Latest news with #BloodstockOpenAir
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I thought my mouth ulcer was work stress but it was killer disease – my new tongue's made from skin from my tattooed arm
A CARER was horrified to discover her "work stress" mouth ulcer was CANCER - and had a new tongue built using skin from her tattooed arm. Jessica Tappenden-Rowell noticed what she believed to be a mouth ulcer under her tongue in May 2024 and thought she was just run down from work. 5 5 5 The 23-year-old ignored the sore until it became incredibly painful while eating and yawning and after visiting her GP, was referred to York Hospital. After a tongue biopsy in August, Jessica was devastated to learn the sore was cancerous in September. Jessica was diagnosed with stage one squamous cell carcinoma and after an MRI and CT scan determined the cancer hadn't spread, doctors arranged an operation to remove the tumour. During the op, surgeons removed the cancerous part of her tongue and replaced it with a section of her forearm - so her new tongue includes an £80 festival tattoo. Now cancer-free, Jessica is urging people to get ulcers that linger for more than two weeks checked out by a doctor. Jessica, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said: "I had just started a new job so I thought I was just run down, feeling a bit tired. I was exhausted from working. "I just ignored it [the ulcer]. I was so busy with work anyway it didn't cross my mind to get it checked out. I just didn't really even think about it. "A couple of months had gone by and it started becoming really painful every time I was eating and yawning, it was bringing tears to my eyes every time I was yawning. "Any time I was eating tomatoes or something acidic like oranges or lemons it was really hurting. "It didn't even cross my mind that it would be something bad. Skin cancer symptoms you should NEVER ignore, with Dr Philippa Kaye "It just started getting weirder, there was redness and there were white bumps around it. I could see that it was getting worse. "It's incredible what they can do, it really is amazing. They've taken my arm and put it in my mouth. "From not thinking it was anything, to suddenly having cancer, to suddenly having a life-changing surgery. It was wild. "That was like a smack in the face. It was insane. I can't even explain what it felt like going from, 'oh yeah it's nothing, it'll be nothing' to literally, 'okay, this could be one of the worst things ever'. On October 1st she underwent free flap surgery at Castle Hill hospital in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, where doctors removed the cancerous part of her tongue and replaced it with a section of her forearm. They took a six-inch by two-inch section of skin from her arm along with a vein and an artery and plugged this into Jessica's tongue to provide blood flow. Jessica had a tattoo of the initials BOA on her forearm, which stands for Bloodstock Open Air, in honour of the Derbyshire festival. Now that this skin has been removed from her arm and stitched into her mouth, the tattoo can be seen on the underside of her tongue. A new tongue After the surgery Jessica woke up in the ICU with a temporary tracheostomy and was resigned to a diet of soft foods for two months while she got used to her new tongue. Now she can eat a wider variety of things but still struggles with certain foods like chocolate and bread. Jessica said: "When it came to speaking I was really slurred and really slow because everything in my mouth was so swollen and my tongue muscle was a lot weaker. "You have to get used to your tongue and using it to speak, it took me months. "Only recently people have said to me 'you sound so much like you did before'. "I'm not there yet, I still have some days where I struggle a bit. It was amazing when I heard I was cancer free, my surgeon was choking up on the phone Jessica Tappenden-Rowell "If my mouth is extra tired, if I've been talking quite a lot then I get even more slurry just because my muscles in my tongue are just not the same. It takes a lot to build it back up again. "The whole area that is just my arm skin, that's not muscle. It doesn't move the same way. My tongue is now a different shape. "It's very strange but eating has been the biggest challenge because I can't taste or feel anything on my right hand side. "At first I couldn't eat anything that wasn't porridge or scrambled egg. "Bread is quite stodgy and it was just getting stuck to the roof of my mouth and I can't use my tongue to get something off the roof of my mouth, I was using my fingers all the time. "I'm still like that, my fingers are in my mouth all the time. I feel like a toddler. 