MAFS' Mel Schilling says she was “ignoring the signs” of cancer
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Married at First Sight expert Mel Schilling opened up on receiving a bowel cancer diagnosis in December.
The reality TV star appeared on This Morning on January 16 to talk about her condition, admitting she had initially ignored the symptoms and attributed her body changes to travel.
"I think I was ignoring the signs for such a long time," she told Josie Gibson and Dermot O'Leary.
Related: MAFS star Mel Schilling celebrates return to work following cancer diagnosis
Schilling said that her energy "had dropped" and that she was in severe pain.
"I had such incredible gut pain, literally doubled over and shouting in pain," she said.
"And I stopped going to the toilet, just stopped, but I was doing all this international travel," she said, before adding to Gibson: "You know what it's like, flying to Australia, the jet lag…"
"I wasn't sleeping, and my whole digestive system just stopped, and I just put it down to the travel," she continued.
Related: MAFS UK star JJ Slater shares health update after hospitalisation
Schilling saw a GP in Australia who mistook the symptoms for constipation, but decided to go to a gastroenterologist while she was in the UK as her condition had worsened.
"I couldn't hold even water down, I was vomiting," she said.
The doctor was able to pick up the symptoms, including some unexplained weight loss, and sent Schilling for a scan, which revealed a stage 3 tumour "the size of a lime" — which she nicknamed 'Terry' — nestled in her colon.
The relationship expert spent Christmas Day recovering from colon surgery surrounded by her family and is now awaiting chemotherapy. She urged viewers to be aware of the symptoms, explaining that if she had waited longer, she might have not been so lucky.
Married at First Sight UK airs on E4 in the UK. Married at First Sight Australia airs on Nine Network in Australia and E4 in the UK.
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