Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling shocked fans last month when she revealed she was battling colon cancer.
And now, the 51-year-old relationship expert has taken to social media to share painful details about how she discovered she had the disease.
Posting a lengthy video to Instagram, Mel appeared in good spirits as she discussed her symptoms which led to her having a tumour removed by doctors in the UK just before Christmas.
Mel said she began to feel unwell while filming both MAFS in and the show’s UK version, explaining she began to experience terrible stomach cramps that were so bad she was ‘doubling over’ from pain.
She also experienced vomiting and felt her digestive system had ‘shut down’, but she continued to ignore the symptoms due to her busy schedule.
Married at First Sight star Mel Schilling shocked fans last month when she revealed she was battling colon cancer Pictured: Mel shared details about her symptoms in a new video
‘My body was quite literally screaming at me for attention and I wasn’t listening,’ she said in her video.
Describing her agonising symptoms as being like ‘labour’, Mel said that she had to take a break while filming MAFS Down Under.
A GP later diagnosed the symptoms as ‘constipation.’
However, Mel said she knew something was wrong on a flight to the UK, when she could not eat any of the delicious food on offer.
Mel said she began to feel unwell while filming MAFS, including experiencing terrible stomach cramps that were so bad she was ‘doubling over’ from pain
‘I consider myself a bit of a foodie in fact,’ Mel continued in her post.
‘Eating is my my great pleasures in life and so for me to be sitting on a plane being offered things like scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and champagne – all of my favourite things…
‘And to be turning them down and thinking well ”I just don’t even want a cup of tea”. – that was a warning sign for me.’
Mel ended the video by thanking her fans for their support, and urged followers to prioritise their health in 2024.
She also added a message to her post: ‘Happy New Year. I recorded this video to start sharing my bowel cancer journey with you. I’ve tried to answer many of the questions you’ve asked and to offer some thoughts on getting better at health management in 2024.
Mel revealed her shock cancer diagnosis over days before Christmas
Mel updated fans last month, posting that she had keyhole surgery to remove a 5cm tumour from her colon
‘I’m not an expert, just a person going through an experience like many of you. I’m learning as I go and if you’d like, I’ll take you along on the journey with me. Let’s learn together.’
It comes after Mel updated fans last month, posting that she had keyhole surgery to remove a 5cm tumour from her colon.
It accompanied a photo of the TV star in a hospital bed, giving a thumbs up with a tube in her nose.
Mel added, ‘Crucially the cancer hadn’t spread to my abdominal cavity, which was our greatest fear but was entirely localized in my colon.’
Mel, who nicknamed her tumour ‘Terry’ also shared she would be discussing her cancer journey on her social media platforms over the coming weeks.
The relationship guru is set to appear on both MAFS and MAFS in the U.K.