Amy Dowden has stated that she is ‘very unwell,’ but has reached a significant milestone in her chemotherapy treatment, as she shared an update with followers.
The Strictly Come Dancing pro, 33, announced earlier this year that she had stage 3 breast cancer.
She’s subsequently had a single mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered new cancers, forcing her out of Strictly 2023, but she’s teased visits on the show and the crew has told her the door is still open for her.
Amy has been updating her followers on her hospital visits and her severe hair loss while she gets therapy.
Amy completed the fourth round of chemotherapy, marking halfway through her treatment.
‘Was terribly sick instantly, even with three forms of anti sickness,’ she subsequently wrote.
‘Very tired too Going to be resting up.’
In a third snap from hospital on her Instagram stories, Amy added: ‘But that’s it for Red Devil Next time moving on to another type of chemo.’
This comes after Amy expressed her ‘distraught’ at her hair loss shortly after attending the National Television Awards.
Amy stated in a recent series of Instagram clips that her third round of chemo had been the ‘best one so far,’ as she had to be rushed to the hospital after her first round due to sepsis.
Amy experienced three blood clots after the second round, but following the third round, she claimed that she “just had the usual side effects from chemo,” which included vomiting, exhaustion, severe mouth ulcers, and hair loss.
She said: ‘I can’t now leave the house without something on the top of my head because unfortunately, [I’m] quite bald on top.’
Amy revealed that she had received ‘so many messages’ asking how she’s coping with her hair loss, as she acknowledged that it’s been ‘really, really hard’ for her.
She also revealed that she had sobbed on several occasions about losing her hair, including having’meltdowns’ when she washed her hair once a week.
However, having her husband Ben Jones brush her hair for her has helped Amy since she doesn’t have to physically see the hair that’s coming out, even if she is aware of it.
‘That for me is helping me big time because if I took my scarf off, you’ll see there’s hardly any left but it’s okay,’ she said, before referencing a video of Tom Hanks speaking during an actors’ roundtable as she continued: ‘Because I keep telling myself like Tom Hanks says this too shall pass.’
Amy went on to explain that since leaving hospital after suffering from blood clots, she’s stopped brushing her hair herself ‘because I was just getting distraught when I’d see how much was falling out’.
‘That has helped me. But this is definitely the hardest part for me personally,’ she stated.
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday, September 16 at 6.35pm.
How to check your breasts for signs of cancer
CoppaFeel! offers three simple steps on how to check your own chest for signs of cancer.
Look
- Look at your boobs, pecs or chest.
- Look at the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in size, outline or shape and changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling.
Feel
- Feel each of your boobs, pecs or chest.
- Feel the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling, or any lumps, bumps or skin thickening which are different from the opposite side.
Notice your nipples
- Look at each of your nipples.
Be aware of any nipple discharge that’s not milky, any bleeding from the nipple, any rash or crusting on or around your nipple area that doesn’t heal easily and any change in the position of your nipple
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
Source My Celebrity Life.