Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling shares a heartfelt message about the challenges she faced this year following colon cancer surgery

Married At First Sight expert Mel Schilling delivered a message on Instagram that has deeply resonated with her followers.

In a year that has oscillated between personal triumphs and profound challenges, Mel has embraced a new perspective on the preciousness of life following her own cancer surgery.

As 2023 came to a close, Schilling reflected on her experiences and shared that while she normally doesn't partake in New Year's resolutions, the events of the past year have led her to change her perspective.

She expressed her gratitude for the support and welcome she received from people in Britain and Ireland, which made her feel at home far away from Australia.

“I have been so touched by the warmth and generosity that people in Britain and Ireland have shown me, I feel so welcomed by you all and am so grateful for that,” she wrote.

'Although I will always be a proud Australian, I feel like an honorary Briton and Britain really feels like home.'

However, her story takes a somber turn as she reveals the “life-changing low points” that have cast a shadow over her year.

She shared the personal tragedy of losing her brother-in-law at just 35 years old, an avoidable loss that has highlighted the preciousness of health and life.

'The tragedy of his death was that it could have been prevented. If he and all of us had heeded the health warnings, he would still be with us,” she explained.

'The terrible irony is that six months later I also jeopardized my health while pursuing my goals and it almost cost me my life. It's not a mistake I want to repeat.

“While my cancer journey is not over and there are still some difficult challenges ahead, I am so incredibly grateful to be given this second chance, a second chance that has been denied to so many.”

Mel recently revealed that her tumor – which she named 'Terry' – had been removed by British doctors.

'So yesterday afternoon I had keyhole surgery to remove my tumor (aka Terry) and in the words of my wonderful surgeon it couldn't have gone better!' Mel wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.

She accompanied her post with 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 had not spread to my abdominal cavity, which was our biggest fear, but was completely localized to my colon.'

“I'll be discussing my treatment plan over the next few days, but suffice it to say, Terry is ready!”

Mel then revealed that her treatment had taken place in London and went on to praise the UK's National Health Service (NHS).

'I also wanted to say that everyone in Britain should be incredibly proud of the people of the NHS.'

She added: 'The NHS is a unique, valuable institution and we need to ensure it is there to serve our children and our children's children.'

Now it's time to focus on getting out of here in time for Christmas,” the reality TV host concluded.

Mel, who appears in the British and Australian versions of the show, first revealed she had bowel cancer in an Instagram post last week.

In her post, Mel said she was diagnosed just a month after she started feeling pain in her stomach while filming the upcoming eleventh season of MAFS Australia.

Despite her heartbreaking situation, Mel said she felt “incredibly blessed” that her cancer was “relatively easy to eradicate.”

Common symptoms of colon cancer include a change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, anal or rectal pain, lumps, unexpected weight loss, fatigue, and anemia.

Doctors recommend that people with an average risk of cancer start screening around age 45.

Those at higher risk should start screening earlier.

Treatment for colon cancer usually involves surgical removal of the cancer.

Other treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be recommended depending on the location and stage of the cancer.