I read some more web pages about osteoporosis last night. It seems pectus excavatum (sunken chest), rickets, and osteoporosis are connected. While the tests this week might identify some other hormonal issue, though nothing has shown up in the other tests, it may be that I had a bit of rickets as a child, which led to a (mild) pectus excavatum, which was followed by osteoporosis. It would have been helpful to know those were related earlier, so I could have adjusted diet and exercise sooner.

Some of what I read said that pectus excavatum is congenital (so present at birth), but it's also caused by rickets, which is due to vitamin D deficiency in childhood and so related to calcium absorption and availability. Perhaps because my mother resented and was bitter about being pregnant with me (which I know), she didn't take care of herself, so that caused the defect.

Part of me wants to not blame my parents for this additional example of how they did not provide ... optimal care, in this case with my childhood nutrition. It's all in the past now, so nothing to be done about it except to deal with the present.

Kitty is now worried that something is going to happen to me. I tried to assure her that I'm working on it through what I know to prevent future problems (spine failure and other fractures). We also used it as an education point for her that she needs to drink her milk and otherwise eat properly. She has a bit of a dent in her chest, so she's also worried that she's going to develop a pectus excavatum as well. If that happens, she's at risk for early osteoporosis :-(