Save Your Thyroid with Microwave Ablation in the Philippines
SAVE YOUR THYROID with Jennifer Holkem
Denielle shares her experience with treating a thyroid nodule using microwave ablation (MWA).
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What is this podcast and blog all about?
To my subscribers, welcome back! If you’re new, welcome to Save Your Thyroid, a podcast and blog all about thyroid nodules. My name is Jennifer Holkem, and I advocate for fellow patients suffering with this very common condition. Thyroid nodules impact 70% of adults in their lifetime, and the standard of care is surgical removal of half or all of the gland. But in recent years, safe and effective non-surgical treatment options have become available.
In this podcast and blog, I sit down with patients and physicians to discuss life with thyroid nodules, treatment options, and how to save the thyroid whenever possible.
Episode Summary:
After experiencing severe hair and weight loss, she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and a thyroid nodule about eight years ago. Weighing 70 kg, she dropped to 45 kg due to the condition.
Denielle chose a non-surgical option primarily for aesthetic reasons, as she had previously developed keloids from surgery, and also due to a friend's experience with lifelong medication after a thyroidectomy.
She learned about non-surgical treatments through the Save Your Thyroid FB community and decided on microwave ablation, which was the only applicable procedure for her case. The procedure took about 20 minutes, with minimal pain, and she experienced only slight discomfort afterward, quickly resuming her normal activities.
Six months post-procedure, the nodule had reduced by 81%, from 6 cm to about 1.6 cm, and she is now euthyroid, no longer needing thyroid medication.
Denielle expresses gratitude for the availability of microwave ablation in the Philippines and for the support and information she received from both her doctors and the Facebook group, which helped her explore non-surgical options. She is thankful that the procedure allowed her to avoid surgery and the need for lifelong medication.
The goal of this podcast and blog
I seek to provide data, resources, and expert opinions on the topic of thyroid nodules, and make it accessible to patients. When I was first looking for thermal ablation treatment, everything that I read was physician-facing material. It was very hard for me to understand. This material is meant to help patients understand what's going on in their thyroid gland and what an important gland it is. If you can keep your thyroid intact, that's going to help you live a longer, healthier life, and preserve your quality of life. Thanks for reading this far today! — Jen
Thank you to the sponsor of this episode, ECO Microwave.
👉Learn more about ECO Microwave here:
https://www.ecomedicaltech.com/
Disclaimer: None of the statements made in this or any other video by "Its me Jen again" should be considered medical advice.
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