admin

I put my ‘harmless’ ulcer down to being run down but weeks later I got the shock of my life – it was deadly cancer

A WOMAN who put a “harmless” ulcer on her tongue down to being busy and run down began to feel concerned when a few months later it was still there.

Helen Keough noticed a new ulcer had appeared underneath her tongue in summer last year.

Woman in hospital bed after tongue cancer surgery.
Kennedy News
Helen Keough noticed an ulcer underneath her tongue last summer but put it down to being run down[/caption]
Woman in hospital bed after tongue cancer surgery.
Kennedy News
When the ulcer didn’t clear up she went for hospital tests, and it was then she found out the bothersome sore in her mouth was in fact a tumour[/caption]
Close-up photo of a woman showing her tongue.
Kennedy News
Helen was hospitalised for 12 days after undergoing a tracheotomy and skin graft surgery to make a new flap for her tongue[/caption]

The 44-year-old project manager believed the painful sore was caused by being “busy and run down” but started to worry when the ulcer didn’t clear up.

After a visit to her GP and dentist, Helen was referred to hospital for further testing of the ulcer – but claims she didn’t receive her results for four weeks.

After being told to come into hospital, Helen was told the bothersome sore in her mouth was in fact a tumour – and she was diagnosed with stage two tongue cancer.

Helen, from Chelmsford, Essex, underwent an operation to have 6cm of her tongue removed, followed by an arduous recovery in which she had to learn how to talk and eat again.

Helen now lives with a new, reconstructed tongue but may need radiation treatment in the future due to the likelihood of her cancer returning.

Helen believes she would’ve “been dead within a year” if she hadn’t pushed health professionals for answers in the months leading to her diagnosis.

Helen said: “In late summer, I noticed a new ulcer appeared on my tongue. It was just an ulcer.

“It just felt like ulcer pain. I went to the pharmacy. It kept going for a bit then coming back again.

“I thought I was just so busy and run down. Because I’m so busy, it wasn’t until September that I went to my GP and they told me to go to my dentist.

“I went to my dentist and she filed my teeth down because she thought they were irritating my tongue and sent me away. But four weeks later it was getting so much worse.

“It got to the point where it was waking me up at night and it hurt to eat. It was just so sore.

“I was losing weight at the time and was very tired.”

Helen was referred to hospital where she underwent a biopsy to determine the cause of the mouth sore.

However, Helen claims it took four weeks for her to be told that the ulcer was in fact tongue cancer.

Helen said: “I contacted the hospital in every way possible and was made to feel like I wasn’t being patient.

“By the time I got my results and was told it was cancer, it had been four weeks.

I was shocked that an ulcer turned out to be a tumour. It just wasn’t on my radar whatsoever

Helen Keough

“I didn’t fall apart or anything, it was very much ‘what are we going to do next?’ I didn’t really understand how aggressive it could be.

“I was shocked that an ulcer turned out to be a tumour. It just wasn’t on my radar whatsoever.”

Helen sought a second opinion at a private hospital where she was told her cancer was stage-two and her lymph nodes would have to be removed.

Here, she was hospitalised for 12 days after undergoing a tracheotomy and skin graft surgery to make a new flap for her tongue.

Helen believes she was “let down at every turn” during her fight for a diagnosis – and is urging others to always advocate for themselves.

Helen said: “The surgery was extremely hard to get through. Because tests show this cancer has a very high chance of coming back, they want to give me radiation just in case anything was left behind.

Woman in a cowgirl costume holding a child.
Kennedy News
Tests have shown the cancer has a very high chance of coming back[/caption]
Close-up of a woman's tongue showing a surgical site, and a bandage on her neck.
Kennedy News
After the surgery Helen was given radiation to make sure nothing was left behind[/caption]
Close-up of a woman's tongue showing a surgical site, and a bandage on her neck.
Kennedy News
Helen’s now urging anyone who spots anything in their mouth that doesn’t go away naturally to go see their GP[/caption]

“Radiation for head and neck cancer is life-altering, more so than surgery. If the GP, dentist, or hospital had done their job, I could’ve had this dealt with straight away and not been at the stage of facing radiation.

“I think I hadn’t got a second opinion with private healthcare, I think I would’ve been dead within a year or two.

“Now I’m telling everyone if you spot anything in your mouth that doesn’t go away naturally in a few weeks to go to your GP.

“I was let down at every turn. You have to advocate for yourself. The professionals are not always right. Because of the delays I now face even more life-changing treatment ahead of me and a poorer prognosis.”

Diane Sarkar, Chief Nursing and Quality Officer for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very sorry that Helen’s care fell below the standard she should expect.

“We are in contact with her and investigating the issues raised. This is an open complaint and we continue to keep Helen informed and are providing support.”