5 "Chocolate gets stuck to the roof of my mouth too. "It was amazing when I heard I was cancer free, my surgeon was choking up on the phone." Jessica had planned to go back to university to study for a second degree in nursing but has postponed this and is currently working in a hospitality job two days a week. Although Jessica did vape before her diagnosis, she says her surgeon told her this was not the cause of the cancer. Jessica said: "Previous to my diagnosis I did smoke. I vaped for a couple of years and obviously I went to uni, I drank. But it was never anything severe, it was what a normal person would do. "My surgeon said, 'even if you had been a severe alcoholic and smoker, at your age this would not have done anything to you yet. That would not have been the cause. "You're too young, you've not had enough years to have caused that kind of damage yet.' It's just bad luck." Jessica is now speaking about her ordeal to encourage people to get anything unusual checked out. "If you have an ulcer that has not gone away within two weeks, get it checked. "The earlier you go, the less chance of this type of surgery. If I had gone earlier I might not have [needed] such a large portion of my tongue removed.' Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is a type of skin cancer that usually starts in the skin where the cells multiply and alter the skin's appearance. SCCs are typically slow-growing forms of skin cancer and usually remain in the outer layer of the skin. They can differ greatly in their appearance, but most usually appear as a scaly or crusty area of skin or a lump, with a red, inflamed base. They also have the potential to spread to other organs of the body (metastases), but this is more common if left untreated for a long time. Although the cause is not fully understood, there is strong evidence to suggest that Ultra-violet (UV) rays from the sun or sunbeds can damage the skin, which may contribute to the development of a squamous cell carcinoma. Other less common causes are radiation therapy, trauma, chemicals, and viruses. Some people who have lowered immunity are also at risk. If your SCC has been caught early, it is curable.
Daily Mirror
27-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I thought work stress had given me mouth ulcer - the truth was much worse'
Jessica Tappenden-Rowell noticed what she believed to be a mouth ulcer under her tongue but ignored the sore until it became incredibly painful while eating and yawning A carer was horrified to discover her 'work stress' mouth ulcer was cancer - and had a new tongue built using skin from her tattooed arm. Jessica Tappenden-Rowell noticed what she believed to be a mouth ulcer under her tongue in May 2024 and thought she was just run down from work. The 23-year-old ignored the sore until it became incredibly painful while eating and yawning and after visiting her GP, was referred to York Hospital. After a tongue biopsy in August, Jessica was devastated to learn the sore was cancerous in September. Jessica was diagnosed with stage one squamous cell carcinoma and after an MRI and CT scan determined the cancer hadn't spread, doctors arranged an operation to remove the tumour. READ MORE: Shoppers rave over 'sunshine in a bottle' perfume that gives them a mood boost During the op, surgeons removed the cancerous part of her tongue and replaced it with a section of her forearm - so her new tongue includes a festival tattoo. Now cancer-free, Jessica is urging people to get ulcers that linger for more than two weeks checked out by a doctor. Jessica, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said: "I had just started a new job so I thought I was just run down, feeling a bit tired. I was exhausted from working. I just ignored it [the ulcer]. I was so busy with work anyway it didn't cross my mind to get it checked out. I just didn't really even think about it. "A couple of months had gone by and it started becoming really painful every time I was eating and yawning, it was bringing tears to my eyes every time I was yawning. Any time I was eating tomatoes or something acidic like oranges or lemons it was really hurting. It didn't even cross my mind that it would be something bad. "It just started getting weirder, there was redness and there were white bumps around it. I could see that it was getting worse. It's incredible what they can do, it really is amazing. They've taken my arm and put it in my mouth. From not thinking it was anything, to suddenly having cancer, to suddenly having a life-changing surgery. It was wild. "That was like a smack in the face. It was insane. I can't even explain what it felt like going from, 'oh yeah it's nothing, it'll be nothing' to literally, 'okay, this could be one of the worst things ever'. On October 1 she underwent free flap surgery at Castle Hill hospital in Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire, where doctors removed the cancerous part of her tongue and replaced it with a section of her forearm. They took a six-inch by two-inch section of skin from her arm along with a vein and an artery and plugged this into Jessica's tongue to provide blood flow. Jessica had a tattoo of the initials BOA on her forearm, which stands for Bloodstock Open Air, in honour of the Derbyshire festival. Now that this skin has been removed from her arm and stitched into her mouth, the tattoo can be seen on the underside of her tongue. After the surgery Jessica woke up in the ICU with a temporary