Amy Dowden, the renowned celebrity dancer of Strictly Come Dancing, has opened up about her experience with cancer treatment. She revealed that losing her hair to the treatment was so traumatic that she could not face herself in the mirror. The dancer from Caerphilly, Wales, said that she stopped brushing her hair due to the excessive hair loss. She surprised her family with the impulsive decision to shave her head and hoped it could inspire others with cancer.
Appearing on the Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two, Dowden described the stress caused by losing her hair: “I found it really traumatic – I couldn’t even brush my hair after a while. So I’d get my husband Ben to do it for me instead. I’d gone bald on top and, in the end, I couldn’t even look in the mirror anymore.” She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after detecting a lump in April. Following a mastectomy, she received the news that the tumours had spread, and another form of cancer was discovered.
Dowden has completed more than halfway of her chemotherapy, which resulted in her hospitalization due to sepsis after a previous treatment cycle. Despite the hardships, she expressed her gratitude to receive such overwhelming support from colleagues on the show and viewers worldwide. Dowden also made a surprise cameo on last weekend’s show. She called the fans of the event “the best in the world” and said their support came when she needed it the most.
Last month, Dowden shared an emotional video of her family members taking turns to cut a lock of her hair. She initially perceived losing her hair as empowering and positive but confessed that it was far from it. She felt that no amount of preparation could have readied her for losing her locks, calling it a traumatic experience. However, now she hopes that her story could help others dealing with the same ordeal, who are looking for inspiration and courage
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