Grill brush bristle stuck in burger impales woman's tongue

MILFORD, Connecticut (KTRK) -- A woman is warning about grill brush bristles after one of them impaled her tongue.

Marlene Scrivani says she knew something was wrong the minute she bit into a burger she grilled.

"It felt like a sharp piece of glass pierced my tongue," she said.

It turns out a bristle got stuck to her burger, and then in her tongue, deep in the back of her mouth.

She had three surgeries to remove the tiny wire.

"The first surgery, they manipulated my mouth and tongue for four hours, so it's left me with ulcers and no feeling in my tongue," Scrivani explained.

Scrivani says she may need a fourth surgery in six weeks once the swelling goes down.

There are alternatives to metal brushes.

Doctors recommend using a brillo pad, stone or bristle-less brush to clean the grill before you cook.