Table of contents for 02-May-2019 in Pick Me Up!

Logging into Facebook I let out a little squeal. ‘I’ve won the tickets!’ I gasped. I’d entered a competition to win two seats at a comedy night. And I knew exactly who I was going to take. ‘Mum I’m taking you to a gig,’ I chirped down the phone. I wanted to treat Mum to a night out to say thank you for all she does. But she quickly shot me down. ‘No you’re not,’ she said sternly. ‘You’re taking your hubby and I’ll have the kids.’ I tried to argue but she wasn’t having any of it. Typical Mum, always thinking of others. Always making sure me and my hubby Steve have quality time together. She’d do anything for us and though she still works full-time she offers to…

Heading out one Friday in late 2015, I was excited about the evening ahead. With my friend Natalie, I headed to a party at local student accommodation The Forge, which was just a five-minute walk from home. I’d recently turned 18, and was working as an apprentice hairdresser. A night out with my mates was always the high point of my week. There, we met up with a couple of friends and some guys - including one called Omar, 21, who one of my mates was seeing. A bit taller than me, with a stocky build and a smiley face, Omar seemed like a nice guy, went out of his way to make us all feel welcome. He was a student at Northumbria University and drove a flash car with…

Can’t feed QI am having problems breastfeeding my baby. What can I do? Kate, Worcester A Many women find that when they are breastfeeding, breasts and nipples can become swollen and painful, or your baby may not be latching on properly. If you have problems, ask for help from your midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding specialist to ensure you’re getting the right advice for you and baby. The NHS also runs a Facebook group called Start4Life Breastfeeding Friend that is useful. Down-there symptoms! Q How would I know if I had an STI? Zara, Manchester A Generally speaking, if you have any concerns, it is best to get a quick checkup at a GUM clinic. Although pain, discharge and rashes are quite common symptoms, some STIs aren’t noticeable. There are…

Give yourself a lift Love yourself! The universities of Oxford and Exeter asked volunteers to listen to audio clips encouraging compassion and self-love. They found that, after just 11 minutes, people’s heart rates significantly lowered and they sweated less in comparison to those who were listening to a critical inner voice. Have you tried... ...The Babylon Health app? HEALTH TIP This provides medical consultations, steering you towards healthcare experts and services. A ‘doc-bot’ responds to messages and poses questions to find out what’s wrong. Behind the app is a collection of professionals, so you’ll get trusted advice. Free, iOS and Android. Men’s health With Dr Jason McKeown Q Lots of my friends are on steroids, which helps them bulk up in the gym. Is this safe for me to try…

For Aaron Barley, life was complicated and destructive from day one. Born out of incest - his parents were uncle and niece - he belonged to a large, broken family. Neglected, regarded as a problem for his parents, he was orphaned by the age of 7. His father died of cancer in 1998, when he was 4. And two years later, his mother suffered a fatal heart attack. Aaron spent the next few years moving from one foster home to another, spending some time with family, too. But he was a troubled child. Described by one foster parent as ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ with his split personality, he began showing violent, erratic tendencies. At 11, he was turfed out of a children’s home after threatening to stab another resident. And at…

Running my finger over the glossy takeaway menu, it didn’t take me long to make a decision. ‘I’ll have my usual,’ I told my boyfriend Matthew, then 21. ‘OK!’ he grinned, zipping up his jacket. Sinking into the sofa, I left Matthew to collect the goods. Weighing more than 20st, I could never muster the energy to walk the five minutes to our nearest takeaway. So, four nights a week, I’d send Matthew. Stacking up the plates in anticipation, I listened for his key in the lock. ‘Smells delicious,’ I drooled when he returned. I could never resist a giant portion of sweet and sour chicken with greasy prawn toast dunked in. Afterwards, I let out a huge sigh, my stomach fit to burst. And the next morning? I scoffed…

