How one 'silly' decision could have cost Tracey Jewel her life
MAFS’ Tracey Jewel went through the ringer during her short-lived ‘marriage’ to Dean Wells.
After being rocked with the show’s first ever ‘cheating’ scandal, the 35-year-old admits her personal life hasn’t been down “the easiest road” either.
The reality TV star opened up to Be about a “silly” decision that led to a devastating diagnosis, one that could have cost her life.
“I was one of those silly girls that hadn’t had a pap test for four years before falling pregnant,” she said, talking about being diagnosed with cervical cancer eight years ago, just weeks after her daughter Grace was born.
“I had four [lesions] but they were only able to remove two from the first surgery, so I had to have two operations which wasn’t much fun,” Tracey said.
The invasive surgery on the mum-of-one — who is now happily dating fellow Married At First Sight contestant Sean — to treat the stage zero CIN3 cervical cancer had heartbreaking consequences.
“Unfortunately that meant I couldn’t breast feed after that, which you know, was quite traumatic to go through that when you’re a new mum, especially a first time mum,” she said.
Now Tracey — who is gearing up to tour Australia and New Zealand next month to to celebrate her book This Goddess Means Business being released — has to have regular check ups in case the cancer returns and admits having another baby in future could prove difficult.
“Because of the two surgeries on my cervix it means that if I do fall pregnant again I have to have it stitched up and have to deliver by caesarean,” she said.
“It doesn’t affect falling pregnant it just means I have to be very careful, which are extra factors that you need to weigh up and take in,” she went on, explaining the cancer could come back and “rear it’s ugly head”.
Thankfully, the outspoken mum is determined to help others learn from her experience, which she feels could have been easily prevented if she’d had her pap tests at the recommended time of every two years.
“You have this idea of this picture perfect pregnancy and birth and motherhood, and sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you want and you have to roll with the punches so to speak,” she said.
While she’s remaining tight-lipped on any future baby plans with her new beau, she revealed she’s “excited” to head to Melbourne with the 34-year-old soon.
Tracey’s book tour commences on May 30 in Perth.
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