“RHOC” Alum Jeana Keough Can’t Talk amid ‘Brutal’ Tongue Cancer Treatment, Family Says

The former Bravo star’s family revealed on July 19 that she had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

NEED TO KNOW

• Former Real Housewives of Orange County star Jeana Keough was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, her daughter Kara and son Shane revealed on July 19
• As a result of her chemotherapy and radiation, she has suffered severe pain, malnutrition and a blood clot
• Her daughter announced on Monday, July 27, that due to the pain and treatment, her mother can’t speak

Jeana Keough continues to face difficult challenges amid her tongue cancer treatment.

The two older children of the Real Housewives of Orange County alum, 70, Kara, 37, and Shane, 39, revealed on July 19 that their mother was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue after she noticed a painful spot on her tongue and decided to get a biopsy. (Jeana also shares 34-year-old son Colton with her late husband, Matt Keough.)

In the announcement, they revealed at the time that their mother is “in the middle of one of the most painful and vulnerable seasons of her life.” In the days since, Kara has shared updates on her mother’s condition.

On Monday, July 27, she shared via Instagram Stories that her mother isn’t talking right now. “The tongue and throat pain, paired with the mucus from radiation on the area, is just brutal,” Kara wrote. “Poor mama has to spit into tissues all day.”

At the time of the public announcement, Kara explained her mother underwent two surgeries, the second of which removed the lymph nodes where the cancer had spread. She then began chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy in June. Her daughter went on to emphasize how “relentless” her mom’s cancer treatments have been.

“She is exhausted, struggling to stay awake, and becoming malnourished because the pain in her tongue and throat makes swallowing even the smallest bites or sips incredibly difficult,” Kara explained. “Every day is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment.”

Since Jeana has been “unable to work” amid the “overwhelming” cancer treatments, Kara created a GoFundMe to help cover her mother’s medical expenses.

Days after the initial announcement, on July 21, Kara shared that Jeana was scheduled to receive a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) to get nutrition, because she hadn’t eaten a meal for two weeks, and was “extremely depleted.”

However, Kara explained that a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was discovered in Jeana’s leg. A DVT blood clot can pose serious health risks and can often be caused by medications like chemotherapy, per Cleveland Clinic.

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Kara noted that Jeana also had an infection in her leg. “The feeding tube can’t be put directly into her stomach until there’s clarity on the infection,” she wrote.

As a result, the chemotherapy and radiation were temporarily paused. “Prayer needs: that this infection clears quickly, that she can get the G-tube surgery imminently so that hangry Jeana doesn’t murder someone, and that we can quickly resume treatment so that this torment can be put in the rear view mirror.”

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