CPM Spring 2020 - 19

daup h i n c m s .o rg

SUPERWOMAN

MICHELLE
HUMMEL
THE UNTOLD STORY OF A
MULTI-TIME CANCER SURVIVOR
By YAN LEYFMAN
Penn State College of Medicine

f one wants to meet a modern-day superhero, they
need to meet Michelle Hummel. This 49-year-old
superwoman is a computer programmer by day, a
DJ by night, a worldly traveler and Civil War actor
on weekends, a volunteer firefighter 24/7, and a multi-type
cancer survivor and fighter forever.

Thankfully, she had not experienced any complications nor
adverse symptoms after the procedure. She subsequently
underwent radiation therapy and did well. According to her
physicians it was fortuitous that she had the surgery when
she did because had her disease spread, her prognosis would
have been 6 months.

Michelle's story begins at the age of 31. A healthy, driven,
vibrant female noticed that she was not feeling like herself.
She had gained about 10 lbs after the birth of each of her
three sons and decided to get a long overdue physical. On
physical exam, she exhibited difficulty swallowing and a
slight thyroid lump was noticed incidentally, which began
to concern her physician. Upon further testing, the biopsy
returned as inconclusive but there was high enough suspicion that warranted surgical intervention. Ms. Hummel
underwent a successful total thyroidectomy, but at time of
surgery, it was discovered that her disease had begun to spread.

Although it took several years to adjust to her new life
without a thyroid, Michelle was slowly getting back on track
and regaining her energy. Having gained a new appreciation
for life as a result of her scary experience, Michelle began to
train for a triathlon at the age of 36. During the course of
her training, she noticed a left-sided breast lump that she
had initially ignored but its prominence over time convinced
her to have it evaluated. Although the initial biopsy was
inconclusive, her physician advised she have it removed
due to her prior cancer history. Ms. Hummel tolerated
the procedure well and pathology showed that the mass
Continued on page 20

Central PA Medicine Spring 2020 19

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CPM Spring 2020

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