8/18/26: Bone Density Test Results

I went in for my bone density test at 10:00 AM this morning, and at 3:00 PM I got an email notification saying the results are available online.

I appreciate the efficiency of being notified directly of any test results, but I admit I miss the days when the doctor's office would call or send a letter. Of my and my family's various doctors, some will send an online message to explain or interpret test results - even just to say "results are normal" - but from others there is radio silence, and unless I initiate a call to the office, I'm just supposed to wait until the next scheduled appointment to discuss results. 

In this case, my oncologist who ordered the test had said that depending on the results, my PCP may want to start some kind of treatment to help slow down or prevent further bone loss. So maybe that means I shouldn't expect any communication from my oncologist, and I'll just plan to discuss the results with my PCP at my appointment next month.

Anyway, my last bone density test in 2024 showed "osteopenia of bilateral proximal femurs and lumbar spine," which I think is why I previously only blogged about T-scores for those 3 locations: left proximal femur, right proximal femur, and lumbar spine.

But this time, the report says "osteopenia of lumbar spine, bilateral proximal femurs and left forearm." The left forearm part is new.

Also, previously, I only blogged about T-scores. This time, however, in a couple cases, my T-score was the same, though the actual bone mineral density measurement was lower. So now I'm going to include those bone mineral density measurements as well.

Lumbar spine:

• T-score unchanged: -1.5
• Bone mineral density: 0.995 g/cm2, down from 1.002 g/cm2 in 2024  

Left proximal femur:

•  T-score: -2.1, down from -1.8 in 2024
• Bone mineral density: 0.737 g/cm2, down from 0.781 g/cm2 in 2024

Right proximal femur:

• T-score unchanged: -1.6
• Bone mineral density: 0.801 g/cm2, down from 0.811 g/cm2 in 2024

Left forearm:

• T-score: -1.9, down from -0.8 in 2024
• Bone mineral density: 0.567 g/cm2, down from 0.648 g/cm2 in 2024 

Suffice to say I'm pretty bummed, even though the results aren't unexpected, given my hormone therapy. I've been taking my Calcium and Vitamin D supplements diligently, but I'm going to have to redouble my efforts at doing weight-bearing exercises.