BMT Survivor Takes On New Challenges

Michelle Worman speaks with spunk in her voice and an exuberant outlook. After a few minutes of conversation, it’s clear that Michelle is an active, self-motivated and accomplished individual. You’d never guess that she has faced many obstacles and life challenges.

Michelle was born with a spinal defect which required several back surgeries and eventually left her wheelchair-bound. In 1996, at the age of 34, a diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), requiring a BMT, posed a new challenge which she faced with the help of her many caregivers.
“Caregivers are such unsung heroes,” says Michelle.  During her treatment and transplant, she remembers, “my husband, Brian, son Jake and the rest of my family were there for me all the way.   Brian was a saint…my son Jake was a bright spot in my life, my mother has been my caregiver so many times and my dad is just special.”

Now, ten years later and cancer free, Michelle is the mother of three sons. After several failed infertility procedures, Michelle and Brian turned infertility into an opportunity and became foster parents. They adopted two very special baby boys, Freddie, and Ian, half-brothers, now four and five years old.

“Raising Freddie and Ian has been extremely challenging because substance abuse during pregnancy caused physical delays and speech and behavioral difficulties,” says Michelle. “Seeing them grow up and thrive makes it worth the effort.”

Despite the busy life of a mother of three, Michelle finds time to run an online chat room called BMT Support. Michelle first used the chat room when she was diagnosed with CML. She has remained an active participant and agreed to take over the chat room after the founder left in 2005. “The chat room offers a confined patient a way to ‘get out’ with other people who know how it feels to go through a transplant,” says Michelle. “Our goal is to provide peer support to anyone who needs it—caregivers, friends, families, and of course, the patients.” BMT Support provides non-medical advice, education, and understanding of this difficult but potentially life-saving procedure by using the personal experiences of peer support.

Michelle’s go-get-’em approach to life is bringing her closer to another life-time goal: earning a nursing degree. Michelle, a LVN working as a school nurse, began RN classes in 1984 while recuperating from back surgeries. “It seems like each time I got a firm footing on the degree, something would happen to postpone it—surgeries, a BMT, infertility treatments.” In June 2007, Michelle will finally receive her degree and begin seeking new ways to help patients.

“I have wanted this for a long, long time!” says Michelle. Like everything else that involves Michelle, we can expect a lot of good to come out of her relentless effort.

The chat room is open from 8-10 p.m. (CT) Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays www.bmtsupport.org.

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