Stretching my arms above my head, I glanced up at the clock. It had just gone 9.30 in the evening. ‘I think I‘ll play a round of bingo,’ I grinned at my husband Jason, 45. Logging in on my phone, I spent £2 and bought tickets for a Bingo Lounge game. It was one of my favourite bingo games on Pick Me Up! Bingo. I could see the game had a £100 Full House, and was about to start in a few minutes. But it still gave me time for a quick gossip in the chatrooms as I waited for the numbers to be called. Chatting to the other bingo girls was one of the highlights of the game. I’d first signed up to Pick Me Up! Bingo in March…

Having two kids, I think it’s important to vaccinate. I’m nervous when they have their jabs, but the few seconds  of pain is worth the security of knowing they’re safer. Lyndsey Cleaver, Faversham I almost stopped my 2-year-old from getting his flu vaccine last year after reading posts on Facebook  stating the side effects. It scared me – until I went onto the NHS website and read that it did more good than bad. Roseanna Jane Pope, Chichester It’s scary how easily some people are swayed to not vaccinate. I know a couple of people who chose not to. Being open minded, I looked into what they were sharing, but nothing was particularly reputable.  However, the evidence supporting vaccinations is overwhelming. Jayne Lee, Coalville that we have got to continue…

Turmeric pork skewers with super grain salad Serves: 4 Prep: 30 min Cook: 5 min ◻ 4 pork loin medallions or steaks, cut into 1.5cm cubes For the marinade: ◻ 1-2tsp ground turmeric ◻ 2tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped ◻ 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or 2tsp garlic puree ◻ 1tbsp low-fat Greek yogurt For the super grain salad: ◻ 200g bulgur wheat ◻ 100g baby spinach or rocket leaves ◻ 3-4tbsp freshly chopped mint ◻ Zest and juice of 1 small lemon ◻ 100g fresh pomegranate seeds ◻ 50g dried apricots, roughly chopped, optional ◻ 1tsp oil 1 Soak 6-8 short wooden skewers in water for 20 min. In a shallow bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Season. Add the pork, stir to coat, cover and set…

Here are my two babies Amber, 6, and Blake, 1 having a super time on the slide. Jackie Wilson, Basingstoke Even on holiday, the gym routine can’t take a side seat! At least I was on the beach... Jill Corbishley, Davenport Someone needs to tell my daughter Isabella, 2, that this bath was only meant for dollies. Lindsay Robson, Wallasey We were having a really good day at Chester Zoo despite the rain. We even made a couple of pals… Emma Matthews, Stockport I loved exploring the Roman Baths in Bath. It was fascinating and very relaxing indeed. Manisa Kuinkel, Harrow My granddaughter Gracie (in white) won Wigan Youth Zone’s Got Talent! Her prize was to meet Simon Cowell, and we had a fantastic day at the BGT auditions. I’m…

1 Don’t burst Do not burst blisters – cover with a soft plaster or dressing if necessary. 2 Wash hands If it has burst, make sure you wash your hands before touching it, and allow the fluid to drain before covering it. 3 No peeling Do not peel the skin off or pluck at the edges. 4 Change shoes Do not wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused the blister until it heals! See your GP if… • The blister is very painful or keeps coming back. • It looks infected (without treatment, this could lead to a skin or blood infection). • It is in an unusual place, like the mouth, eyelids or genitals. • Several blisters appear for no reason. • It is caused by a…

Whooping cough 1 Whoopingcough (pertussis) is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways. ■ True ■ False 2 As well as a cough, symptoms include a runny nose, watery eyes, raised temperature and a sore throat. ■ True ■ False 3 There is generally no point visiting your GP for whooping cough as it gets better on its own. ■ True ■ False 4 Ifyou’ve had undiagnosed whooping cough for over three weeks, there is no specific treatment andyou are no longer contagious to others. ■ True ■ False 1 TRUE It causes coughing that can last for months. 2 TRUE The intensity of the cough can sometimes even cause slight bleeding under the skin or in the eyes. 3 FALSE See your GP if you (or…

Who doesn’t love a day off work? The only difficulty is deciding what to do with it! It was last September, and while my fiance Richard, 33, was heading to work, I had the day to myself. Normally, I’d be at my job as a beauty therapist. But after a snooze, I spent the morning making wedding plans. Together 11 years, we’d been engaged almost as long! Richard had proposed back in December 2012, but we’d been too busy to set a date. In January 2018, though, we’d bitten the bullet and booked our wedding at Gellifawr Woodland Retreat in Pembrokeshire for October 2019. There were still things to arrange. My dress for a start. And we need to sort a DJ for the reception, I thought. Later, taking a…

