Today I went to Boston Medical Center for the first time to take part in a BU med school research study on osteoporosis in men. I went primarily for the $75 I would earn for my hour and a half; what I learned was that I’m not the person I thought I was.

As it turns out:

1. I’m not six feet tall. According to the measurement, I’m 5’ 11 3/4th inches tall. When I was in junior high, I grew 6 inches in one year, played center on the basketball team, and was convinced I would be six foot five. By the time I reached my junior year, it was clear I had stalled out at about 6 feet, and that my days in the paint had not prepared me to play shooting guard.
2. My bones are not as strong as I thought they were. In fact, according the bone scan I’m slightly below average in bone density in my hips and spine, and the results for my wrist was low enough to qualify as osteopenia. Last year I broke my first bone in a biking accident, so perhaps it’s time to get a bit more calcium in my diet, especially since osteoporosis runs in the family (Grandma Lindgren had it).

I wasn’t looking to gain this much self-knowledge before 9:00 on a Friday morning, but I guess I’ll take it whenever I can get it.