Table of contents for 18-Mar-2021 in Pick Me Up!

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to care for people. With dreams of being a nurse, I was always on hand to look after a family member when they were sick. I knew very early on what I wanted to do with my life and career, and I’d do anything I could to get there. So, when the time came, I enrolled on a BTEC Health and Social Care course. As a two-year course, it taught me everything I needed. It was practical and relevant. It even provided the opportunity to undertake some work experience. There are so many areas to health and social care and the course gave me the chance to explore different roles. I absolutely loved my time at college and the course gave me so…

Pottering around the house, suddenly the phone rang. ‘Hi, it’s the school,’ the receptionist said in March 2019. ‘There’s a bug going around,’ she informed me. My twins Ben and Jack, then 11, were always running around with the other kids, so I hoped they wouldn’t get it. ‘Yeah, a few people have been throwing up,’ Ben said at the dinner table that evening. ‘Well, let me know if either of you start to feel unwell,’ I told them. ‘You need to be well enough for your SATS!’ Neither of the boys seemed too bothered and ran upstairs to their bedroom after dinner to go on the PlayStation. That was them, always together – thick as thieves. Although they looked the same and had similar interests, Ben was the more…

JUST FOR FUN Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Aquatic mammal. Fill it! pg 13 Walrus ACROSS 1 Joseph Gordon-_, star of 2009 rom-com (500) Days of Summer (6) 4 Disadvantage or hindrance (8) 10 2019 murder mystery film starring 1 Across, 11 Across, 25 Across, 26 Across & 21 Down (6,3) 11 Chris _, star of the Captain America films (5) 12 Cereal plant (5) 13 Supposedly lucky item (9) 14 Happen again (7) 16 Hoodwink (4) 19 Unfasten (4) 21 Frankness (7) 24 Ship or aircraft device (9) 25 Daniel _, returns as James Bond in the upcoming film No Time to Die (5) 26 Ana de _, played a holographic AI projection in Blade Runner 2049 (5) 27…

BIG health story Watching my dad struggle to catch his breath as he walked the short distance from the sofa to the kitchen, I couldn’t help but worry. ‘What did the doctor say?’ I asked my mum Lynne, back in 2012. ‘They said it was just his asthma again,’ Mum explained. But none of us were convinced. My dad, Albert John, had been struggling with a dry irritating cough and breathlessness for over a year. Back and forth to the GP, he was given inhalers, but they didn’t seem to help. ‘It can’t be asthma,’ I said to the GP as I accompanied Dad to one of his appointments. ‘The inhalers have done nothing to help.’ And with enough pleading, Dad was eventually referred for tests and to see a…

PET TIPS Dr Jessica May, UK lead vet at the video vet service FirstVet (firstvet.com/uk), shares how to keep rabbits happy and healthy. Rabbits need friends! Rabbits are very social animals and live in groups in the wild. Research shows that keeping rabbits in pairs reduces stress, and allows them to huddle together for warmth in the winter. • Bunnies need a soft floor. It is important that the bottom of their hutch is soft, to reduce the risk of causing sores or infection in their paws, and respiratory problems. A lining of newspaper covered with a thick layer of straw is a good option. • Rabbits should eat mostly hay. While you may think of rabbits as living off a diet of carrots and grass, around 85% of their…

Sitting down at the table in the local all-you-can-eat restaurant in Virginia, USA, it was the third time filling my plate, and I was contemplating another. I always looked forward to the weekends when I could indulge in as much food as I wanted, to give myself some comfort from the stress in my life. During the week I’d have awfully huge portions of everything, and regular takeaways. The eating started when I was around 21, in 2011. Eating lots of junk food was my comfort from feelings of inadequacy and sadness in school. All-you-can-eat was a highlight for me. Growing up with ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder, I felt misunderstood and always struggled with learning. Throughout elementary school I was segregated by being put into small…

With public swimming pools being closed for the majority of the past year, outdoor swimming has absolutely soared in popularity. Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a neuropsychologist and sleep expert, who’s also a wild swimming enthusiast, explains why ice swimming is becoming increasingly widespread. ‘Getting out into nature is so important for all of us at the moment, it’s the antidote to long lengths of staring at screens and being stuck indoors. ‘Wild swimming presents a different type of freedom by breaking from the norms, which can be very attractive to those of us who’re feeling restricted at the moment,’ Dr Nerina says. But ice swimming does more than just add excitement and a sense of freedom to your life. There is an incredible amount of physical and psychological benefits that will…

Scrolling through Facebook in lockdown last year, I was bored out of my mind. As a social worker who was now working from home, like everyone else I was starting to get cabin fever. ‘I’d kill for a holiday right now,’ I said to my husband Jerry, 60. ‘Me too,’ he laughed. We both loved to travel and go on adventures together. With Jerry from Italy we were often jetting over there to visit his family. But it was clear that wasn’t going to be happening any time soon. ‘I know what I’m going to do,’ I chuckled and headed off upstairs. Wanting to give everyone a good laugh, I decided to do something fun for my friends on Facebook. If I couldn’t go on holiday, then I’d have to…

