Table of contents for 26-Jul-2018 in Pick Me Up!

There’s only one person in this world that I can think of who deserves a huge bunch of flowers. That person is my best friend Tanya. We met over 25 years ago when we just 5 years old. It was our first day at nursery school and it wasn’t very long before she and I became fast friends. From that day on, we were practically inseparable. As we got older we attended the same primary school and high school together. We were truly double trouble. Tanya is my eldest child’s godmother and I would trust her with any of my children. She’s always been somebody that I know I can count on. This was proved when I began bleeding during my third pregnancy. Panicking like crazy, I got straight on…

Bronchitis 1 Bronchitis is a type of throat infection. True False 2 It’s often caused by a cold or flu virus. True False 3 The main symptom of acute bronchitis is a hacking cough. True False 4 Acute bronchitis can’t cure itself. True False 1 FALSE It’s an infection of the main airways of the lungs, causing them to become inflamed. 2 TRUE But the condition can also be caused by bacteria, or from breathing in irritant substances such as smog, chemicals or tobacco smoke. 3 TRUE Other symptoms can include a sore throat, headache, runny nose, plus aches and pains, along with fatigue. Those with chronic bronchitis may experience shortness of breath, too. 4 FALSE In most cases it can, as long as you drink lots of fluid and…

Standing Pen, £17, shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk Never lose your pen again! This wooden one stands up on any flat surface, so you can keep tabs on it at all times. Even better – you can refill it when it runs out. Verdict: GENIUS! Every home and desk needs one! Jaffa Not Terrys Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur, £29.99, firebox.com It’s 100% unofficial, but this liqueur tastes exactly like the real-deal chocolate orange. Really sweet, but totally delicious– try it in coffee or neat over ice. Verdict: BONKERS! But if you like gin, you may as well try it! Mishiko Pet GPS and Activity Tracker, £99.99, shop.mishiko.net Make sure your pooch is getting enough exercise with this collar tracker. It records their daily step count and even gives…

Using a public toilet can be a grotty and smelly experience, but have you ever felt intimidated that the people around you are wondering why you’re in the Ladies and not the Gents, or vice versa? Whereas most of us will freely and confidently use the facilities in the workplace, university, shopping centre, restaurant or gym, for the 650,000 transgender people living in the UK, it can be a distressing ordeal. As society becomes more accepting of the trans community, it is inevitable that public places will have to ride the wave of change and help to make its visitors, whatever their gender identity, feel comfortable. This is why we have seen a recent emergence of gender-neutral toilets, a bathroom which can be used by anyone, regardless of their sex…

Elegant Touch 6 Way Shape & Shine Block, £4, Sainsbury’s The ultimate multitasker, this is all you need to file, buff and shine your nails. Nail polish lasts longer when applied to a smooth base so it’s well worth taking the time to prep. And even if you don’t have time for polish, buffing will give you a sandal-ready, high-shine finish. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Foot Magic, £4.99, Superdrug Slather on to your feet, focusing on your heels and toes for an instant hit of hydration. Using nourishing cocoa and mango butters, it works quickly to smooth and soften even the roughest of heels. Top with cotton socks overnight for a quick fix. Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray, £6.50, The Body Shop The perfect treat after a day of being on…

Young people with stomas can still lead happy lives Sitting in my room at university, I felt exhausted, bloated, and my stomach was in agony. It was October 2016 and I was studying History at Portsmouth Uni. Well, in theory... Unable to keep anything down, rushing to the loo 20 times a day...I was constantly missing lectures. Worse, I kept finding blood in my poo. I’d first seen a doctor back in June, been referred for a colonoscopy, but that had come back fine. Doctors had advised me that I should have another checkup that September. But I’d convinced myself that there was no need. Yet a month later, I’d begun to deteriorate... Anaemic, I barely got out of bed, missed lectures and avoided my friends. But then, one day…

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition in which the colon and rectum become inflamed. Small ulcers form on the colon’s lining, which can bleed and produce pus. Main symptoms include fatigue, abdominal pain and frequent diarrhoea which can contain blood or pus. It is generally treated with medication or ileostomy surgery. Search 'ulcerative colitis’ on nhs.uk  for more info…

Of course we should still have ladies’ and gents’ toilets – but alongside, we could just have a toilet without a label, which is equipped for all those for whom ‘Ladies and Gents’ isn’t suitable. It’s important to be understanding of everyone but do we need to go so far as to take away the ability to be male or female for the majority? Steph Turner, Bottesford Gender-neutral toilets are a step too far, with more consideration being given to the minority, and none to the rest of us. I personally don’t want to share a public toilet with a man, and find the entire experience uncomfortable. Gemma Carrick, Sunderland I don’t understand why people have an issue. We are taught to be ourselves, but it only seems to apply…

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1. Visit iceland.co.uk  and register (offer applies to new customers only) by entering your personal details, including name, address, phone number. 2. Choose your products and add to basket. 3. Enter the promo code CPMU1553VHCU into the promotion box at checkout to get £15 off £60 or more spend. 4. Click continue and complete checkout. 5. You will receive an e-mail once the order’s confirmed and a separate e-mail on the day of the delivery. A text will follow on the day of the delivery confirming your delivery slot time.…

Numb my labour? Q I’ve heard about the epidural injection for delivery which helps with pain. But I don’t want to be numb during labour or for it go on too long... Linda, Reading A The epidural is effective and doesn’t prolong labour. Ask the experts about birthing strategies and choose a couple of options for your delivery plan. Abuse haunts me QI was harassed sexually when I was young. Nothing much happened, but it haunts me. I’m too embarrassed to tell anyone because there are so many worse crimes out there. How do I stop thinking about it, though? A Any sexual act against, with, or in front of a minor is significant and affects mental and physical wellbeing. Please talk to an experienced sexual-abuse charity about your experience…

