Burnley Instagram influencer behind Placeshaper Interiors marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month by urging women to attend their mammogram

The businesswoman is marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month by using her home interiors and lifestyle social media account to encourage women to book their breast screening appointment.

Lisa Durkin (50), who runs Placeshaper Interiors, shared several videos on her Instagram stories when she went for her first mammogram in a bid to encourage more women to attend their vital scan.

Lisa said: “I turned 50 last year, which means I’m now eligible for breast screening, so when I was invited to my appointment, I wanted to let women know what it was like and highlight the importance of not putting off your mammogram, especially if you’re perimenopausal. The audience for my Instagram account is 95% female so if it encourages someone else to take up the screening invite and find the experience less daunting then it’s worth it.”

Lisa’s @placeshaperinteriors Instagram account has more than 16,600 followers and while she usually promotes home/DIY and fashion content, she has started to share more real-life content around women’s health, menopause, and ways to help tackle mental health and wellbeing.

“My mammogram was in a mobile breast screening unit where I went into a small, private changing area, got undressed from the waist up, and waited to be called in. The female member of staff was lovely and reassuring and manoeuvred my breast into position on the machine. I’m not going to lie it was painful for a few seconds whilst the scan was being taken but it was soon over once both breasts had been scanned twice,” she added.

“I did feel some discomfort for a few hours afterward and my breasts were a bit tender the next day but taking paracetamol helped. It’s an experience that can take you by surprise and is uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to expect which is why I wanted to share my experience with other women. I want to normalise breast screening and provide an insight into what to expect. I also want to remind those women who may have been put off by a previous experience, that it is really important to get checked regularly. A few moments of discomfort every three years are worth it to potentially find breast cancer at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat.”

Anyone registered with a GP as female between the ages of 50 and 71 is invited by the NHS to attend a mammogram so they can have their breasts screened for cancer.

Breast changes to look out for include: changes in appearance, size or outline, especially those caused by arm movement; any puckering, dimpling or redness of the skin or veins that stand out more than usual; any lumps or thickening in either breast that feels different from the other one; any swelling or lumps under your armpit or around your collarbone; changes to your nipples, such as if they have become pulled in, changed shape or show signs of discharge, bleeding, rash or crusted, flaky skin.

Breast pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer.