I'M NOT SLOWING DOWN: Winning My Battle With Osteoporosis

'There was never any doubt in my mind that if I went after osteoporosis, I could control it and lead a healthy life. That's my message to other women: No one can do this for you-you've got to do it for yourself. And you can.' (Ann Richards) Forty-four million Americans, thirty million of whom are women, will face osteoporosis in some form. Often triggered by hormonal changes that occur after menopause, osteoporosis results in the fracturing of bones, which can prove fatal to the elderly. One out of every six affected women will break her hip; only one out of three will regain her independence. In 1994, after falling and fracturing her hand, Ann Richards went for a bone density test. She was diagnosed with osteopenia, an early stage of osteoporosis. After witnessing both of her grandmothers and her mother fall victim to the disease, Richards was determined to overcome its incapacitating effects. She began a physician-approved regimen of medication and dramatically changed her lifestyle. In I'm Not Slowing Down, the former Texas governor, known for her saucy straight talk, and leading osteoporosis authority Sydney Lou Bonnick tell women what they need to know to combat this devastating disease. Nearly a decade after her original diagnosis, Richards's bone density remains essentially stable. Readers will benefit from advice on everything from diet to exercise to the individual histories that must precede the implementation of any bone-building program if women are to begin the second act of their lives with strength, agility, and confidence.