First Dates barman Merlin Griffiths has gushed over the NHS as he thanked them for saving his life as he shared a concerning selfie from his hospital bed.
The 46-year-old connoisseur appeared to be physically drained as he shared the recovery snap on Twitter to update his loyal legion of fans about his ongoing cancer treatment.
He confessed to his 44,000 followers on the social media platform that he was suffering from a few “aches and pains” but revealed he had “no tumour” online.
Last year, the Channel 4 star revealed that he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer but promised that he wouldn’t let the deadly condition “get the better of [him].”
(Image: Twitter/ @@MerlinFDC4)
The dad-of-one was informed by doctors at the time that he has a 75% chance of living beyond five years after medics found a 4.5cm stage three tumour.
On Thursday (April 14), the cocktail mixologist prepared for invasive surgery to remove the life-changing tumour as he donned a unicorn face mask while he waited on the hospital ward.
To mark the memorable moment on Instagram, Merlin posted a snap of himself as he donned a black and white cartoon face mask with the caption: “Ready as I’ll ever be. Tumour removal time. #bowelcancerawarenessmonth.”
(Image: Instagram/ @merlinfdc4)
And he made sure to update his doting fans after he woke up in the earn hours of the morning following the procedure.
He wrote on Twitter: “2am. Tubes outta everywhere. Aches and pains. But no tumour! #bowelcancerawarenessmonth.”
Later on that day he added: “Thank you # NHS for literally saving my life. #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth.”
Last month, the TV star revealed his cancerous tumour would be removed by via a robotic operation.
(Image: Instagram/ @merlinfdc4)
In robotic surgery, surgeons control the arms of a machine with four limbs which are holding surgical tools and a camera. The doctors view the operation through a magnified screen.
The bartender – who owns a pub in Lancashire – wrote in March: “Operation scheduled. 3 weeks to get my s**t together. Robotic surgery, welcome to the future!”
Previously, Merlin described the moment he explained his cancer diagnosis to his seven-year-old daughter Alix.
(Image: © Nick Harvey 2019)
He recalled: “I said, ‘Dad’s got cancer’. She said, ‘Is that bad, Dad?’
“I said, ‘Yes, it’s very serious but I think it should be OK. Modern medicine’s great and if anything changes, I’ll let you know.’
“She understands that people can die but I told her cancer comes in different varieties and in different ways too – and that many people come through it.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
