passionate about raising awareness of osteoporosis, and I got chosen from thousands of people to be on the show.  

One of the things highlighted in the programme is that sometimes people don't want to talk about women's problems – things like the menopause and osteoporosis. If by appearing on the programme I can help just one person to improve their life somehow, that would be amazing. 

“My exercise regime has been a slow build up over 10 years. My advice is just to do what you can and make small changes, because a small change is better than nothing. It’s never too late to exercise.” 

At my last DXA scan in November last year, I was told that I was now ‘low risk’ and I only need to take calcium and vitamin D, and to carry on with my exercise plan.  

Everyone is different, but always give yourself a big pat on the back for trying something – and be kind to yourself. People are prepared to put money into a pension for their old age, but they don't seem to be prepared to invest in their health.  

My advice is invest in your body, just as much as you do with your pension.  

No more broken bones, no more broken lives. 

Check your bone health in just a few minutes by visiting our risk checker.