Support for a Friend in Need
Vicki Gunvalson, the 64-year-old star of The Real Housewives of Orange County, recently spoke about the health struggles of her close friend and former co-star, Jeana Keough. During her appearance on the August 9 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Gunvalson shared a candid update regarding Keough's ongoing fight against tongue cancer.
«She’s going through it,» Gunvalson stated. «She’s in chemo, radiation, and we just pray for her.»
The Diagnosis and Journey
The 70-year-old reality personality first went public with her diagnosis through a GoFundMe campaign shared by her daughter, Kara. According to Kara, the health crisis began when her mother noticed a persistent sore on her tongue that she initially attributed to irritation from a tooth. After several dental visits and realizing the sore had persisted for nearly a year, medical professionals diagnosed Keough with squamous cell carcinoma.
Initially, there was optimism following a surgical procedure to remove the tumor. However, the situation became more complicated when doctors advised a follow-up surgery to address lymph nodes, revealing that the malignancy had metastasized. As Kara noted, «What we thought would be a one-time surgery became a full cancer battle.»
Managing Pain and Recovery
The treatment process has been incredibly demanding for Keough. Describing the physical toll, Kara highlighted the severity of the side effects:
«The radiation burns have now made it to the outer skin on her neck and even putting medicated cream on the area with the gentlest of touches causes her wincing pain.»
Despite these hardships, the family is finding small victories. Keough is currently using a feeding tube, which has helped stabilize her weight. However, finding an effective way to manage the intense side effects of her treatment remains a significant hurdle. Kara mentioned that while they are still searching for the right solution for nausea and vomiting, Keough faces the challenge with resilience, even opting to avoid certain narcotics despite experiencing severe pain.