Married At First Sight’s relationship expert Mel Schilling has shared an update on her gruelling battle with cancer.
The 52-year-old broke the news to her 211,000 Instagram followers she had been diagnosed with colon cancer in December after experiencing symptoms while filming for the popular reality show.
Schilling underwent surgery immediately and is going through chemotherapy to treat her colon cancer.
The therapist spoke to UK’s Magic FM on Tuesday where she revealed she was feeling “flat”.
“I’m feeling a little flat today actually, to be totally honest with you,” Schilling said.
“It sort of feels like being hungover, like I’ve been drinking all night.”
Schilling explained she was not going to let it stop her and was determined to put up a fight.
“I’m just now trying to find the way to juggle everything, because I’m not stopping working. This thing is not beating me, I’m here to fight, I just need to make some adaptions,” she continued.
The update comes after the dating coach made the journey to the UK to treat her cancer in February.
“So here I am, day one of chemo,” she said in a video outside the Kingston Hospital in England as she rugged up against the cold with a massive puffer jacket and scarf.
“I have so much stuff with me thanks to all the advice I had on what to bring. It’s like I’m moving in for six weeks. Here it goes.”
In an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Schilling revealed she was in extreme pain while filming the reunion dinner party for Season 11 before her diagnosis.
The mum of one said her pain was so bad she can “barely remember” the reunion shoot.
“I was doubled over in pain and then during the whole reunion shoot, I was just trying to smile through the pain and just get through it.”
“I didn’t know what it was, I thought it was jet lag. I really did. I just thought I’m working too hard, it’s the travel, I’m just not taking care of myself. I really didn’t think it was anything else,” she said.
The TV star shared how she eventually went to a GP in Australia who thought she just had constipation and even went to a specialist after returning to the UK as she was unable to keep water down.
The specialist pinpointed her colon cancer right away.
She skipped holiday travel plans to go and have keyhole surgery to remove her 5cm tumour, explaining that if she had waited much longer, it would have killed her.