Essex woman saved by speech and language therapy after surviving cancer
Karen Liesching-Schroder was diagnosed in 2016
A woman from Essex says speech and language therapy helped her regain her confidence speaking and eating after surviving tongue cancer.
Karen Liesching-Schroder, a school nursery nurse form Rochford, sought medical help in 2015 with what she thought was an ulcer but later turned out to be cancer.
After undergoing lots of gruelling treatments, Karen said she was struggling to communicate with people and had lost the confidence to do simple things like go out for a meal with her family.
How the therapy helped Karen
It was then that she turned to speech and language therapy to help her get back to track.
Karen said: “Amelia (her therapist) helped me find strategies for dealing with my swallowing issues and eating out in public
“She also helped me with exercises to help strengthen and straighten my tongue; some of them impossible mechanically and others that over a period of time, practice and perseverance, actually worked.
“We also worked on a meal diary where I had to try different foods and report back to her", she said.
Where to find support
Karen is now speaking to out help others going through mouth cancer, as well as getting behind an app that helps people with speech impairments communicate with others.
For anyone looking for support in relation to mouth cancer, they can contact the Mouth Cancer Foundation, where Karen is an ambassador.