Where is the Osteoporosis Center located? I can't find it!
You can access a map of the VA campus showing the building and parking locations here.
The ETSU Osteoporosis Center is located at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 69 Dogwood Avenue (on the corner of Dogwood Avenue and Second St.) in Building 8, First Floor, Room 126. The handicapped entrance is under the green canopy on the NE side of the building in Lot N.
If you enter from the stairs at the front of Building 8, the Osteoporosis Center lies to your right on the first floor. If you enter through the stairs at the back of Building 8 (from patient parking), you will walk down a short corridor and turn left to find the Osteoporosis Center. If you enter through the handicapped entrance under the green canopy (from patient parking), you are actually entering the building at a sublevel, rather than the first floor. To get upstairs from the handicapped entrance, turn right, go through the door leading into the tunnel, and progress to the end of the hallway to use the elevator and reach the first floor.
Please call us at 423.439.8830 if you have any trouble locating the Osteoporosis Center.
Why can't I take a calcium supplement before my scan?
You may continue taking your usual calcium supplement up until the day before your scan, but DO NOT take it on the day you are scheduled to be scanned. Taking a calcium supplement before the DXA scan can lead to false results and provide an inaccurate portrayal of the bone mineral density. You may be rescheduled if you have taken a calcium supplement on the morning of your scan, so remember to wait until afterward to take it.
How long will the scan take? Does it hurt? Is there anything special I need to do to prepare for the scan?
The DXA scan is non-invasive and painless. It only takes a few minutes to complete. You will not have to lie in a metal tube or remain still for an extended period of time. You do not have to fast before the scan. You do not have to remove clothing for the scan.
The most important things you need to do to prepare for your DXA scan are to forego taking a calcium supplement on the day of the scan, and wear comfortable clothing without metal buttons or zippers. A more detailed description on preparing for the scan can be found here.
I heard that women are far more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, and I'm a man. Do I need to worry about getting a bone scan?
Osteoporosis isn't just a women's disease; men can develop it, too. All men over the age of 70 and women over the age of 65 should be scanned for osteoporosis.
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