Athena,

Just one thought on health care. It's your body. Your doctor may have the best of intentions, but doctors have their own points of view and blinders. If your doctor's views don't align with yours -- get a new doctor! And do research online. If they screw up or miss an opportunity to help you, they won't suffer for it -- you will.

My GI doctor completely poo-poo'd the idea that eliminating gluten would make me feel better. "You have Crohn's, your blood tested negative for Celiac, just take your pills and deal with the fact that your gut hurts most of the time." Um, yeah. Wait, no. I decided to try it anyway, and hey, the results are fantastic. Hey, it's not the solution for everyone, but for me it's been huge.

Does your insurance cover a bone density scan? That's the only reason I can see for hesitation, is that you might not be able to afford it. If you can afford it through your own resources or if insurance will cover it for you, with your family history, you should definitely do it.