Table of contents for 25-Aug-2016 in Chat

We started the gruelling treatment– injections, scans, blood tests Groggily opening my eyes, my body ached and my mind swam. My baby, I thought, heartbroken. It was December 2003 and, aged 18, I was coming round in hospital after emergency surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. It’d been a shock when I fell pregnant, but my then boyfriend and I were excited. Until a blood test at 8 weeks revealed the foetus had developed in one of my Fallopian tubes. ‘We had to remove the whole tube,’ the surgeon explained after surgery. In shock, grieving for my baby, I sobbed. Though still in my teens, I’d realised how deeply I wanted to be a mum. But with one Fallopian tube, my journey to motherhood was going to be tough.…

He was only meant to stay with us for a few days... Reading through the medical history, it was clear the patient had some serious injuries. And when 2-year-old Lhasa Apso Diego arrived at White Cross Vets, where I worked, we assessed him. It was 2 November last year and Diego had been in a fight with another dog and had had his head bitten. ‘He’s got a fractured skull and the trauma’s caused his eyes to bulge out of their sockets,’ I said. He’d been treated at an emergency practice and they’d got his eyes back in position, but the damage was clear. Poor Diego’s eyes were pointing in the wrong directions and there was a loose bit of skull near his sinuses that inflated when he breathed. ‘Let’s…

  I spent most days starkers in bed – even knickers made me itch Topping up my tan in the garden, I sighed blissfully. ‘Lovely,’ I beamed. But that night, the skin on my feet became itchy. I thought it was just prickly heat and ignored it. Days on, my legs and arms felt itchy, too. It was summer 2010 and the weather was scorching. I just put the itching down to too much sun exposure. ‘I’ve overcooked myself,’ I joked to my son Jamie, 34. By the time winter came, though, my whole body felt like it was covered in ants. Scratching, I left bleeding scabs. I went to see my GP, and he referred me to Rochdale Infirmary. After tests, a doctor said I could have a problem…

Makes: 16 Prep: 20 min Cook: 45 min 50g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 320g pack ready roll shortcrust pastry 50g golden caster sugar 30g ground almonds 1 egg, beaten ½tbsp almond extract 30g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 340g black cherry jam 50g flaked almonds 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4 and grease a mini muffin tin. 2 Roll out pastry, and cut out circles larger than will fill into the holes of tin, to allow for shrinkage. Push into each hole, prick base with a fork and bake for 15 min until light golden-brown. Place to one side and trim edges once cool. 3 Cream butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in almonds, egg and almond extract, and then fold in flour and baking…

As the pain hit, raw and scorching, I felt my skin tighten This was it – my chance to prove there was more to me It’s hard to remember what happened that morning. But I’ll live with the scars for the rest of my life. It was 17 April 1996 – my 7th birthday. I’d woken up early, at around 6am. Soon, I’d have my presents and a cake! Some of my friends from school were coming for tea. I’d been far too excited to get back to sleep. So, instead, I’d made my way downstairs, found the remote control and turned on the telly. Then I’d climbed onto the settee. The first thing I felt was the heat. Looking down, I saw my left leg was on fire.…

She loves her grub now and will eat anything you give her! One minute, it was calm and idyllic. The next, total panic stations. It was November last year, and after a textbook pregnancy, I’d just had a water birth at home. My partner Keith, 34, daughter Edith, 8, and sister Emma were all there as we welcomed baby Florence into the world. At 8lb 4oz, she seemed healthy. Then I breastfed her… Florence hadn’t been feeding long when she began to splutter. I felt her go limp in my arms. Then her skin turned grey. ‘What’s happening?’ I cried. The midwives who’d assisted me were still there and one called an ambulance while the other began working on Florence, using a suction device to clear her lungs. Milk…

