Shrinking a HUGE goiter: Kathy's experience with TAE
SAVE YOUR THYROID with Jennifer Holkem: Episode #81
Coming up in this episode:
“And he said to me — I mean, it's unbelievable really, when I think about it now — he said, there's nothing in the world that can help you, nothing. There's no procedure in the world…You've got to have your thyroid removed…
So, I came out there with my head spinning, thinking…I don't want to go through this. I don't want…the risk of losing my voice because of my work…So I went back to the drawing board. I went and started searching again and…went back to the site that I'd seen from the Turkish doctor, Professor Saim Yilmaz, and found the embolization page.
And I thought, well, there are case studies on there with people… they look like they have two heads, you know! Huge goiters, much worse than mine. And he'd reduced those.” — Kathy
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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.
Key Takeaways:
Kathy shares her experience with her thyroid arterial embolization (TAE) procedure, which was performed by Professor Saim Yilmaz in 2020.
Thyroid arterial embolization is a non-surgical procedure used to treat large thyroid nodules.
The procedure involves cutting off the blood supply to the nodules, resulting in rapid shrinkage.
Patients may experience some pain and fatigue after the procedure, but the results can be significant.
Thyroid function can improve after embolization, reducing or eliminating the need for anti-thyroid medication.
Finding local follow-up care for embolization can be challenging, and some patients may need to travel for adequate follow up. Thyroid embolization is a rare procedure that is not widely known or offered by many doctors.
Patients should do their own research and advocate for themselves when it comes to nonsurgical thyroid treatment options.
Preserving the thyroid gland can help avoid the need for lifelong medication and maintain the vital gland's natural functions.
The Save Your Thyroid patient community provides invaluable information and support for patients seeking non-surgical alternatives for thyroid nodules. Visit their website at saveyourthyroid.org.
To learn more about thyroid arterial embolization (TAE), watch a previous interview with Dr. Juan Camacho for more information on thyroid arterial embolization.
Episode Summary:
Kathy shares her experience with thyroid arterial embolization (TAE), a non-surgical procedure that can be used to treat large thyroid nodules, toxic (hormone producing) thyroid nodules, and Graves disease. She initially explored radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat her nodules, but she was not a candidate. After consulting with a doctor in Turkey, she decided to undergo the TAE procedure.
The procedure involved cutting off the blood supply to the nodules, resulting in rapid shrinkage of her huge goiter. Kathy experienced some pain and fatigue after the procedure but saw significant reduction in the size of her nodules, and her thyroid function was preserved.
She discusses the rarity of the procedure and the lack of awareness among doctors. Kathy emphasizes the need for patients to do their own research and advocate for themselves. She also highlights the benefits of preserving the thyroid, such as avoiding lifelong medication and maintaining the gland's natural functions.
Kathy now shares her experience with thyroid embolization and the importance of preserving the thyroid gland with the Save Your Thyroid patient advocacy community.
To learn more about TAE, please watch this episode with Dr. Juan Camacho.
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
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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