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NORTH YORKSHIRE Johari Carter, 27 Time’s up for Rolex thief Johari Carter, from Rochdale. On 9 January this year, Carter entered a jeweller’s in York city centre and stole three Rolex watches worth around £18,000 in total. On 26 January, police followed a black Vauxhall Insignia driven by Carter as it accelerated out of the city. In an attempt to shake off police, Carter travelled at speed towards the A1, driving into oncoming traffic before colliding head-on with another vehicle. At York Crown Court, Carter admitted theft and dangerous driving and was jailed for three years. He was also banned from driving for five and a half years. HERTFORDSHIRE Luke Latham, 21 Brutal Luke Latham stabbed a Good Samaritan who tried to stop him from attacking a woman in Cheshunt…

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Cradling our baby girl, my partner Jennifer glowed, content. We’d welcomed Poppy in April 2015 - and two months on, Jen, 28, was proving to be a natural mother. It was no surprise. In the two years we’d been together, Jen’s caring nature was obvious. She filled her and Poppy’s days at ‘baby and me’ classes and trips to the nursery where she’d worked. Such a supermum! But a month on, Jen started having severe tummy pains. Her GP couldn’t work out what was wrong. In September, an ultrasound revealed she had gallstones, and she was told it wasn’t uncommon in new mums. So in October, she had an op to remove them. But it didn’t help. Later that month, surgeons performed exploratory surgery and that’s when they found a…

Walking into the guard room, I was greeted with a cheeky smile. ‘Hello again,’ grinned Mick Hughes, 31. It was May 1997 and we were on guard duty at the RAF station in the Shetland Islands. I was a corporal in the RAF Police, responsible for security services and defending airfields. It was my dream job. Being stationed around the world, I travelled to all kinds of places, from Germany and Italy to Iraq. I also met some wonderful people, especially Mick... And it wasn’t long before we became an item. Only, we couldn’t always be stationed in the same place. So, in August 1998, Mick decided to leave the Forces. Instead, he’d get a job wherever I was. ‘It means so much to you, I don’t want you to…

When you register and make your first deposit, as soon asyou play £10 on any of our games,you’ll receive 200 FREE BINGO TICKETS to spend on most of the bingo games on our site. The tickets are worth a whopping £50* depending which games and ticket pricesyou pick. Whatever gamesyou choose, there will be all the bingo fun and excitementyou expect from a top bingo site. There are also huge progressive jackpots, Link Games, value games and lively chatrooms. *Rules: 18+. UK only. New members only. Opt in required. Min £10 deposit and wager. Bingo game restrictions apply – £50 value on 25p tickets. 30-day expiry from deposit.…

L’Oreal Paris Infallible 24H Freshwear Foundation, £10.99, Superdrug This comes in 26 shades, has a weightless feel and is transfer, water- and party-proof! Lasts for up to 24 hours, for full coverage without looking heavy. Lottie London Selfie Ready Matte Foundation, £6.95, Superdrug Want to look matte in all your selfies? This is lightweight and enriched with vitamin C – and covers blemishes to leave skin looking flawless. Collection Lasting Perfection Foundation, £5.99 Who doesn’t love a product with added benefits? With an SPF of 20, this lightweight foundation is perfect for everyday wear and gives a long-lasting finish of up to 16 hours. Mua Pro/Base Long Wear Matte Finish Foundation, £5 Build up layers as much, or as little as you like, to create full coverage with a matte…

ARIES 21 March–20 April Someone to whom you feel in debt is going to try to call in a favour. Remember the difference between what you think you owe… and what you know you owe. Keeping your dignity intact is key to your success in the days and weeks ahead. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May I know that you’ve had a few problems with your plans recently, but much of that has to do with the fact that you’ve involved too many other people in the intricate details. You had a plan – and it was a good one – so try to make sure that you stick to it. Phone calls bring a smile. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June You haven’t spoken to…