Overview
- In a Jan. 14 episode of How To Fail with Elizabeth Day, the Industry star described fearing she might never speak again after her operation.
- Diagnosed at 23 in 2020, she underwent an eight‑hour total thyroidectomy with about 19 lymph nodes removed, followed by radioactive iodine treatment.
- Abela said surgeons warned of potential injury to the nerve to her voice box, and she tested her voice immediately upon waking from anesthesia.
- She explained that hypothyroidism has made staying fit and managing weight more difficult, and she worried a visible neck scar could affect her acting work.
- She credited her husband, actor Jamie Bogyo, for strong support, noting her surgery and recovery took place during the COVID‑19 surge with a stint in a hospital burns unit due to ICU bed shortages.