Amy Dowden says she's preparing for 'life-changing' experience
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Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has told how she’s “scared” for people to see her in hospital amid her battle with Crohn’s disease, as her documentary is set to air later this month The professional ballroom dancer, 31, explained that she’s “nervous” for fans to see her suffering from the inflammatory bowel disease in hospital, which saw her “vomiting into buckets and being thrown in an ambulance”.
It showed me at my most vulnerable in hospital
Amy Dowden
Addressing the documentary, the dance star revealed that it’s important people see all sides of her life – including when she’s at her most “vulnerable” during her Crohn’s battle.
She said: “It showed me at my most vulnerable in hospital, because I think people see me on Strictly and I’m on the telly – you know all the glitz and glam, diamantes and the spotlights.
“So, then actually showing what Crohn’s can do to you, that was really important for people to see me when I’m most vulnerable.’
Amy went on to add that she’s nervous for the documentary to air, but also explained that her experience shows the reality of what Crohn’s sufferers go through.
It was hard, don’t get me wrong, I was so scared and nervous for people to see me like that in hospital, with my lips really dry and often I was so poorly and vomiting into buckets and being thrown in an ambulance.
“But I think it was really important to highlight that for other sufferers and not to kind of skim over it and show it at its truest,” she told Radio Times.
Amy has previously told how she has suffered with Crohn’s since the age of 11 and was eventually diagnosed at 19.
The disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
Symptoms, including stomach cramps, tiredness and weight loss, can reoccur without warning, in what’s known as a flare-up.
Earlier this year, the BBC favourite shared how she begged doctors to remove her stomach as a child, as she was so desperate to escape her excruciating symptoms.
The star explained she felt “frustrated” about her health issues growing up, as she didn’t properly understand what was causing them.
Amy said: “At the time, I just felt really frustrated and as a kid, it’s hard to explain your feelings when you’re in so much pain.
“I used to scream to them, ‘Just open my stomach, take me to surgery and remove my stomach,’ that’s what I used to say, ‘Just cut me open, take it out, take it out whatever it is.’
“I guess I was angry, but now I’m older looking back, the understanding of Crohn’s back then was not as much as it is now,” she added.
Months ago Amy revealed that her Strictly co-stars rushed her to hospital after collapsing on tour.
She said: “Katya [Jones] has been in an ambulance with me. She stayed at the hospital until 4am.”
Amy added that South African dancer Oti Mabuse also drove herself to hospital to check on her.
“Oti also… she got herself in a car and came to the hospital until 11 o’clock at night, bless her,” she added.
Amy also revealed how she felt “humiliated” after receiving online abuse, as she gained weight due to the condition.
Strictly Amy: Crohn’s And Me airs on BBC One on August 27th
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