Amy Dowden took to her social media to update her fans on her health as she continues her breast cancer journey. The Strictly Come Dancing professional, who shared her diagnosis in May exclusively with HELLO! posted some videos on her Instagram Stories giving further insight into her recent mastectomy.
The Welsh beauty spoke directly to the camera as she said: "Right so many of you have asked so I want to clear this up.
"Yes, I had a full mastectomy, so all of the breast tissue has gone, and I had no choice because unfortunately as well I had more than one tumour I had no option but to remove the whole breast. They told me I'd probably have to have an expander which over time expands the boob.
She continued: "But they said if they could, they would put the implant in, and I woke up and they'd managed to put the implant in, so I have had reconstruction."
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© InstagramAmy then went on to remind her fans that she was speaking from about her own individual journey and that she was "no doctor", but looked delighted when she revealed she had been given the implant she wanted.
"Now remember I'm only talking from my personal experience. I'm no doctor," she said in another video. "I was told I could either have the expander or hopefully the implant, but I had the implant. I believe later on you can have the nipple tattooed, I'm not sure if I'm going to do that yet.
© Instagram"To be honest with you, I was going in and being more focused on everything else rather than the reconstruction part. I knew I wanted reconstruction but at the time I was just thinking 'Get the cancer out of me' obviously."
Amy then went on to speak about what her hopes are for her next steps – after she recently expressed her determination to return to the BBC Ballroom and Latin competition when the series begins later this year.
"Thank you so much everyone for all your lovely messages, as you can see, I'm doing really well. I still don't know what's next, so just I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that. Anyway, sending lots of love."
Amy previously said that her treatment moving forward would be a deciding factor in whether she would be able to head back to Elstree. "If I only have radiotherapy, I'll be back on Strictly this season," she told the Mirror.
© Getty"Once the radiotherapy is done there'll be nothing to stop me, there's no pressure but Strictly is leaving the door open. It's having something to work towards. I'm visualising myself on that Strictly dance floor. Just being back in the ballroom with the live audience, the adrenalin and the atmosphere. And the support from the whole Strictly family."