1 It's charming! Still unspoilt, while there's no sandy beach at Aldeburgh, the kids will love sailing their toy boats in the raised pond. Skimming stones is a must-do and you'll love the variety of quirky shops on the High Street. 2 A room with a view Stay at the White Lion Hotel. Right in the centre of town, book a room with a seaside view to watch the world go by whatever the weather. Hungry? Choose from one of two hotel restaurants - top-notch pub-style grub in Brasserie Bleue or modern Indian at Sea Spice. 3 Snape Maltings On the road to Aldeburgh, stop off at this complex of old warehouse buildings for a bite to eat, to shop, go for a walk, or book tickets for the magnificent…

How could our babies be taken from us now? We felt our little boy was protecting his sister Lying in bed, I glanced at my phone. 6am. It was time. ‘Wake up,’ I whispered to my husband Gary, 30 and headed to the bathroom. Two weeks earlier, I’d had my first course of IVF. Today was the day we’d find out if it had worked. After trying to conceive for four years, I couldn’t wait a second longer. Shaking, I peed on the pregnancy test and put it by the sink. ‘I can’t look,’ I told Gary, going back into the bedroom. ‘You check.’ Minutes later... ‘Have a look,’ he said, handing the test to me. And in the tiny window was one word. Pregnant. ‘It’s worked!’ I cried. Later,…

It swims up through the stream of pee to the urinary tract… Wee sucker The candiru is a tiny, parasitic catfish from the Amazon Basin that finds its way into undesirable places to suck blood. Translucent and very fast, it attaches itself to the gills of larger fish by its sharp spines. It's claimed the candiru is attracted to the scent of wee, and will try to take a direct route to reach its source by swimming up through the stream of pee to head into the urinary tract. There, it permanently lodges itself to feed on blood. The worst part of this claim is, if true, the candiru will stay there until it's surgically detatched, as its spines prevent forcible removal. You have been warned! Ear worm? The most…

Martin would fly off the handle over small things At first, I thought it was sweet. My partner Martin Tootell would text me constantly when I was out with my mates. And he’d drive me to my job as a care assistant, then pick me up after a shift. He’s just protective, I thought. We’d met in 2008, after he’d gone on a date with one of my mates. They hadn’t hit it off. But I thought he was funny and charming. We got along great and things moved quickly between us. In 2010, I found out I was pregnant. Martin and I were thrilled. But as time went on, he became increasingly controlling towards me. He didn’t like me spending time with my friends... ‘You don’t need anyone…

We'd already postponed the wedding four times for me to shed pounds Now Paul can get his arms around me for a cuddle! As I pulled on the long, white, satin gown, I crossed my fingers. It was the 10th wedding dress I’d tried. ‘Please fit, please fit, please fit,’ I whispered to myself as the shop assistant helped me squeeze into it. ‘I can’t do up all of the buttons, I’m afraid, but at least you can get an idea,’ she said, pulling back the dressing-room curtain. Most brides look in the mirror and gasp when they find their dream dress, but I just looked away. ‘If you can get it in a bigger size, I’ll take it,’ I muttered, itching to get it off and get out…

ANIMAL MAGIC Top tip: When it's chilly, just team with thick tights and a polo-neck jumper. Top tip: Sling this bomber jacket on over your favourite black dress for extra impact. Top tip: Loose drawsting trousers are so comfortable to wear for day or evening! WORK THAT LOOK!…

Thomas had always been protective.Suddenly, he was controlling Whizzing around on a dirt cross bike in some local fields, I fell off with a thud. My boyfriend Thomas burst out laughing. ‘You OK?’ he asked. But I was giggling, too… We’d met a few months before in September 2009 and we’d immediately hit it off. Thomas was outgoing, friendly and would chat to anyone. Best of all, he made me laugh. Within a month, we’d met each other’s families and I could really see us having a future together. We had a great time going to the pub, the cinema and riding his bike. Happy months passed. ‘I really want kids with you,’ Thomas told me. I felt exactly the same way. In January 2011, I was having constant…

