'Still living whilst dying': Deborah James shares comparison photos as she returns to venue for first time since diagnosis

Deborah James has shared heartbreaking comparison photos on Instagram, showing how her health has changed in the five years since she was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The British media personalityThe shared the post after attending La Boheme at Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, having previously attended a performance at the venue in 2017.

In the first image, taken on that night, we see James holding champagne and dressed to the nines. In the second image, captured five years later, she still looks happy but is noticeably frail.

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"I was actually here 5 years ago to the week last time," she wrote on the Instagram Story.

"At that point I was 7 months into my diagnosis, and once again just trying to make the most of not knowing what lay ahead."

James also shared photo comparisons showing her with husband Sebastian Bowen, along with the caption: "Seb still looking dapper in his black tie!"

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James recently entered end-of-life care for bowel cancer, telling her followers she is spending as much time as possible with her friends and family and raising funds for her Bowel Babe charity, raising funds for cancer research.

No longer able to walk, the podcaster and journalist attended the performance in a wheelchair, telling her Instagram followers even getting dressed is "exhausting".

"I've worked out it takes me longer to get ready and organised to go than the time I actually last anywhere!! Getting dressed is tiring, getting meds organised is tiring, the extra moving, the travel, the wondering what mood your stomach is in - its all real!

"But then the feeling of making it to something you didn't think possible, having put make up on, donning new shoes (that finally arrived in the right size for massively swollen feet!), with the sunshine smiling - well then it's all worth it!

"It's a kind of cheeky 'still living whilst dying' two fingers up to it all!!"

She thanked the opera company for accommodating her needs so she could attend the performance.

"Another day, brings another excuse to spend half of it exhausting myself getting dressed up to go to one of my favourite places!!!! @glyndebourne to watch #laboheme - But totally worth it," she writes.

"Thank you @glyndebourne for being so lovely and welcoming tonight -doing all this in a wheelchair is certainly a new challenge to learn!

"I can't believe I was last here 5 years ago this week - scared, newly diagnosed, just trying to do the same as I'm doing now - taking things one day at a time!!"

James says she has already outlived her final prognosis, sharing a video with ITV show Lorraine in which she says she is "continuing to feel blessed that she had another day" and that "having a sense of purpose" has helped.

"I think I'm taking life day by day, as I said at the beginning, I'm just continuing to feel blessed to have another day, knowing that my time is limited," she says.

"But at the same time, truth be told, I've already outlived - yet again - what I was told when I was sent home from the hospital!

"Even I'm a bit surprised but I think it's having that sense of purpose, getting involved and continuing with the campaign."