Table of contents for 4 April 2024 in Chat

This week we’re saying a fond farewell to a member of the Chat family. After a whopping 34 years answering readers’ health queries, our Dr Martin has decided it’s time to hang up his stethoscope. Please join me in saying a huge thank you to Martin for all of his fab advice over the decades. We’ve learnt a lot – and laughed a lot! – thanks to his informative and light-hearted columns. And look out next issue for our brand-new Chat doc! Have a great week,…

Jumping in my car, I drove along the kids’ route home from school. ‘Somer,’ I cried. Spotting a police officer, I asked him for help. He followed me home and spoke to Samuel and Abigail – then a huge search got underway. As darkness fell, and I thought of my 7-year-old out in the world alone, I was thinking the worst. ‘Someone’s got her,’ I wept to my parents Debbie, then 58, and Phil, 57. Next day, despite the whole community searching, there was still no sign of Somer. Her siblings were distraught – especially Samuel, who couldn’t stand to be apart from her. ‘Where is she, Mummy?’ he pleaded. ‘I don’t know,’ I said through tears, holding him close. She’d been missing for two days when police searched a…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 What’s the connection between the actors Paul Newman and Rutger Hauer? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Permit (5) 4 Jetty (4) 6 Rehearsal (8) 13 Refer to (7) 14 Without a purpose (7) 15 Japanese assassin (5) 16 Mathematical calculations (4) 17 What an artist does (6) 18 Large beer container (6) 20 Employ (4) 21 Delete (5) 22 Wanting food (6) 25 Look similar to (8) 28 Very soft fabric (6) 30 Jewish minister (5) 32 Barbecue fuel (8) 34 Digit (6) 35 Pleased, happy (4) 38 Scarcely or not at all (6) 39 Periods of 60 minutes (5) 40 Law enforcement (6) 43 Closing word of a prayer (4) 44 Surface of the earth (6) 45 Fleeing (8) 48 Go in (5) 49 Secret plot (6) 51 Person with a degree (8) 54 Baby’s bed (6) 55…

True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK I blinked at the doctor, not understanding. ‘I can’t find your ovaries,’ he said. I was 21, with no idea what he meant. ‘Have they fallen out?’ I asked. He explained further. ‘I think you’ve got endometriosis,’ he said. ‘And your ovaries are stuck to your bowel.’ Though terrifying, the revelation came as a relief. I’d spent 10 years coping with debilitating period pains, UTIs, bowel issues. Was losing weight, but looked pregnant. I’d been told I had IBS, an eating disorder, anxiety. Endometriosis is when tissue similar to uterus lining grows in other places – commonly on the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Like cells in the womb, they build up, then break down and bleed monthly. But that blood has nowhere to escape, causing severe pain,…

Girl from Mars Some people might call you old-fashioned, you’d say iconic. Yes, the Mars Bar has been around forever, but it’s far from boring. It’s reliable and strong, like you. And irresistible! After all, it’s the perfect treat for any time of day – ‘Work, rest and play’! Spinning around If the Twirl is your go-to then you’re probably an adrenaline junkie. With a compulsive desire for adventure and thrills, you won’t baulk at the chance to go bungee jumping or ride the highest roller coasters. When it comes to love, though, you can be a bit intense and sometimes need to slow down. Eggs-centric You like the rarer things in life. While this can make you seem like a bit of a player romantically, once you find ‘the…

Tom Araya and Kerry King were the two constant members of which heavy metal band from its formation in 1981 until its disbandment in 2019? Unscramble each group of letters to discover six heavy metal bands. Now fit them across the grid and you’ll spell out the answer to the question. 1 SIR MINTY 2 ERUPT SAUL 3 ANN HALVE 4 EMOTE CURLY 5 HATED GEM 6 ATOM HORDE WIN £75 Puzzle 17 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Bubble and squeak stack A tasty way to use up your leftovers from a roast dinner. SERVES 2 PREP 5 MINS COOK 15 MINS ● 300g leftover mashed potatoes, or cooked potatoes (roasted, boiled or baked) ● 150g cooked vegetables (a mix of cabbage, carrots and peas is ideal) ● 25g breadcrumbs ● 1tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard ● 3 eggs ● 2tbsp plain flour ● 2tbsp sunflower oil ● 3 large tomatoes or 2 small vines of cherry tomatoes 1 Heat your oven to 170C Fan /Gas 5. 2 In a large bowl, lightly mash the potatoes and vegetables together until you have a chunky mixture. Add the breadcrumbs, mustard, season and add one egg. Stir well to form a soft, mouldable mixture. 3 Divide the mixture into 4, lightly…

TRUE-LIFE Holding out the positive pregnancy test, I watched my boyfriend John Paul’s face. Like me, he was stunned. We’d only been dating a few months, after meeting on Facebook. First, he frowned. Took a deep breath. Then… ‘I’ll stand by you,’ he promised, pulling me in for a hug. John Paul, then 26, was a broad-shouldered former squaddie with a reputation for being a bit of a player. I’d been sure that he’d run a mile! But he stuck to his word, moved in with me and my son Kielan, then 6. Doted on me as my bump blossomed, and was by my side in July 2016 when our boy, Elijah-Rhys, was born. Sent a bouquet of flowers with a message. Thank you for giving me my first-born child.…

PS… Vitamin C & Caffeine Eye Patches, £1.50, Primark This mega pack of energising eye patches is such a bargain! Containing 15 treatments worth of eye masks for just £1.50, this is a no-brainer purchase for those who want to give their skin a little TLC. Infused with Vitamin C and caffeine, these eye patches get to work immediately to wake up your skin and keep it looking full of life. Use in the morning before applying make-up. W7 Press & Conceal Hair Powder Stick, £5.50, w7makeup.co.uk If you have thinning hair and find that sometimes it looks like you have bald patches, then you need this hair powder in your life. The powder-based cover stick is ideal for touching up any areas of thinning hair on your head or even root…

Dear Megan, When you were born in May 1988, my beautiful little sister, I was 10 and consumed with grief. Me, our brother Alistair, then 13, and mum Robyn, 38, were grieving the loss of our beloved dad Tony. He’d died of a heart attack on the golf course six weeks earlier, when Mum was heavily pregnant with you. We were heartbroken that you’d never meet your dad. But your arrival was like sunshine breaking through the dark clouds of loss. The happiest, kindest child who, on your second birthday, shared out your sweets before eating a single one. With Dad gone, I helped you build fairy houses, read bedtime stories. Only, in August 2003, when you were 15, you said your face felt numb. ‘I can’t feel my cheeks,’…

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The Foundation for Rabbit-Free Australia replaced the Easter Bunny with what native animal? The number next to the clue tells you which line the answer’s in. We’ve put a section in to start you off! There may be two Across answers in one line. Down words fill themselves in. The shaded squares spell out the one-word prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 2 Capital of Afghanistan • Christopher _, Hammer Horror actor 4 Show agreement • Characteristic feature 6 Large serving spoon • Be unwell 8 Seize, snatch • Number of legs on a spider Your answer:…

TRUE-LIFE Wandering around the old market stalls with my partner, Jon, then 50, we admired the displays of gold jewellery and gems. ‘Lovely place to get a ring,’ he grinned. It was August 2016, and Jon and I had been together four years, having built a friendship after meeting in the Royal Navy in 2003. Now we were visiting the ancient Gold Souk market during a holiday in Dubai. Suddenly, Jon turned to look at me. ‘Let’s get engaged,’ he said. A proposal! ‘Yes!’ I smiled, and after picking a sparkly diamond and amethyst ring, we celebrated with a drink at our hotel on the beach. ‘We should come back and get married here,’ I said. Only, we’d still not got round to setting a date by the following January.…

Crust the process Don’t panic if you run out of pastry halfway through baking – I simply cut the crusts off some sliced bread, roll them flat and line the tin, pouring my filling on top. Delicious! Donna Flint, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire Heaven-scent I wanted a body lotion to match my favourite perfume, so I just added a few drops to a big £1 pot of aqueous cream. Now I have a cheap and cheerful matching lotion! Sophie Tick, Kingsbridge, Devon Off my chest Instead of throwing away an old chest of drawers, my husband Ian turned the drawer fronts into useful kitchen shelves! Claire Cade, Lower Gresham, Norfolk £25 For every photo tip that we print I can see clearly now I kept misplacing my glasses, until I decided to…

It's goodbye from me! I have very much enjoyed reading and answering your fascinating and moving queries for over 30 years, but I feel it’s now time to move on from this wonderful magazine. I’m delighted to welcome Dr Dallas from next week onwards to offer her care and advice in future. Help! Sex is a pain Q My penis always hurts during sex and, recently, the flap of skin under the helmet tore and bled. What’s wrong? Joe, Mildenhall A Sounds like you have a torn frenulum. Your frenulum is a small bridge of skin between the underneath of your glans (helmet) and your foreskin, which helps keep your foreskin in place. A frenulum that’s too tight can stop your foreskin pulling back properly, leading to painful sex and…

1 Slash sugar It’s an easy energy boost, but bad news for your body. ‘There’s a link between full-sugar fizzy and energy drinks, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes,’ says Douglas Twenefour, head of care at Diabetes UK*. Opt for low-calorie versions and aim to stop adding sugar to tea and coffee. Feeling peckish? ‘Enjoy unsweetened yogurt, unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables,’ says Douglas. 2 Fill up on fibre Adults should eat 30g of fibre a day, yet the average intake is only 20g. ‘Wholegrains – such as brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal flour, wholegrain bread and oats – are linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes,’ says Douglas. And not only that, but these foods can also help to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, such as…

Which republic has been suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations three times, which is more than any other? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Not switched on (3) 3 Also known as (1,1,1) 5 Hit high in the air (3) 6 Meadow (3) 7 _ Another Day, Bond film (3) DOWN 1 Lubricated (5) 2 Short moral story (5) 4 Slightly open (4) WIN 4 × £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

What to believe in? Q My husband and I recently had a baby – he and his family are devout Christians and want to raise the baby with their faith. However, I’m not religious and would prefer to bring our child up an atheist, like me. How can I handle this without causing upset? Hannah, 34 A This is a tricky one, my love, but as long as you and your partner respect each other then there’s no reason you can’t expose your child to all beliefs. You don’t have to christen your baby but let Grandma take them to church when they get older. Your little one will eventually make their own choices and decisions about religion, pet. There’s nothing wrong with keeping it open until then. My family…

3 ways to… use less water It’ll save you cash and it’s better for the environment too. Here’s how… 1 £££s down the plughole More than 70% of our daily water use is in the bathroom, according to Anglian Water, so it’s a great place to start saving. Keeping your shower to just four minutes could save a typical household* £70 a year on energy bills and an extra £65 on their water bill, if metered, says the Energy Saving Trust. Turning off your tap while brushing your teeth could save up to 12ltr of water every time. A dripping tap can waste thousands of litres of water a year, so get it fixed ASAP. If the average family replaced an inefficient shower head with a waterefficient one, they could save…

E.l.f Cosmetics Lash XTNDER Mascara, £7, elfcosmetics.co.uk Invest in this tubing mascara if you’re interested in a smudge-, clump- and flake-free finish, plus a dramatic lash length and a hydration formula. We’re sold! Revolution Pro Miracle Night Serum, Advanced Complex, £12, revolutionbeauty.com Packed with all the anti-ageing ingredients your skin craves, this serum works overnight to plump, smooth and firm your skin in just four weeks. Morphe 2 Sun & Done Smooth-Gliding Bronzer Stick, £12, Superdrug This hydrating bronzer stick glides across your skin to create the most gorgeously bronzed look. Use to contour, bronze and add a naturallooking glow. Simple Soothing Water Cream with 15% Conditioners and Ceramide Boosters, £9.99, Boots Offering to instantly calm irritated complexions, this refreshing face cream is not only ultra-hydrating but also seriously soothing, too.…

If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would you choose? I’d spend a day as the Prime Minister, because he definitely doesn’t have any money worries. Then again, I’d have to make lots of big decisions! An achievement you’re proud of? My most recent big achievement was donating blood for the fourth time. I love to know that my donation is going to help a poorly person in need. Favourite TV programme? I love Hollyoaks, and never miss an episode. I wouldn’t want that much drama in my life, though! What was your favourite childhood toy? Polly Pocket was my favourite – each set was a little world to get totally lost in. I loved my Tamagotchi too, although it wasn’t very easy to keep those tiny…

Holding my little girl close, I wiped away her tears. ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine,’ I sang. Our family song. My mum sang it to me and my sisters growing up, and now we sang it to our kids to get them to sleep, or when they cried. It was October 2009 and Somer, then 7, was upset after being teased for her speech issues. Kids could be so cruel. It broke my heart, but our song always soothed her. And it was apt because Somer was my sunshine. So loving, she just wanted everybody to be happy. She and her twin Samuel were the youngest of my five kids. Born three months premature, they’d come into the world fighting to survive. Inseparable little firecrackers. And though they…

BELTS Swapping the fabric belt of a dress or jumpsuit to a raffia or woven leather style adds extra definition to your waist. BALLET PUMPS These comfy 90s slip-ons are back on-trend this spring. Update the look with pointed toes and straps. EARRINGS Don’t save oversized earrings for best. Affordable styles mean you can add drama to your everyday outfits. BAGS Cream tones add a luxe feel to any outfit. Spray fabric styles with a protector to prevent stains and rain damage. FROM £4…