We needed something to look forward to Home again from another funeral. And this one had hit hard. There was only about a year between my Colin, 84, and his big brother Harold. In the last few years, Harold had been diagnosed with dementia and Parkinson’s. And in November last year, at 86, we’d lost him. Just like we’d lost Colin’s big-big brother Dennis, 94, a couple of months before. ‘All of these funerals,’ Colin sighed. ‘It’d be nice if we had something to look forward to for once.’ Then… ‘Sally, neither of us are getting younger,’ he said. ‘Will you marry me?’ Colin and I had met 43 years earlier! I was 40 at the time. I’d just split up with my husband, was finding my feet as…

Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Deep Conditioning Protein Pack, £1.99, Superdrug This handy sachet is ideal for using on holiday - it's nourishing and smells of summer! Top tip: One sachet's enough for two uses. Andrew Barton SOS Hair Repair Treatment Mask, £3.20, Asda A good dollop of this rich, intensive mask is just what the hair doctor ordered! Top tip: Comb through to coat every strand. John Frieda Beach Blonde Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque, £6.29, Superdrug With menthol to soothe your scalp, too. Top tip: Leave for longer than 3 minutes for a more intense treatment. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Beach Mate Deep Treatment, £4.99, Boots Yes! Silky, shiny hair in minutes! Top tip: Use twice a week.…

Nothing could've prepared me for what Stuart had to say My fiance Stuart Forson, 38, came into the living room, face pale, visibly shaken. ‘Sit down,’ he said. ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, panicking. But nothing could’ve prepared me for what Stuart had to say. It was early 2014, and his mum had just called with news – Stuart’s identical twin brother Graham was about to be released from prison. ‘Prison?’ I gasped. We’d not even known Graham had been locked up! Stuart and Graham had a tough upbringing, before being adopted age 5. They’d never got on – Stuart tried to keep his distance and I’d never met Graham myself. ‘What did he do?’ I asked. ‘It was a child sex offence,’ Stuart said. My heart thudded, I felt…

It finally clicked. They were right, I hadn’t moved on ‘Stop doing that,’ warned my mum. Looking down at my leg, I saw I’d picked at it so much that there was a bleeding hole in it. It wasn’t the first time. My body was covered in scars from holes I’d picked in my legs, back, chest and face. It started when I was 14. I was walking home after school alone when a car screeched to a halt next to me. The two women who emerged started pummelling me while shouting racist remarks. They stomped on my face and body, ripped out my hair and smashed my head against a wall. I was taken to hospital with fractures in my ribs, cheekbone and eye socket, and extreme facial bruising.…

Leo 24 July - 23 Aug There are clear signs that some money is on its way to you. Maybe that’ll help soothe your temper over an argument at work. Or are the two things related? If so, be patient - it’ll all work out in your favour. Call 0905 817 0694* for more Virgo 24 Aug - 23 Sep There’s a lot to be said for not rushing in, but if you wait too long with this, you miss your chance. You’re leaving it a bit late, but you can still do well if you move this week. Don’t postpone it any longer. Call 0905 817 0695* for more Libra 24 Sep - 23 Oct Sometimes you look at your old house - or car - as you’re about…

I moved to another town but his words haunted me I closed my eyes and waited for it to be over. After, Martin stood up and smirked. ‘What’s it like to be raped?’ he sniggered. I felt sick and disgusted. How could he do this to me with the kids just upstairs? I worried that, if he was capable of this, would he hurt them, too? Martin locked all of the doors and hid the keys. Hours passed with him shouting abuse at me and pushing me about. Then he threw paper and a pen at me, ordered me to write what he dictated. ‘I want the boys to stay with Martin,’ he rambled as I scribbled it down. ‘I’m sorry for everything, it wasn’t Martin’s fault,’ he continued. Suddenly,…

