Britain's Got Talent judge, Amanda Holden has taken to Instagram to post an in depth video of herself getting a mammogram in light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Amanda takes us along on her appointment as she strips down, talking us through each stage of the process. "This morning I'm at hospital and I'm going for my annual mammogram check-up."
"I always feel really nervous, before I go in, I think it’s a really human thing to feel. I’m going to take you right the way through the whole thing," the mum-of-two stated.
"And I’m going to talk about it all the way through, and hopefully it will inspire you to go do the same thing."
"I think the thing to say here is to try not be intimidated, because this is a big machine, it’s a little bit buzzy, and you know stripping off and having to do something in front of a complete stranger can be a bit nerve-racking," Amanda described as she walked up to the mammogram machine.
"But in the end it’s for your own safety and your own good. So all I can say is, just do it, do it for your family, do it for yourself."
In the few clips which followed we can see a topless Amanda from the back as she stepped up to the machine and was helped position her breast onto it. A hard piece of plastic was then lowered down on top of her breast, and tightened on her for a few seconds before the picture was taken.
Following the whole ordeal, the 49-year-old said, "That was really quick, and pretty painless considering it could potentially save my life."
"So, I've just had it done — everybody's boobs are different, but for me it wasn't too painful. It definitely felt very tight, and it did feel a bit uncomfortable."
"I think though for the seconds that it lasted, it's totally worth doing. So if you haven't ever done it before, I promise you it's over really quickly," Amanda assured.
In the caption below the video Amanda wrote, "My boobs always seem to be in the headlines for silly reasons so I hope that changes today as I document my own mammogram with @thisisheart to highlight that 1 in 8 of us women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during our lifetime."
"Worryingly 50% of us fail to notice or know the early signs of the disease. Regular mammograms, in addition to our own personal checks, offer the best results for early detection as they can highlight problems up to three years before anything can be felt through our own examination," she added.
"We’re all different shapes and sizes and experience things differently but for me the check-up was quick and easy and potentially saved my life."
For more information about breast cancer, including signs to watch out for, key risk factors, and more resources, check out www.mariekeating.ie/cancer-information/breast-cancer. To learn how to do a thorough self-examination, click here.
