Amy Dowden has shared a “frustrating” setback as she undergoes cancer treatment.
A fan-favourite on Strictly Come Dancing, the 33-year-old professional dancer has appeared on the BBC show since 2017. However, she was forced to drop out of the competition this year after being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May.
Since then, the Caerphilly-native has been using social media to document her journey on the road to recovery, while raising awareness about breast cancer – previously urging both women and men to “get to know your breasts or your chest” since the disease is not gender-specific.
In her latest Instagram post, Dowden explained that she was scheduled to receive her second-to-last round of chemotherapy on Thursday (26 October) when doctors realised her platelet count was too low for them to proceed.
Addressing her followers in a video shared to her Stories, she said: “Frustratingly, my neutrophils, white blood cells, are all good but my platelets are too low currently for chemo, which is really frustrating because I feel really well.”
The Strictly fan-favourite explained she’s due to visit her doctor on Thursday morning to see if the levels have improved. If not, her treatment will have to be postponed by a week, Dowden continued, “which I don’t really want because I just want this over and done with”.
“It’s kind of...I’m in limbo really,” she said. “I’m like preparing myself that I’m having chemo, but I might not have chemo. The buildup, bracing yourself...You kind of psych yourself up ready for chemo – well I do anyway – so I don’t know how I’ll feel if I can’t have it.
“I’ll be gutted ‘cause I would have probably worked myself up all tonight, all tomorrow morning,” she added.
Amy Dowden reveals she didn’t check her breasts before cancer diagnosis and sends important message.— (Amy Dowden/Coppafeel)
Last month, Dowden opened up about taking the “hardest step” of her cancer journey so far, which was shaving her hair off halfway through chemotherapy because “I would dread the pain of waking up to more shredding every day”.
Earlier this month, she delighted Strictly fans with a suprise appearance on the show. She didn’t perform but instead read out the terms and conditions for public voting at the beginning of the episode on 7 October.
Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer after she discovered a lump in April, one day before the Welsh dancer was to leave for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones.
“I can’t wait to be back with you all,” she said, as the show’s cast including host Claudia Winkleman cheered Dowden on. Strictly viewers were equally delighted to see Dowden back on screen, with one person writing: “One big smile is enough to give a great big f*** you to cancer! Lovely to see Amy tonight.”
