Brave Jennifer undergoes pioneering mouth surgery

Published 18 Dec 2009 10:40 0 Comments

JENNIFER Tawse will be in fine voice this Christmas after undergoing a pioneering operation to rebuild her tongue.

Jennifer, 32, from Biggar, was diagnosed with a rare tongue cancer last year, and doctors told her that the only way they could save her life was to remove half her tongue and five of her teeth.

The 12 hour operation saw surgeons cut Jennifer's neck and roll back the skin on her face, before removing a large portion of her tongue and several of her teeth.

Her tongue was then reconstructed using skin, muscles and veins from her left forearm, and then used a section of her stomach to replace the lost tissue on her arm.

And despite being a self-confessed chatterbox, Jennifer says she felt if she had to have cancer she had it in the best possible place - as the thought of losing her ability to speak was all the motivation she needed to fight the illness.

"I love my food and I love to talk, so there was no better incentive for me to try and beat the cancer.

"After the operation I found speaking really difficult, but after lots of hard work with a speech therapist I gradually learned to use my new tongue.

"I had to undergo seven weeks of radiotherapy, and for a couple of months after that I lost my appetite and had to survive by drinking protein drinks, but these days I'm back eating again and I appreciate my food so much more."

In fact it was Jennifer's lack of appetite that first prompted her to see a doctor, after mouth ulcers became so painful she stopped eating and her weight dropped rapidly.

After antibiotics failed to clear the ulcers she was sent to Monklands hospital in Coatbridge where the cancer was eventually detected.Now, 18 months on, Jennifer is in remission and enjoys near-perfect speech and has even returned to her job as a human resources advisor at Carstairs hospital.

In fact, Jennifer feels so well that she is training to run the London marathon in April to raise funds for the charity Cancer Research UK.

She says: "The cancer gave me a completely different outlook on life. Me and my partner Brian have been on 13 holidays this year because we now realise how precious life is and we just want to make the most of it.

"Running the marathon will be really tough, but no matter what I am absolutely determined to finish it and hope to raise as much cash as I can for Cancer Research."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Jennifer can log on to www.runningsponsorme.org/jennifertawse

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 18 Dec 09

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