IT might be overstating the case to say a chicken enchilada saved Zoe Patrick’s life, but it certainly played a part.

The Liberal Democrat Oxfordshire county councillor for Wantage and Grove was left with heartburn after the meal, made with chillies from a plant she had just bought last October.

“I cursed it at the time but that plant ended up saving me,” said Zoe, at her home in Churchward Close, Grove, where she is recovering from major surgery to remove her oesophagus.

When the heartburn had not gone away three weeks later and she was having difficulty swallowing, Zoe went to the doctors. She was assured it was acid reflux and nothing to worry about but when the symptoms were still there three weeks later – with husband Glenn and children Emma, 34, and Alan, 29 becoming increasingly concerned – Zoe returned and asked for an endoscopy.

“I was told it was a very uncomfortable test and all it would show was a red sore throat,” said Zoe. It took another two visits before she was finally referred for the procedure – which she hoped would confirm there was nothing seriously wrong.

“I don’t fit the mold for oesophageal cancer – most are men aged 65-plus, heavy drinkers and smokers. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink heavily,” said Zoe. “I really did want her to say you have just got a sore throat.”

However, during the procedure, in early January this year, for which Zoe elected to have a local rather than general anaesthetic, she was told a lesion had been spotted and samples taken would be referred urgently for analysis.

“I was told to prepare myself for the worst,” she said. On January 19 she was given the news it was cancer.

It was a dark time forZoe and husband Glenn, 61, a research physicist and visiting professor at Portsmouth University, who have been married for 43 years.

They had looked on the Internet and found survival rates were 13 to 15 per cent.

“My future looked bleak,” said Zoe, whose sister Carole died of cancer two years ago aged 63.

But coming under the care of the upper GI multi-disciplinary team at the Churchill Hospital and told the cancer had been caught early enough to give an 80 per cent chance of survival, their spirits were lifted.

“Two sessions of chemotherapy were organised with my first starting within just a week. Almost immediately, I responded and my swallowing suddenly felt better – it was shrinking the tumour,” said Zoe, who having seen her sister being very ill with chemotherapy was relieved to have few side effects.

The treatment was followed in May by an oesophagectomy, a major eight-and-a-half-hour operation in which part of her stomach was pulled up into her chest to replace her oesophagus.

It was during the weeks she spent recovering in hospital that the 63 year old, was told the operation was a success.

“It was on my birthday and was the best present I could have,” she said.

Now she is home under the care of Glenn, who is making sure she is not trying to do too much too quickly and taking on the chores of shopping, cooking and housework.

He has also been accompanying her on therapeutic walks around Grove where she has been touched and pleased by the support of well-wishers. Her get well cards have even come from her political opposition. “The county council has been very supportive,” said Zoe. “They just want me to get better.”

She stood down as leader of the Liberal Democrats group on the county council, handing over to colleague Richard Webber, during her illness and was given six months off her duties in February but has been following local issues and dealing with constituency matters on her iPad.

She hopes to be back at full council meetings in September.

“I’ll never take life for granted again after something like this – it makes you realise how precious life is,” said Zoe.

After a harrowing nine months, she is gradually recovering and enjoying spending time with her family.

Even the chilli plant is still going strong.