A COOKBOOK FOR CANCER PATIENTS

Laura Marston has developed recipes for people who are struggling to eat

Some treatments completely affect how you eat

Laura Marston from Borehamwood, who has been a Good Food reader for 22 years, had all of her tongue removed in 2019 after she was diagnosed with oral cancer. When it impacted her ability to talk and eat, she decided to do something positive, and wrote a cookbook to help others who are struggling.

‘It’s taken me a while to feel comfortable eating in front of family and friends, and even longer to want to eat in public,’ Laura says. ‘I’m at a higher risk of choking,

so I have to ensure I chew my food completely and drink plenty of water to help me swallow. I have a metal plate in my jaw, too – sometimes my jaw locks and I can’t talk for a minute or so!’

Laura first had the idea to write a cookbook during lockdown last year, when her friend encouraged her to do something for others. ‘There are very few books for people who require a soft food diet,’ she says, ‘or for those who want to learn how to eat again – such as people with dysphagia or even dementia. A lot of chemotherapy makes you feel unwell or lose your tastebuds, but there are other treatments that affect how you eat, such as surgery and targeted radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. You can find recipe books for cancer, but not for specific forms. It’s why the book is called Eating with Confidence, as the recipes take the reader on the journey from liquids to solids. Most of the meals in the book can be frozen, too, which works on days when you’ve got hospital appointments or you’re too tired to eat.’

‘One of my favourite recipes in the book is the roast potato & garlic soup, which gave me a carb hit I hadn’t had in nearly a year. To aid recovery, I was told to eat a lot of protein, so I made scrambled egg with protein-rich duck eggs, and added soft, slow-roasted vegetables, such as peppers and sweet potato.’

Now, Laura works with The Swallows head and neck cancer charity as a mentor, as well as other inspiring projects. ‘I’m involved in various studies about life after a total glossectomy and how I taught myself to speak and eat again, and I write recipes for a peer-to-peer support group called Young Tongues Global for cancer patients around the world,’ she says.

‘I’m thinking of starting a Youtube channel to help give caregivers and cancer patients the skills to cook suitable meals. When you’re ill or looking after someone who’s going through treatment, cooking something simple feels like the hardest thing in the world. Having someone to guide you through it makes you feel like you’re not on your own.’