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Amy Dowden has acknowledged that she is “not looking forward” to having a treatment done that will result in a scar that will always be noticeable.
The 32-year-old Strictly Come Dancing contestant was initially diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May and underwent a single mastectomy to address it. But after the surgery, more tumors were found, and she was informed last month that she needed chemotherapy.
The professional dancer most recently uploaded a hospital photo she had taken in the bathroom mirror while donning a medical gown and a face mask.
Really not looking forward to this, she wrote over the picture. Another scar, this one only [an] inch long, but it will serve as a constant reminder and remain [visible] forever.
Dowden also posted a number of images from the process, which involved fitting her for a chemotherapy port. In the caption, Dowden stated that she wanted to document her experience receiving treatment in order to “hopefully get others checking and for understanding what we go through.”
Wasn’t anticipating it. Not simple… veins in me! Feeling painful, bruised, and sore, but the port will make a significant difference over the next weeks and allow me to dance when I’m feeling well enough,” she stated.
“A port sits beneath the skin, and a tube runs down my vein to my heart, providing safe access for chemotherapy,” the patient said. “I’m not a doctor!”
It follows Dowden’s admission that “everything changed” for her during an Instagram Live session with breast cancer survivor and Paralympian Erin Kennedy, who also has Crohn’s disease.
“Radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and a lumpectomy were initially on my treatment plan. However, after my MRI, they discovered a second tumor, leading to the need for a mastectomy, which, regrettably, was followed by the discovery of yet another tumour.
“They discovered a different sort of cancer, and then they informed me that I needed chemotherapy, which was a huge blow to me. It wasn’t originally part of the idea, and I am aware that you shouldn’t fixate on it.
She said that she was worried that the chemotherapy would prevent her from practicing her dance, and she said, “You can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me and that’s what I get really upset about.”
Dowden was hopeful that she would be able to participate in Strictly this year after receiving her initial breast cancer diagnosis. She will not, however, be able to do so in a competitive capacity due to her new treatment.
Since I won’t be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly this year, she said, “but I’m in such regular contact with the team – the BBC have just been utterly incredible.”
Prior to her treatment last week, Dowden made a tearful visit to the dance competition set to greet all of her coworkers.
She said she had surprised her friends on set in an Instagram Story update, writing: “I had happy tears to see them all. I got to catch up with everyone, watch some of the dancing, and learn about some interesting ideas for this series. I am thrilled for you guys because it is going to be fantastic.
In addition to her ongoing research on Crohn’s, a chronic illness that affects several areas of the digestive system, Dowden initially disclosed her diagnosis in the hopes that it would increase awareness of the disease.
She served as the host of the BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me, which explored how Crohn’s disease affected her life.
Dowden is wed to her longtime partner and professional dancer Benjamin Jones. In 2022, they got married.