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Ghulam Abbas, 42, Peterborough Armed with a car jack, Abbas drove to his estranged wife’s home on 11 March this year. He attacked a man with the jack, then entered the property where he punched his former partner, and hit her with the jack, too. He went back to the first victim, who was still on the ground, and kicked him twice. Abbas returned to the house and continued to assault the woman. At Peterborough Crown Court, Abbas admitted the charges against him. He was sentenced to seven years and six months for wounding with intent and a year for ABH, to run consecutively, plus three months for assault by beating also to run concurrently. Charges of grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon are to be…

Scrolling through Facebook on the phone, my daughter Ella, 10, and I were laughing our heads off at an online video. In it, a newborn sheep was bounding around a field, gambolling this way and that. He had fluffy, curly locks you wanted to sink your fingers into and a striking black face. He was just gorgeous! ‘I love him!’ Ella cooed to her younger brother Max, 4. I was pretty smitten, too. Then I read the caption and realised the local farmer was too busy to care for the little sheep he’d named Marley, since its mum had fallen ill. Poor Marley needed a new home - right now! It was last October and we’d just moved into a farmhouse with three acres of land. We had two cats…

This March held a big surprise for me! I won three whopping jackpots playing Pick Me Up!Bingo. That actually made it four, as this was after having won a big jackpot only a year before. ‘I burst into tears and danced and screamed around the living room!’ It was the morning of Valentine’s Day last year and I decided to play bingo in Emerald and had bought 18 tickets for 36p before I had to get ready for the day. I was shocked when my last number was called and I’d won the progressive jackpot of £1,454. ‘Yes!’ I cried. My partner Jason, now 45, snored through it all... Ecstatic, I spent my win on treating my sons, aged 7 and 8, to bunk beds. I started decorating the living…

Look at my cute rabbit waiting for his grub. He’s always very hoppy to see me at lunch time. Karen McGuire, Cleethorpes Sidney knows he’s a looker – none of your pretty Polly nonsense for him! Sam Wynne, Paignton S’tat you? Which is the real deal? Here’s a clue…mine's the handsome hound on the right. Deborah Johnston, Stevenage Leopard gecko Bill is very easy to 'spot'! And I’m just dotty about him. Zoe Sheehy, Wickford, Essex Hats off to my guinea pig Percy. He looks like a proper little leprechaun in glittery green! Lucy Hill, Halifax My cat Billie in the tunnel of love. It’s a tunnel, he loves it…. Perfect place for a nap. Ann Johnson, Runcorn…

My mum, Terry, 58, gently brushed my strawberry-blonde hair as I watched in the mirror. ‘It’s down to your knees now!’ she squeaked. It was October 2000, and I was 15. I’d been growing my locks for as long as I could remember. When I was 1, it reached my shoulders and, by the time I was 8, it was right down to my waist. Now, I could comfortably sit on my flowing hair. What a tangle! Mum used conditioner, coconut oil, even WD40 ‘Why don’t you try a bob?’ friends would ask me. The look of horror on my face said it all. Cropping my hair was completely out of the question. As I turned 20, my hair was just a few inches from the floor - skimming my…

It sounds strange but swimming was the only sport I felt I could enjoy As I climbed out of the swimming pool, my sister hurriedly wrapped a towel around my shoulders. ‘Quick, let’s get into the changing rooms,’ I muttered, keeping my head down. I was 10, and swimming was my favourite thing to do. But getting in and out of the water was traumatic. Ever since I’d been severely burned when I was 3, I’d hated my body. I had ugly scars covering my back, stomach and legs. Thankfully, I didn’t remember much about it, but I’d been told the story enough times. We’d had a power cut at home, so mum had been boiling pans of water on the stove ready for a bath. She’d left them in…

I haven’t seen her since. Who knows when she’ll be back..? I’d seen that face before. I’d seen those hands. Those rings on those fingers, those bangles around those wrists. The gypsy. She was back. And I knew straightaway what that meant. Something important is going to happen. It was February 2004. But me and the gypsy had first met in 1986. ‘You’re pregnant,’ she’d whispered then. As soon as she’d said it, I woke up, my partner sleeping soundly beside me. Whoever the gypsy was, whatever she’d said, it wasn’t real. She was nothing more than a dream. Except, that night, I couldn’t get back to sleep, felt unsettled. And a few nights later, the same dream. The same gypsy with the same rings on her fingers. Only this…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Do what feels right to you and not just what looks right to others. You have come too far to start playing a submissive role now. The chance to make up with someone you fell out with in your career could be a plan on their part to do the same again, so keep your distance. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Time is money right now, but make sure you’re not throwing good money after bad. Don’t be afraid to learn some life lessons – it will make your world a richer place to be. If you’ve had trouble proving facts, you’ll get the help of the sun this week to prove you were right. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June…

My poor hubby had to get down and dirty in his black suit! Forget bridezilla. When it came to my wedding, I was more bridechilla! A typical laid-back Aussie, what mattered most of all was that the day was fun. And, of course, that me and my partner of five years, Josh, 30, were finally getting married. We’d first met in 2013, when I’d worked as a barmaid at Josh’s local. With his hilarious sense of humour, we’d hit it off straight away. Three years on, Josh had proposed - and this April, we were about to wed. Our ceremony took place at a place called Cherrabah Resort - a beautiful area of wilderness in the mountains of Warwick, Queensland. Over 100 guests attended from all over the world, including…