How cancer survivor is using her experience for change

Kirkcaldy woman Barbara Boyd thought she had cut her mouth on a crisp.

But three months later she received the devastating news the lump on her tongue was mouth cancer.

Gruelling treatment followed and she had to learn to speak and eat again.

But despite her ordeal, Barbara refuses to feel sorry for herself.

Instead, she is helping others by raising awareness of the disease across Scotland.

The 63-year-old is now an ambassador for the charity Let’s Talk About Mouth Cancer, where she is described as “a force to be reckoned with”.

And she has one message for everyone reading this: “When you clean your teeth, mind check your mooth.”

Mouth cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world and is on the rise in the UK.

Yet Barbara had never heard of it until she was diagnosed in 2018.

The former PE teacher had always been fit and healthy.

She did not smoke and drank only the occasional glass of wine so was not in a high risk category.

And that may have been part of the reason why it took so long to diagnose her.

“I thought I had an ulcer on my gum and made three visits to the dentist and one to the doctor,” she said.

“When I eventually mentioned it to a practice nurse she was the first to look at it with a torch. It turned out there was something on my tongue.”

Barbara had part of her tongue removed five weeks later.

“I couldn’t speak or swallow and the eating nurse said you start from scratch.

“It’s like being a baby – you learn to speak, you learn to swallow and you learn to chew.”

Further treatment followed, including a neck dissection during which Barbara’s lymph nodes were drained to prevent the cancer spreading.

Barbara, formerly from Kelty, finally got the all clear in July 2019 and that is when she discovered Let’s Talk About Mouth Cancer.

“I became a patient champion and I’m now a trustee of the charity,” she said.

“I’ve been to all sorts of conferences on behalf of the organisation. There’s all these professors and then there’s wee Barbara Boyd.”

She added: “Before Covid, I did a conference in Dundee with student dentists.

“It was the first time they’d heard a patient speaking about their experience and I didn’t get much lunch that day because everybody wanted to speak to me.”

On top of that, Barbara visited a number of dentists to ensure they were aware of mouth cancer.

And then she set about raising awareness in the community.

She plans to talk to youth groups and at community centres to ensure everyone knows how to check their mouths. “Once I’ve finished doing this area, I’ll spread the word all over Scotland,” she said.

Barbara has also worked with NHS Fife on an awareness-raising campaign.

And her efforts were rewarded during Mouth Cancer Action Month in November, when Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance praised her in the Scottish Parliament.

During a debate, he highlighted the risk factors and called for more to be done to encourage self examination and improve prognosis.

Nine out of 10 cases of mouth cancer are linked to lifestyle factors such as smoking or drinking.

In fact, smoking and drinking alcohol together can make mouth cancer 30 times more likely.

Other contributing factors include a poor diet low in fruit and vegetables and poor oral hygiene.

If you would like to nominate a community champion, please email community@thecourier. co.uk

“When you clean your teeth, check your mooth

CRUCIAL: Barbara Boyd is speaking to youth groups to warn them of the danger of mouth cancer.