Yvonne McClaren lives with dysphagia following treatment for Oropharyngeal Cancer (Tonsil Cancer)

in 2018.

She underwent surgery to remove a third of her tongue, a tumour, both tonsils and 30 lymph nodes, followed by 30 sessions of chemoradiotherapy. She also relied on a PEG tube for 15 months and ate nothing orally during that time.

Her goal was simple: to eat real food again and create a different food life after head and neck cancer treatment.

Today, Yvonne is a writer, speaker and advocate raising awareness of the social impact of eating loss.

She is the creator of GAG. | eating life and author of GULP: Taking a seat back at the table after head and neck cancer.

Born and bred in Adelaide, Australia, Yvonne has worked as an executive in the not-for-profit sector and lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Saigon. When she is not writing about dysphagia and commensality, Yvonne is an avid thru-hiker, yogi and keen gardener with a wicked sense of humour and a passion for food, wine and cooking.