Get ready for the spring clean WHAT A GREAT IDEA Love home cooked food but don’t have the time, ingredients, or skills to create your favourite dishes by yourself? Introducing GRUBie – the new platform that connects home cooks with hungry customers in their area who want a delicious, home cooked, authentic meal. Everyone knows that nothing quite hits the spot like home cooked food made with the freshest ingredients and that oh so special ingredient, love. Celebrating the diversity of the different cultures in the UK today, GRUBie Home Cooks will be drawn from a whole host of different cuisines and dishes including Italian pizza and pasta, Sri Lankan flavours, vegan cooking at its best, Mauritian & Caribbean fusion, and a taste of Nigeria, to name a few. All GRUBie…

Heading to the front door, my precious pup followed me. ‘I’ll see you later Chico,’ I smiled, patting him on the head. Chico is our Yorkshire Terrier, and he is always scurrying around me. However, as I was heading to the hair salon, he couldn’t come with me. Sitting in the chair, I was ready for a few hours of TLC. ‘So, what are we thinking?’ the hairdresser asked. ‘I want to go blonde,’ I explained excitedly, staring at my dull hair in the mirror. I’ve always dyed my hair by myself at home, but knowing how difficult it is to go from brown to blonde, I decided to leave it up to a professional. ‘OK, I’ll get the bleach ready,’ she replied. On 9 February 2018, I had booked…

Laying on my bed in my Bath uni flat, I was filled with dread in the dark as the excruciating pain flooded through my back, legs, feet and arms. I hadn’t slept for more than 20 minutes at a time since I was eight years old because of the pain, and now I could feel it gradually getting worse again. I was 18 at the time, and it had been ten years since I first started getting symptoms of CRPS, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It began with unbearable pain in my left foot which came out of nowhere. ‘It’s a sharp stabbing pain all over,’ I cried to my parents, Lucy, 57, and David, 56, as a child. Struggling to walk and unable to sleep without waking up in agony…

Red Nose Day 2021, BBC One Sir Lenny Henry is back, alongside presenters including Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Davina McCall and Paddy McGuinness. Dawn French is also set to make an appearance as her much-loved character Reverend Geraldine Granger from The Vicar of Dibley. There will be other famous faces too, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Dame Judi Dench, Karim Zeroual, Joe Lycett, Mo Gilligan, Roman Kemp and Shappi Khorsandi. Money raised during the event will go towards helping issues including homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health stigma, and to support those impacted by the pandemic. This year’s Red Noses are 100% plastic free! They are plant-based, and there are ten different woodland creatures to choose from. Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency, BBC Three Radio presenter Roman Kemp explores mental health and…

Walking under Mickey’s arch, I was in a world of pure imagination. It was September 2018 and me and my three children were on a trip of a lifetime. I’d treated Keira, now 12, Riley, now nine, and Ava-Rose, now seven, to a four-day holiday in Disneyland Paris. None of us had ever been abroad before so as Disney fans, it was the perfect destination. I’ve always loved Disney and the kids have too, so we were all super excited. ‘Welcome to Disneyland!’ the staff at the gate greeted us. ‘Have a magical time.’ And that we did! For four days, we did as much as we could. We went on as many rides as possible and queued for nearly two hours to meet Minnie and Mickey Mouse. Wow!’ the…

As the sonographer ran the cold jelly across my tummy, my wife Staci, 45, squeezed my hand. ‘Everything looks good,’ the sonographer smiled as she studied the screen. It was November 2016 and we were at our 20 week scan. Staci and I had been married since 2013 and we couldn’t wait to be parents. With our due date not until April 2017, we thought we still had plenty of time to prepare. Only our baby seemed to have other ideas. Just a few weeks after my 20 week scan, I was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where it soon became clear that I was heading into labour. ‘How is this happening?’ I cried to Staci, as doctors told us that our baby was on the way. At just 23…

Get your wardrobe ready for the season ahead with Tu Clothing’s range of women’s clothing at Sainsbury’s. Discover their trend-focused pieces that are perfect for taking you through the week in style. Whether you’re looking to top up your everyday essentials or find that perfect outfit for an occasion, Tu Clothing have you covered! Top tip Use accessories to take it from day to night. Top tip Basic tees are a wardrobe necessity. Top tip Dresses are a must-have for every season. Care for your knitwear Although spring is in sight, it’s not quite time to ditch the jumpers and cardigans. Fashion retailer and knitwear specialists, Seasalt Cornwall, advise how to make your knitwear last for life, not just for winter… 1. FOLD, DON’T HANG Wool or cashmere garments should…

Big-hearted Vickie Edge filled her days helping everyone around her, whether they were close friends, family, or even total strangers. But behind her big smile, Vickie, 59, had been quietly longing to find someone extra special to spend her life with. She adored her dog Buddy, and the pair were inseparable, but Vickie also wanted her Mr Right. In her search for love, Vickie had turned to online dating websites where she had been matched up with potential dates. In 2020, she thought she’d finally ended her search when she found a man called Jerry Odum online. What Vickie’s friends knew for sure, was that Jerry had definitely struck lucky finding her. Vickie, who was mum to a grown-up son, owned Edge of Paradise spa in Destin, Florida, where she…

7 days of hope & happiness with Claire Petulengro www.theastrologyroom.com ARIES 21 March–20 April There’s a difference between having fun and putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Selfcare and love is what you need to add to your week. By valuing yourself more, you will get the reactions you couldn’t before. Paying for others may be unavoidable this weekend, but make it clear if what you give is a gift or a loan. 2021 is your year for great things. Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Close ones don’t mean what they say, but they’re going to say it anyway. Luckily, the New Moon in Pisces help you become the healer in your inner circle. Others turn to you for advice and guidance, but make time to take some…