Marlene Gaunt, a widowed housewife from Swaffham in Norfolk, is a
trained soprano and has sung with the Phoenix Singers choir since 1984. Marlene
had a mastectomy in 1975 when she was suffering from breast cancer, but no
further health problems were found during regular check-ups over the following
years. Just before Christmas 2000 Marlene noticed what she believed was an
ulcer on her tongue, but her dentist became suspicious of the growth and sent
her to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, Norfolk, where a biopsy was
carried out and cancer was diagnosed. Marlene was referred to consultant
surgeon Leo Cheng, of the Maxillofacial Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in
Cambridge. On January 19th 2001, Mr. Cheng and his team removed the section of
the tongue and carried out delicate micro-surgery to connect veins, arteries
and tissue from Marlene's arm to veins in her neck in a 12 hour operation.
Marlene also had a malignant growth removed from near her collar bone, and
lymph glands were taken from her neck as a precaution.
Marlene spent two weeks in hospital and a further twelve days in bed at home.
Marlene was able to talk in a "tiny" voice a few days after the operation
although her neck and face were so swollen she felt like "Humpty Dumpty".
Regular sessions with a speech therapist meant that Marlene was able to speak
fairly well by the time that she left hospital, but thought her voice sounded
like Marlon brando in The Godfather, and it felt as though she had cotton wool
stuffed inside her mouth.
The tip of Marlene's tongue was left so she can still taste the difference
between sweet and bitter things and says that her taste buds seem to be working
properly and food still tastes as good as it did before the operation.
Mr. Cheng asked Marlene if she would speak to another of his female patients
who was feeling depressed about facing a similar operation, and help reassure
her that it was possible to get over it. Marlene is now part of the support
team who are helping other patients and their loved ones get through a
difficult part of their lives.
Marlene is now back, singing with the Phoenix Singers. Mr. Cheng has stated
that reconstructive surgery, like that carried out on Marlene's tongue has a
high success rate and is up to 95% successful when the cancer is caught at an
early enough stage.
|
|
Marlene during her time with "The Swaffham Players"
Marlene rehearsing for a role when she lived in Buckinghamshire
|
