THYROID EXAMINATION

Now, I want to share the details of my mom's story with your. My mom often complains about feeling discomfort when wearing high necks. She can’t wear turtlenecks at all, because when wearing turtlenecks, she can feel her throat tightening and constricting. And so we thought there was something wrong with her thyroid gland. That's why, when living in our home country, my mom would always go for checkups at the endocrinology center of the municipal hospital in our city. In 2012, during the routine examination, an endocrine surgeon told my mom that she had enlarged nodules in her thyroid and she needed to have surgery to remove the nodules sooner rather than later; he said: “Bring yourself to go for surgery because repair work will start in the hospital before long, and the hospital will shut down”.

This time, we were really seized with doubt. Plenty of doubt... Something didn't feel right here.

So we thought it over for a day and another day. And then, on a whim, because I had an accident and I, Mom's daughter, injured my spine, my mom and I flew to Seoul, where my mom had an examination at the endocrinology center. My mom did hormone blood tests, had a thyroid ultrasound done, had a TRH stimulation test done, and had thyroid nodules examined using FNAB, fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

And then the day came when we visited the Endocrinology Department at Severance Hospital in Seoul, South Korea. My mom and I listened to the doctor’s opinion and heard that, yes, indeed, the nodules were slightly enlarged, and the enlargement was average to normal, but the nodules in the thyroid gland could not, the endocrinologist said, threaten life and health, unless they were malignant. So he advised my mom to have a checkup at least once a year for any changes in the size of the nodules, do repeated blood tests and a thyroid ultrasound scan. The endocrinologist did not prescribe any medications. Then, my mom was sent to a neurosurgeon for examination and diagnosed with a cervical neurosis. That's it, isn't it? So, what do you think of my mom's story? I mean, what kind of surgeries do they perform in our country? What do they cut out of patients during surgery in our country? The patient is asleep under anesthesia, and who knows what is being cut out?

In our home countries, the issue of course is not really a surgeon in particular, but the healthcare system in general, and the fact that doctors keep charging cash in hand for treatment. As we say, you need to express your gratitude to the doctor so that they treat you well with heart and soul. It seems like sometimes money can't really help, when the system cranks things out. And then suddenly, you get the enlightenment of what is actually going on when you are given a completely different doctor’s opininon in a country other than yours. In a country where doctors are paid a decent salary and do not need to get paid cash in hand for practicing medicine. Moreover, in case of misconduct, they are severely punished by law, including paying heavy fines or even getting fired. Besides, in South Korea, a tarnished reputation is recorded in your personal file for the rest of your life. And so I have been living in South Korea for 10 years, and I have never paid medical fees to doctors off the books; I have paid only at the hospital cash desk. Now, I hope you understand what the truth is. The truth is in South Korea you can really put your trust in what the doctors say. Actually, in South Korea, they will never cut and stitch up a patient for no good reason. Surgery is absolutely an extreme measure, when there is no other treatment, and the only option is to operate. This is the only case where surgery is prescribed.

My mom is 82 years old, but she is, thank God, fit and in good health. I'm so glad we didn’t have surgery then, but went to South Korea. So do not hesitate to write me. Even here in South Korea, you still need to choose from so many hospitals the right doctor who is a specialist in the field where you have health concerns.

I can help you with that. Feel free to contact me!

Nataliia Pak
General Director

Phone: +82 10 7667 1971
Email: glinemed@gmail.com
Internet: glinekorea.com

Or submit a request and I'll get back to you!

Nataliia Pak
General Director

Phone: +82 10 7667 1971
Email: glinemed@gmail.com
Internet: glinekorea.com