Prairie Doc Perspectives: The Physician-Patient

Last spring, I was at home washing my hands, and as I glanced up into the mirror, I noticed something unusual. My bathroom light hit my neck just right as I swallowed and there it was: a prominent lump. I diagnosed myself with a thyroid nodule and wondered how I, a physician, had failed to notice this large protuberance before that moment.

Thyroid nodules are quite common. In some cases, they a...