The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Jeana Keough has completed radiation treatment after being diagnosed with tongue cancer.
Jeana’s daughter, Kara Keough, shared an update on the former Bravolebrity’s health on Thursday, August 6, via a GoFundMe page set up to help cover the costs of treatment.
“Jeana finished her last radiation treatment yesterday, and we were informed that these next two weeks will be the roughest on her physically — as the chemo and radiation are compounding and her body will be at its weakest point,” Kara wrote. “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.”
“We’re rocking and rolling with the feeding tube and I can feed her in the dark while she sleeps at this point, and she’s stopped losing weight. This is a win and we’re taking it as such,” she continued. “We’re still trying to find a nausea treatment that might prevent the painful vomiting but haven’t found the perfect solution yet.”
Kara noted that she was due to return to Florida, where she lives, but that her brother Colton was in “Orange County taking [of] her.” Her older brother Shane “and his wife Francheska fly in this weekend for a changing of the guards.”
“Another win: for the last two days, I was able to coerce her to take one sip of water — a very important task so she doesn’t lose her swallow function,” Kara added of Jeana, 70. “The pain is excruciating and she refuses narcotics, so it’s unfortunately a really tough challenge to accept.”
Kara concluded her post by asking fans to pray for Jeana to complete her chemotherapy, among other things. She requested fans pray “that the continued immunotherapy works its magic and that cancer NEVER KNOWS THIS WOMAN AGAIN.”
Kara first confirmed Jeana had been diagnosed with tongue cancer in July when she created a GoFundMe page to support the costs of her mom’s treatment.
“A few months ago, while visiting Shane and me in Florida, my mom mentioned a painful spot on her tongue,” Kara wrote at the time. “She assumed a tooth had been rubbing against it and had even gone to the dentist multiple times to have the tooth filed down. I asked her how long the sore had been there. She paused, thought about it, and realized it had been nearly a year. A biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.”
“On top of the physical toll, she has been unable to work. Because her job is commission-based, the loss of income has created an enormous financial burden at the very time she needs to focus all of her energy on healing,” Kara said.
RHOC star Vicki Gunvalson gave an update on Jeana’s condition on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Sunday, August 9.
“She’s going through it,” Vicki, 64, said. “She’s in chemo, radiation, and we just pray for her.”