tracheostomy and was resigned to a diet of soft foods for two months while she got used to her new tongue. Now she can eat a wider variety of things but still struggles with certain foods like chocolate and bread. Jessica said: "When it came to speaking I was really slurred and really slow because everything in my mouth was so swollen and my tongue muscle was a lot weaker. You have to get used to your tongue and using it to speak, it took me months. Only recently people have said to me 'you sound so much like you did before'. I'm not there yet, I still have some days where I struggle a bit. "If my mouth is extra tired, if I've been talking quite a lot then I get even more slurry just because my muscles in my tongue are just not the same. It takes a lot to build it back up again. The whole area that is just my arm skin, that's not muscle. It doesn't move the same way. My tongue is now a different shape. It's very strange but eating has been the biggest challenge because I can't taste or feel anything on my right hand side. "At first I couldn't eat anything that wasn't porridge or scrambled egg. Bread is quite stodgy and it was just getting stuck to the roof of my mouth and I can't use my tongue to get something off the roof of my mouth, I was using my fingers all the time. "I'm still like that, my fingers are in my mouth all the time. I feel like a toddler. Chocolate gets stuck to the roof of my mouth too. It was amazing when I heard I was cancer free, my surgeon was choking up on the phone." Jessica had planned to go back to university to study for a second degree in nursing but has postponed this and is currently working in a hospitality job two days a week. Although Jessica did vape before her diagnosis, she says her surgeon told her this was not the cause of the cancer. Jessica said: "Previous to my diagnosis I did smoke. I vaped for a couple of years and obviously I went to uni, I drank. But it was never anything severe, it was what a normal person would do. "My surgeon said, 'even if you had been a severe alcoholic and smoker, at your age this would not have done anything to you yet. That would not have been the cause. "You're too young, you've not had enough years to have caused that kind of damage yet.' It's just bad luck." Jessica is now speaking about her ordeal to encourage people to get anything unusual checked out. "If you have an ulcer that has not gone away within two weeks, get it checked. The earlier you go, the less chance of this type of surgery. If I had gone earlier I might not have [needed] such a large portion of my tongue removed."
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mastodon are looking for their next guitar player – and they have a very specific list of requirements
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mastodon are on the hunt for their next permanent guitar player. The Atlanta sludge/prog metal beloveds split with their founding guitarist Brent Hinds earlier this month, ending his 25-year tenure. Though the band played a festival set the following weekend with YouTuber Ben Eller filling in, co-guitarist Bill Kelliher says their search for a full-time fourth member is ongoing. In a new interview with Guitar World, Kelliher details what a person would need to become Mastodon's first new member since 2000. 'Someone who is easy to get along with, and who really has a desire to play – and can play well,' he says. He adds, 'Obviously, you gotta be somebody who we all get along with and can stand the true test of time. Like, living together in a little tour bus on the road for fucking days and months at a time, it's got to be someone who can do all that. 'And that's another variable. Like, 'Oh, this person is a great guitar player, why don't you hire them?' It's like, 'Well, they gotta stand the test of time.' We've got to be able to sit down and have a beer with them, go out to dinner with them, you know, feel them out, and make sure they're Mastodon material. 'Like, can they hang, for sure, but it's got to be someone who has a unique style, and is very serious about it.' Kelliher also emphasises his commitment to Mastodon, who've become one of their genre's most lauded bands with eight acclaimed records under their collective belt. 'I'm as serious as a heart attack with Mastodon. It's my life. It's all I really know. I've got all my eggs in this basket – and I'm not ready to give it up yet. So, we're going to keep looking, and who knows? We'll find the right person when the time is right and ready.' Mastodon will tour North America with fellow prog metal act Coheed And Cambria in May. whether Eller will play guitar on the tour or the role will be filled by someone else remains to be seen. The band announced Hinds' exit on March 7, calling the parting a mutual decision. The band remain committed to all announced live plans. They include a slot at Black Sabbath's star-studded Back To The Beginning event on July 5 as well as two shows supporting Slayer in the UK the same month. The four-piece will also be special guests at Bloodstock Open Air in Derbyshire in August.
