Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden broke down in tears as she began chemotherapy amid her second cancer diagnosis.
The 32-year-old underwent a single mastectomy to treat stage three breast cancer after she was first diagnosed in May.
But last month, Dowden was told she needed chemotherapy after further tumours were discovered following the surgery.
Now in an emotional update, the BBC star admitted that she was “wishing this wasn’t happening to me” after being fitted for a port and a cold cap ahead of her treatment.
Sharing her thoughts to her Instagram Story on Thursday, Dowden posted a tearful selfie as she sat in her hospital bed donning the headgear, which helps reduce blood flow to the scalp in order to help minimise hair loss.
Captioning her post, she wrote: “I hardly slept. I broke down in tears as soon as I got in the room. Cold cap on. So far coping and not as bad as I thought with cold cap on.
“But just wishing this wasn’t happening to me!
“Nurses here are just incredible. Thank you NHS and I’ve got my fellow pink sister sat by my side and made sure I walked through the door this morning.”
She later shared a post to her feed detailing her first round of chemo and admitted she was reduced to tears in anticipation of starting her treatment.
Dowden wrote: “Chemo 1 done! I looked worse going in than coming out actually. I didn’t sleep, I got there and I just burst into tears, luckily my pink sister made sure I walked in and helped me through it and distracted from the brain freeze of the cold cap (wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be!)
“Had another cry but I’ve left knowing chemo 1 [is] done and not as bad as I thought.
“This is due to the incredible team and nurses! Thank you NHS! Hopefully not too many side effects.
“One step closer to being back on the dancefloor (that’s what’s hurting the most right now, I’d do anything to be there with my fellow pros right now). But for now chemo 1”.
Her updates comes after the dancer revealed that she’d decided to share her cancer journey in a bid to raise awareness and encourage others to check themselves.
Taking to her Instagram Story, she wrote: “Thanks for all the comments and messages today! I’ve sat here tonight and thought, wow my body has been through so much in the past 6 to 7 weeks.
“Mastectomy, fertility treatment due to the next few stages, a little Crohns flare up and now chemo and hormone treatment,” she continued.
“Just shows when you need to be you can be strong, stronger than you think is possible. It’s certainly changed my outlook on life and I just need to push through these next few months and I’m determined I will.
“But has also shown me how lucky I am to have so many loved ones around me and the support from you guys! Thank you! It means so much and has helped me these last few weeks more than you will ever know. Now please remember to check yourselves”.