Q There’s an agonising bruise under my toenail where I stubbed it. I daren’t see a doctor in case they take the nail off. Andie, Sowerby A It’s a subungual haematoma -subungual means under your nail, and a haematoma is a bruise. One might appear on your thumb after you’ve whacked it, or on a toenail, especially your big toe if you stub it or drop something on it. Shoes that are too tight can also be to blame. The nail looks black and can be extremely painful and tender due to pressure from the bruise underneath it. A small haematoma will settle on its own but if it’s very large or painful, a doctor or podiatrist can drain it by making a small hole in the nail with a…

Stifling a yawn, I crept out of bed, trying not to wake my boyfriend Matt then 24. In the bathroom, I carefully glued on individual fake lashes. Dabbed concealer around my eyes. Much better, I thought, running my brush through my hair. It was summer 2019 and this was my routine. Me and Matt shared a house, and we’d been dating for five years, but no way was I letting him see me without my lashes and a bit of slap. Even if I did have to get up early. I’d always felt insecure about the way I looked. Social media hadn’t helped. ‘Why can’t I look like her?’ I’d groan to Matt, flicking through glam influencers on Instagram. ‘You’re gorgeous,’ he’d say. But I didn’t feel it and spent…

truly Chat! During her 34 years, a lot of people have told Yesi what to do. Or what not to do. But, luckily for her hubby Bryan, 36, Yesi, who was born with a rare form of dwarfism, hasn’t listened to any of them. ‘People used to tell me that I shouldn’t date an average-sized person,’ says Yesi. ‘People used to always tell me, “Oh you should only date a little person.” ‘At one point, even my mom thought that she would rather have me date a little person, because she thought an average-sized person would discriminate and treat me badly. ‘But I’ve never, in my 34 years of life, dated a little person.’ Instead, 2ft 10in tall Yesi fell head over heels for Bryan, who towers over her at…

Digging my CV out of my bag, I handed it to the lady sitting opposite me. An attractive single woman in her mid30s, she scanned the page. After taking in my work history, she flicked through a bundle of health records. ‘All seems in order,’ she said. ‘Shall we get started?’ It was December 2011, and after chatting on social media, I’d travelled across the country to her house for our meeting. It was a bit of an unusual job interview though. Because after shuffling through my personal info, she led me to her bedroom. For the next 10 minutes, we had sex. Strictly missionary, no kissing, no foreplay or murmuring sweet nothings. We didn’t even take all our clothes off. ‘Good luck,’ I said to her afterwards and left.…

29 March-4 April 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April With the Sun in Aries, you can take charge of your destiny and help others do the same. Believe in your power to create positive change in your life! ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Tap into the fiery energy of the Sun in Aries to stay motivated and to achieve your most important goals. The outcome will be very favourable for you. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Have you been guided in a new direction with your work recently? If so, the universe is showing you a new way to be aligned with your life purpose. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Drop the self-blame!…

Q I’m going on holiday next week but don’t have time for a pedicure. How can I get my feet looking prettier? Gina Turner, Cambridge A Don’t worry if you don’t have the time or money to get a salon pedicure – you can do your very own DIY job at home. The most important tool you need is a foot file, such as Starskin VIP Fab Foot File, £7, lookfantastic.com, which will help get your feet ready for sandals. Buff away all the hard skin on the soles and sides of your feet with ease, thanks to the contoured shape of the file – you’ll be surprised just how much dead skin there is! Once your feet feel silky smooth, then generously massage in Dirty Works Signature Foot Butter,…

Chat winners issue 1 (4 Jan 2024) £1,001 CASH H Hardy, Crediton £500 CASH H Geraghty, Wallsend £250 CASH J McManus, Bridlington S Marfell, Ruardean £200 CASH R Palmer, Kendal £100 CASH A Moran, Bracknell J Dale, Bury St Edmunds G Finnegan, Rushden £50 CASH M Hammond, Northampton D Tuck, Walton P Price, Mablethorpe J Byrne, Hove K Mangan, Ashford P Pacewicz, High Wycombe £40 CASH M Krutska, London £30 CASH E Hawkrigg, Exeter M Holder, Leamington Spa £25 CASH I Gray, Prestwick J Barlow, Glasgow £20 CASH A Pearce, Grimsby Anyone from your town in the list this week..? J English, Stevenage M Smith, Wakefield P Grant, Blyth M Haworth, Accrington G Dennington, Great Yarmouth M Wilson, Skegness N Young, Sidcup J Thomas, Llanelli L Wright, Birmingham S Evans,…