‘I’ve had six fractures but bones do heal’
Designer Cath Kidston, 62, lives in Gloucestershire, with her husband, record producer
Hugh Padgham. She mixes remote working with trips to her design studio Joy of Print (joyofprint.co.uk) in west London, and she will launch a new collection of wallpaper designs this autumn. Having first broken a hip in her 40s and having since experienced several further fractures due to osteoporosis, Cath explains why she was keen to become an ambassador for the ROS and encourage better understanding of good bone health.
‘In my late 40s, I tripped over my dog Stanley in the garden. He was making a dive for my piece of toast! It was a hard fall and scans didn’t flag up osteoporosis.
I broke my wrist a few years later. I was changing a light bulb standing on a table and, as I stepped down on to a stool, it slipped and so did I. The lovely surgeon who mended me, and who I have sadly got to know rather well, said: “Your bones are made of cardboard.”
I didn’t have a family history of osteoporosis as far as I knew but, looking back, an aunt had a lot of breakages that were put down to riding accidents but were probably due to low bone density.
I’ve had six fractures in total: my hip, both wrists, my elbow and a shoulder, twice, all due to osteoporosis. My most recent was in 2019. A car hit me on a zebra crossing and I fractured my arm in over 20 places. The absolute miracle is that now there’s almost no sign of that accident. It’s due to how I was pinned together but also really paying attention to healing it and following the right advice. Anyone who feels daunted after a fracture should have faith in their recovery – the human body is extraordinary and the bones do heal.
My attitude to a set-back is to make something positive come out of it. Early on, I didn’t know about bone health. I began reading up and I was shocked by my ignorance. We all need to look after our bones. In my 20s, I ate rubbish food and, although I was very busy and active, rushing from job to job is not the same as exercise.
Now I use a cross-trainer four days a week, do Pilates and use a TRX (for total body resistance exercises). I don’t do anything I consider risky, though. I’m quite clumsy so I’m wary of ladders and no longer cycle. A tip I was given is to have slippery leather-soled shoes covered in rubber. I walk my dogs a lot and where we live is extremely hilly, so I take my walking poles.
I eat a pretty healthy diet now, and take a vitamin D supplement, plus calcium and zinc. I also try to pace myself as, if you get tired, you’re more vulnerable to accidents.
There are subtle mental adaptations I’ve made, too. I have to try and slow down, which can be difficult. I reflect a bit more and take more time for myself. It sounds obvious but it’s very easy to forget.
One of the positives to come out of this pandemic is the ability to work remotely and have greater flexibility. It’s going to be a huge step forward for many women. So, let’s make the most of it by eating well, exercising, getting enough rest and being mindful and considered in how we live, as opposed to constantly rushing around!’
Have faith in your recovery