Main symptoms of mouth cancer to look out for

SYMPTOMS of mouth cancer can affect any part of your mouth including the gums, tongue, inside the cheeks, or lips.

Symptoms can include:

  • a mouth ulcer in your mouth that lasts more than three weeks
  • a red or white patch inside your mouth
  • a lump inside your mouth or on your lip
  • pain inside your mouth
  • difficulty swallowing
  • difficulty speaking or a hoarse (croaky) voice
  • a lump in your neck or throat
  • losing weight without trying

You should see a GP if you experience any of these symptoms.

A dentist can also help with ulcers, lumps, patches or pain in your mouth.

Source: NHS

Read More »

Lionel Messi ‘doesn’t want to play’ in coldest MLS match EVER with temperatures set to drop to -24 DEGREES

LIONEL MESSI is reportedly planning to sit out Inter Miami’s clash with Sporting Kansas City – because it’s too COLD.

Miami are preparing to face Sporting KC in a CONCACAF Champions Cup opener on Tuesday night.

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF during a soccer game.
Getty
Lionel Messi may sit out Inter Miami’s  CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg with Sporting KC[/caption]
Sporting Kansas City soccer game at Sporting Park.
Getty
Temperatures at Children’s Mercy Park are set to reach recording-breaking lows on Tuesday[/caption]
Lionel Messi in Inter Miami CF uniform playing soccer.
Reuters
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is hoping to guide Inter Miami to another title[/caption]

Messi joined Miami in July 2023 on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 37-year-old has since gone on to score 33 goals in 39 games for the MLS side.

But the upcoming showdown at Children’s Mercy Park has reportedly left the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner with cold feet.

Temperates are expected to plunge to an outrageous -24 degrees Celcius (-12 Fahrenheit) for Tuesday’s game.

According to insider Franco Panizo, Messi is not keen on playing in the “blistering cold.”

Panizo added: “Whether he does or not is still to be determined, but there is a chance Messi does not play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup opener.”

Should the forecasted temperatures come to fruition, it would be the coldest football match on US soil since Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers played back in 2019.

On that occasion, a big freeze saw the game played out in -7 Celsius temps.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

As well as falling temperatures, there is predicted snowfall of between 9 and 11 inches on Tuesday in Kansas City.

Both teams have been in contact with CONCACAF officials and are monitoring the weather, per the Miami Herald.

The game could potentially be postponed if heavy snowfall mixes with an ice-cold wind chill.

Sporting KC president Jake Reid said: “Cold is one thing – we’ll see what the snow does.

“We’ll be ready. Our concern is around safe access for fans to and from and clearing the parking lots and walking ways.

“The cold is what it is. Bundle up. Bring your blankets, bring your hats.

“No one should be surprised when they come out that it’s freezing cold.”

Read More »

‘Father of Nutella’ dies on Valentine’s Day aged 97 after helping to create world-famous hazelnut spread

THE beloved “inventor” of Nutella has died aged 97 after helping to create the world-famous hazelnut spread.

Ferrero chemist Francesco Rivella passed away on Valentine’s Day on Friday – a mere few days before the tenth anniversary of the passing of Ferrero founder Michele Ferrero.

Portrait of a smiling older man wearing glasses.
Ferrero chemist Francesco Rivella passed away on Valentine’s Day
Shelf of Nutella jars.
Alamy
Francesco Rivella worked in Ferrero’s ‘chemistry room’, where some of the brand’s most iconic creations were born[/caption]

Dubbed the “father of Nutella” by Italian media, Rivella helped create the world’s most famous hazelnut spread.

Born in Barbaresco, he began working at Ferrero in 1952, before it became a multinational powerhouse.

He was 25 and was fresh from earning his degree in bromatological chemistry in Turin.

Rivella worked in Ferrero’s “chemistry room”, where some of the brand’s most iconic creations were born.

He was part of the team responsible for studying raw materials to develop new products.

They blended, refined, and tasted ingredients in pursuit of the perfect flavours.

Over his long career, Rivella became a senior manager within the company.

He was Michele Ferrero’s right-hand man and the two worked together closely.

Journalist Gigi Padovani recalled in his book “Mondo Nutella (Nutella World)” that the pair travelled the world to buy sweets “not to copy them, but to make them better”.

Rivella was a friend of the Italian-Jewish writer, chemist, and Holocaust survivor Primo Levi.

He also served as president of the Order of Chemists of Piedmont, as reported by NeedToKnow.

After retiring, he lived in Alba, where he dedicated himself to fruit farming and the traditional ball game pallapugno.

Rivella was a widower but leaves behind three sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren.

His funeral will be held today in Alba, where he lived, and he will be laid to rest in Barbaresco.

Jar of Nutella hazelnut spread.
Alamy
Nutella spread is a worldwide favourite[/caption]

Read More »