GUILTY! It took jurors little more than an hour to find Emile Weaver guilty on all counts, including aggravated murder. Jailing her for life without parole, Judge Mark Fleegle said, ‘You tried over and over to take that baby’s life.’ After the sentencing, Prosecutor Michael Haddox said he hoped the case highlighted Ohio’s Safe Havens law, which allows mothers to anonymously give up unwanted newborns at a hospital, fire station or law enforcement agency with no questions asked. Emile Weaver plans to appeal her sentence.…

Wright's Mixed Grain Bread Mix, 500g, £1 Simple to make, this produces a delicious, wholemeal-style loaf with an excellent flavour. Perfect for cheese sandwiches. Tesco Multiseed Bread Mix, 500g, 80p Makes a close-textured but still light bread with poppy seeds, sunflower, linseed and pumpkin seeds. Bake in a loaf tin or divide into rolls - you choose. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Golden Multiseed Bread Mix, 500g, £1 The rye gives this loaf a dark colour, a close texture - and an excellent flavour! Bake as one loaf or divide into two smaller ones for more crispy crusts. NEW M&M's, Bounty and Galaxy Trail Mix, 69p, Co-Op Three delicious mixtures of chocolate and all sorts of fruit and nuts. With less than 100 calories per 25g ‘shot' pack, these make a…

Bumpy knees Q I've developed hard, painful lumps below my kneecaps. Is it because of kneeling to scrub floors in my job? Sheila, 47 A These could be prayer nodules, so-called because they're also found in devout people who spend a lot time on their knees praying. They develop as protection. They're harmless, but can be removed if they make kneeling too painful. Grey eyes Q A grey ring has appeared around the coloured part of my eye. My friend says it's a sign of high cholesterol, so should I be worried? Dawn, 55 A Sounds like a corneal arcus, a grey line which forms in a circle around the outside of your cornea, the transparent front part of your eye. It's simply a normal sign of ageing…

So cruel I felt sorry for Maddy Jobson's mum (30 June issue) - and angry. The bullies who treated her so cruelly were in a position of trust and should've received a jail term, not a community order. Thank goodness Maddy's mum is in a new home, surrounded by people who really care about her welfare. Gloria Wilding, Prescot WE Hard to swallow Your story about Ravenous Ruby (7 July issue), the dog who swallowed 24 rubber gloves, struck a chord. My dog Lola ate three of my G-strings! She passed them the next day, but now the laundry is out of reach! Micha Bryn, Liverpool Girl talk My pregnant friend knew her baby’s gender, but wanted to keep it quiet. Until her husband blurted out, ‘We’re not saying if…

1 Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Finely chop 300g chestnut mushrooms, and put 225g plain flour into a bowl. 2 In a jug, whisk 2 large eggs with 600ml milk. Slowly beat liquid into flour until you have a smooth batter. 3 Stir in 1/3 of chopped mushrooms, along with a little salt and black pepper. 4 Heat a little oil in a frying pan and make eight pancakes with batter mixture. Put to one side. 5 Clean out pan, heat a glug of oil and cook a finely chopped onion for 4-5 min, then stir in remaining mushrooms and 60g crumbled walnuts. Off heat, stir in 200g soft cheese with garlic and herbs. Divide between pancakes, then fold each into quarters and put on lightly greased baking sheets.…

He decided to get his finger stump inked for charity What’s that saying? It never rains but it pours… In July last year, the phone rang and I heard shocking news. ‘It’s Dave,’ my hubby’s colleague said. ‘He’s sliced his finger off.’ Dave had not long beaten complex testicular cancer, too. He’d needed chemo, and his right testicle removed. He’d come through it, thank Heavens. And we’d celebrated by getting hitched. But the gruelling treatment had left him infertile. And we were just weeks away from our first cycle of IVF. Now this. He’d gone and chopped off his finger using a lathe at his job, making machine parts out of metal. ‘I’ll be right there,’ I told Dave’s workmate, and set off for Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham. Arriving, I…