Where informed patients make confident treatment decisions.
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem
Thyroid nodules impact 70 percent of adults in their lifetime. The standard of care is surgical removal of half or all of the gland. But in recent years, nonsurgical treatment options have become available. Hi, my name is Jennifer Holkem and I advocate for fellow patients suffering with this very common condition. I sit down with patients and physicians and discuss life with thyroid nodules, the journey from diagnosis to treatment, and how to save your thyroid through nonsurgical advances in medicine.
Choose your favorite podcast player
Amazon Music Apple Podcasts Audible Castbox Deezer iHeartRadio PocketCasts RSS Feed Spotify YouTube Youtube Music
Goodpods
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem

SAVE YOUR THYROID WITH JEN

I’m Jennifer Holkem, a patient advocate with a passion to help patients understand their thyroid nodule diagnosis and explore treatment options—including nonsurgical ways to save your thyroid.

Play Latest Episode
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem

A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE

Jennifer Holkem is a passionate educator and advocate committed to helping patients save their thyroid whenever possible. In 2019, a nonsurgical thryoid procedure (RFA) gave her relief from her debilitating symptoms caused by a very large, benign thyroid nodule. The road to treatment was not easy and she knew there were many other patients who needed to know about this life-changing procedure.

 

HEAR JEN'S FULL STORY

 

BRIDGING THE GAP

Recognizing the severe lack of patient-oriented resources on these alternatives, Jennifer began creating educational content online. Her work bridges the gap between patients and physicians, featuring global expert interviews, real patient stories, and in-depth explanations of emerging treatments.

After undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in 2019 for a large benign thyroid nodule, she founded Save Your Thyroid (SYT)—a thriving community dedicated to supporting patients seeking FDA-cleared, nonsurgical, thyroid-preserving treatment options. She also developed the SYT website, including a curated list of known providers of these procedures. 

Jennifer devotes herself full-time to developing thyroid-preserving education and supporting the SYT community and the public at large.

 

VISIT THE SAVE YOUR THYROID WEBSITE

 

NAVIGATING NODULES

Now, through her lived experience and deep network in the field, Jennifer offers personalized patient navigation services—guiding others through their diagnostic and treatment journey with empathy, insight, and trustworthy information.

 

SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION NOW

 

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN HERE:

 

  1. What thyroid nodules are – and why they’re so common, yet often misunderstood.

  2. Non-surgical treatment options – like RFA and others that aren’t always mentioned at the first doctor’s visit.

  3. How to prepare for doctor appointments – including which questions to ask and what to look out for.

  4. How to find the right physician – based on geography, specialty, and approach to treatment.

  5. How to make confident, informed decisions – even when your options feel unclear or overwhelming.

  6. Real stories from real patients – and what they learned on their journey.

  7. Insights from doctors – shared through interviews, consults, and podcast episodes.

  8. Ways to protect your thyroid – and preserve quality of life through smarter care choices.

  9. What to expect during and after nonsurgical procedures – with a focus on recovery, risks, and results.

  10. That you’re not alone – and there’s a patient-first community here to support you.

Recent Episodes

View all
Do You Really Need Thyroid Surgery? 3 Patient Cases | Weill Cornell Surgeons
131
Nov. 3, 2026

Do You Really Need Thyroid Surgery? 3 Patient Cases | Weill Cornell Surgeons

If you've been diagnosed with a thyroid nodule or thyroid cancer, the first option you probably heard about was surgery. Two surgeons from Weill Cornell Medicine want you to know that surgery isn't always the only answer, and that it hasn't been for years. Dr. Thomas Fahey and Dr. Brendan Finnerty have spent nearly a decade building a high-volume thyroid ablation program. They treat benign nodules, toxic nodules, and carefully selected thyroid cancers without surgery. Many of their patients nev
Listen to the Episode
Why RFA Sometimes Fails on Toxic Thyroid Nodules — And What Works Instead | Dr. Salem Noureldine
130
Oct. 20, 2026

Why RFA Sometimes Fails on Toxic Thyroid Nodules — And What Works Instead | Dr. Salem Noureldine

Toxic thyroid nodules don’t just sit there — they actively overproduce hormone, causing symptoms like a racing heart, tremors, weight loss, and trouble sleeping. In this episode, endocrine surgeon Dr. Salem Noureldine (George Washington University) explains why these vascular nodules are some of the hardest to fully treat with RFA, and how microwave ablation’s different heat mechanism can succeed where RFA sometimes falls short. The conversation also covers why patients with pacemakers may be sa
Listen to the Episode
When Thyroid Ablation Isn't the Answer: A Surgeon Who Does Both Explains | Dr. David Goldenberg
129
Oct. 6, 2026

When Thyroid Ablation Isn't the Answer: A Surgeon Who Does Both Explains | Dr. David Goldenberg

Thyroid ablation vs surgery: how do you know which is right for you? Ablation has transformed care for thyroid nodule patients, but it isn't the answer for everyone. Dr. David Goldenberg, Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Penn State Health, performs both thyroid surgery and ablation. He joins Jennifer Holkem to explain when ablation works best, when surgery is still the right call, and why a large thyroid cancer can't simply be ablated. We also cover multinodular
Listen to the Episode
60% Goiter Reduction Without Surgery or Ablation? An IR Explains TAE | Dr. Sean Golden
128
Sept. 22, 2026

60% Goiter Reduction Without Surgery or Ablation? An IR Explains TAE | Dr. Sean Golden

Interventional radiologist Dr. Sean Golden joins Jennifer Holkem to break down thyroid artery embolization (TAE) — a minimally invasive treatment that cuts off blood supply to an enlarged thyroid gland instead of removing or ablating it, with patients home the same day. Dr. Golden, who trained at Yale, the University of Wisconsin, and Johns Hopkins, co-built the TAE program at UW Health alongside Dr. Matthew Niemeyer. He brings a distinct perspective, having come to TAE independently after ye
Listen to the Episode
View all Episodes

Reviews

Consultation With Jen- Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

"I had an ultrasound done that reported I had a .9 cm TIRAD5 nodule with extra thyroidal extension (ETE) protruding inferiorly. I have terrible insurance. I saw some uninformed and seemingly uncaring…"

Amy O'Neill | Aug. 4, 2025

Simply Informative!

"Jen's YouTube page, Podcast, and FB community has been very information and has helped me to navigate the complexities of thyroid nodules. I took a deep dive into her interviews with doctors/experts …"

Lakeitha King | Sept. 8, 2025
See all reviews