Metal Episodes

Laura Duzett is a third-year medical student and survivor of a horrendous bout with dyshidrotic eczema. Soon-to-be Dr. Laura has just released an amazing and comprehensive new Low-Nickel Diet Cookbook that promises to be revolutionary. The cookbook features sections on breakfast, breads, poultry & seafood selections, desert and beverage options and more. The book was co-written with board certified physician and dermatologist Dr. Matthew Zirwas, author of over 195 peer-reviewed journal articles ...

Dr. Nadim Hallab is the CEO of Orthopedic Analysis and a professor at Rush University Medical Center in the department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Hallab is an expert in metal hypersensitivity and implant degradation, whose research encompasses immune reactions to implant debris, modular junctions, peri-implant cell toxicity, and material surfaces for controlling immune responses. Over two decades, his group has made significant advancements in understanding implant debris interactions and improv...

Dr. Marco Caicedo is the Chief Operating Officer of Orthopedic Analysis, and an adjunct professor at Rush University Medical Center in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Caicedo has dedicated his life and career to the study of immune reactions in regards to metal hypersensitivity and is the author of many published scholarly journal articles on the same. We discuss the early-on resistance of orthopedic surgeons, immunologists and other medical peers to the concept of reactivity to metal ...

EP13 - Surgical Clips, Staples & Marker Removal Surgery for Metal-Allergic Patients w/Dr. Chris Cottrell, MD, FACS Dr Chris Cottrell, MD, FACS, has been a general surgeon in practice for decades, currently living in North Texas. He grew to viral fame on TikTok with a video that showcased his surgical acumen with a DaVinci Robot as he tied a cherry stem in a knot with the robot, much to the delight of social media. The short-form video received over 6.3 million views. Dr. Cottrell has a great Tik...

Cheryl went in one way for routine gallbladder surgery and came out another. Prior to surgery Cheryl liked the simple things in life: Outdoor activities, board games, hanging with her kids and watching Netflix. Cheryl had a history of jewelry and other allergies, but didn’t think much about it, and especially when going in for emergency gallbladder surgery. The surgery went well, removing a gallbladder with 1500+ stones, but a week after surgery Cheryl found herself suddenly not able to breathe ...

MELISA® Diagnostics is one of the worldwide leaders in Blood LTT or LymphocyteTransformation Testing for metal allergies. In Part Two of this special 2-part episode, Podcaster Shari Guess walks listeners through the process of ordering their own MELISA test start to finish. The test became clinically validated after an independent lab in Germany conducted a 2003 study using 250 patients and various lymphocyte concentrations. In 2006, a follow-up study treated patients based on the MELISA test re...

MELISA® Diagnostics is one of the worldwide leaders in Blood LTT or Lymphocyte Transformation Testing for metal allergies. In Part One of this special 2 part episode, Linda Nelson, CEO for MELISA, shares how the MELISA test was developed, patented and clinically validated. First, Linda shares about her favorite heavy metal band, Metallica, and song, “Nothing Else Matters”. Shari reminisces about first meeting Metallica “back in the day”, before anyone knew who they were. Shari promises to post a...

In this episode of the Heavily Metalled Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Scott Schroeder, a Doctor of Podiatry and a Fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgery. Dr. Schroeder is known and respected worldwide as an expert and lecturer on metal allergies, especially within the realm of surgical specialties. Dr. Schroeder was the treating surgeon who helped diagnose the baffling case of recurrent, full paralysis of our second podcast guest Dana Jeske, when even the Mayo Clinic wasn’t able to ...

Frances Scott, a mother of three and a former network news anchor in Raleigh, North Carolina, at a very young age, experienced nagging hip pain and after consulting with twelve different doctors in multiple states, decided to have both hips replaced in one surgery with the now off-market Johnson & Johnson-DePuy Metal-on-Metal Hips. Frances then experienced total & complete disability, along with the loss of her journalism career & upper middle-class social standing due to pain & metal toxicity f...

Metal allergies can be serious. It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms and to discuss ANY prior metal sensitivities with healthcare providers prior to any medical procedure. In this episode of the Heavily Metalled Podcast, I’m joined by Lacee Johnsen, a Facebook friend who discovered an allergy to surgical clips, left behind without her knowledge during a routine surgery. Many have found out after the fact that leaving these clips and staples is common practice during routine sur...

Metal allergies are an often overlooked but serious health issue. In some cases, metal allergies can even cause paralysis. This was the case for my guest today Dana Jeske, a mechanical engineer from Washington State. At age 49, Dana woke up one morning and found he was paralyzed. He lost feeling from the bottom of his feet, to his hips and from his fingertips to his arms. He also lost feeling in his core and even his head. He was unable to feel anything, including heat or pain. Due to a fortunat...

In part 2 of my story, after being bedridden and in excruciating pain for years, I finally connect all the dots. After experiencing a full-blown meltdown, realizing I was reacting to recently implanted metal hardware that could not be removed and fearing a life-sentence imprisoned in pain, my pain management doctor suggested getting testing. I found Orthopedic Analysis, a company that provided Lymphocyte Transformation Testing. The results revealed a significant allergy to nickel, molybdenum, an...

Welcome to the very first episode of the Heavily Metalled podcast! I'm so excited to have you join me on this journey deep into the hot-button topic of metal allergies. In this episode, I’ll be sharing my journey uncovering the hidden dangers of implanted medical hardware. Metal allergies often fly under the radar of medical professionals and symptoms can include systemic pain, neurological issues, autoimmune diseases, and more. Metal hypersensitivity reactions are type IV, cell-mediated delayed...