STRICTLY star Amy Dowden shared a brave update on her cancer battle as a new procedure has left her feeling “tender and bruised”.
The professional dancer, 32, took to Instagram to share her chemotherapy journey after being diagnosed with breast cancer in May.
Amy shared a series of snaps with her 434k followers on Monday which saw her tucked under sheets in a hospital bed as a bruise was left plastered on her forearm.
She wrote: I’ve decided I want to share my chemo journey to help raise awareness, hopefully get others checking and for understanding what we go through.
“Port fitted! Wasn’t looking forward to it. Wasn’t easy… my veins! Feeling tender, bruised and sore but the port will help massively over the next few weeks and allow me to dance when I feel well enough.
“A port sits under the skin and the tube goes along my vein to the heart giving safe access for chemo ( I believe, I’m no dr!),” she ended the post with.
The courageous upload racked up over 23k likes within the first half-an-hour of being posted as thousands of loyal fans sent their well-wishes into the comment section.
One wrote: “Sending you so much love, your port will become your best friend xx”.
Another said: “You are incredible, you’ve absolutely got this, counting down the days until you are on that dance floor again”.
A third commented: “Forever and always inspired by you. What a difference you are making by raising such important awareness. You are a warrior, stronger than anyone knows”.
Last month, Amy revealed how she was facing an anxious wait after undergoing surgery to remove two tumors.
Amy told The Mirror she will have to receive radiotherapy and potentially chemotherapy too, along with urgent fertility treatment to protect her chance of having children.
She has also been given a mastectomy on one side, although surgeons were able to reconstruct her breast with an implant at the same time.
The Welsh Strictly star explained how she had found a lump in her breast one day before jetting off on her belated honeymoon with hubby Ben Jones in May.
She wrote on Instagram: “Hey all, I’ve got some news which isn’t easy to share.
“I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, but I’m determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it.
“Welsh love Amy x.”
The 32-year-old joined the hit dance show Strictly Come Dancing fronted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman in 2017.
Two years later she was a finalist with TV presenter Karim Zaeroual.
She has also had celebrity dance partners including Tom Fletcher, JJ Chalmers and James Bye.
