Table of contents for 25-Apr-2019 in Pick Me Up!

Growing up, you think you’ll become independent and not need your mum any more. But for me, these past few years have proved just how much I still need her. In December 2014, I began having a host of health problems. Fibroids, cysts, even found a tumour in my stomach. All this meant that sadly I’d need a full hysterectomy. I was 44 then but had still hoped I’d have kids. Now there was no chance, I was crushed. Though Mum was devastated too, she was strong for me. But my health problems didn’t stop there. I’ve since been diagnosed with Ocular myasthenia gravis and I have had another benign brain tumour. But with every appointment, check-up and surgery, Mum is right by my side. Thanks Mum - I don’t…

Being a single mum to three kids, it’s not always easy to make new friends. But when I got chatting to Laura, then 29, at her barbecue in 2013, we were laughing away within minutes of being introduced. Living just around the corner from each other, we started meeting up every few weeks when our kids were at school. Having three each, we needed a child-free afternoon now and again, letting off steam about what mischief they’d been up to. Sharing advice and anecdotes over a cup of tea, I loved time with Laura. Even our kids got along like a house on fire. In September 2017, our conversation shifted from the youngsters we already had, to one on the way... Alexis was massive, not a man to get on…

Diabetic dilemma Q I’m worried I might have diabetes. How would I know? Adam, Cardiff A If you think you have diabetes or the early stages of it (pre-diabetes), see your GP quickly so they can make the diagnosis (by blood tests) and start you on treatment. This ranges from lifestyle changes, such as improving diet, to tablets and insulin. Symptoms include feeling tired, thirsty, and urinating more frequently. Type 2 diabetes is usually seen in adults and is associated with being overweight, whereas type 1 is more commonly diagnosed in children. Hurts to pee Q It stings whenever I wee. Is this a UTI? Carl, Bath A Women are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs), but men can also get them, especially if over the age of 50.…

What’s normal, what’s not? Dandruff Avery common condition, this causes skin to flake on the scalp. It’s not contagious or harmful. Anti-dandruff shampoos help, but see a GP if things don’t improve in a month with the shampoo, if the condition’s getting worse and itchy, or if the scalp’s red or swollen. Have you tried... Califia Farms plant-based drinks? HEALTH TIP Tasty and guilt free! Whether you fancy Vanilla Almond Milk, Cold Brew Coffee with Almond, or other delicious flavours, satisfy your sweet tooth with a beverage that is good for the planet and good for you. Available at Morrisons, from £2.28 a bottle. Men’s health With Dr Jason McKeown Q Often, when I have sex, I ejaculate too quickly. Is there a way that I can stop this from…

Jolen Creme Bleach Original Formula, £4.35, Boots If the idea of hair removal sends you into a spin, try lightening instead. Sensitive enough to use on your face and pain free, just mix the powder and cream together and leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. The result? Blonde, barely there hairs. Woo Woo Saddle Sore Soothing Balm, £6.75, Superdrug Designed to soothe ‘down there’ after shaving, waxing or even a spin class, this balm is more than just a pretty bottle. Made from natural ingredients, including aloe vera and rosehip oil, it works wonders to heal sore skin. Veet Hair Removal Cream with Lotus Milk and Jasmine Fragrance, £7.55, Boots Unlike shaving, this cream removes hair closer to the root – meaning it’ll be longer before you start to…

My horse Troy and I feeling the love after a very sunny ride. Sophie White, Denbigh This cheeky sea lion stole a kiss while I was on holiday in Fuerteventura. Samantha Mckibbens, Glasgow I’ve always said I’m a big kid, and I think this pic of me on a children’s slide just proves it. Jill Corvishley, Davenport Which Donald Duck is more adorable? The real deal or my 4-month-old son Ashton? It’s definitely Ashton… Ellen Warren, Halesowen My lovely daughter Lucy, 10, giving her cousin’s pug some cuddles. Now she wants one too… Lisa Marshall, West Wickham How cute do my granddaughters Billi, 4, and Georgi, 2, look all dressed in denim! Patricia Cordon, Cheltenham I was on board the Endeavour , a replica of the ship Captain Cook sailed…

Slowly coming round, I heard Laura sobbing madly. I tried to work out where Alexis was, and realised I was lying on the pavement in a pool of crimson blood. My cheeks were throbbing and I could barely open my eyes. ‘What happened?’ I murmured. Hospital doctors thought I’d been in a serious car accident Laura was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands, a bruise blooming on her pretty face. Alexis must have hit her. We weren’t safe. I climbed to my feet, blood pouring from my face, and grabbed Laura and my friend. ‘We need to get out of here,’ I said. Luckily, the taxi driver had waited. But as we slammed the door of the cab, we heard thunderous footsteps - Alexis. ‘Go, please,’ we…

1 Your body Cycling can control your weight, reduce joint inflammation and improve lung health. ‘It can also drastically reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer,’ says Director of Urban Fitness London, Jonathan Williams. ‘And it lowers blood pressure, leading to a lower resting heart rate and general muscle strengthening.’ 2 Your mind ‘Getting outdoors releases the all-important endorphins and puts a smile on your face,’ explains Jonathan. ‘So not only are you starting to look better, but your brain is also getting a fix of agility training. Welcome to the world of navigating, spatial awareness and decision making!’ 3 Your social life Putting your headphones on and hitting the treadmill isn’t exactly sociable! ‘Cycling is an amazingly social pastime,’ says Jonathan, ‘and if you cast your eye over…

Vaginitis 1 Vaginitis is inflammation of the vagina that can cause itching, discomfort and discharge. ■ True ■ False 2 Vaginitiscan be caused by a number of infections or irritants, such as thrush, bacterial vaginosisor chemical irritations. ■ True ■ False 3 Using feminine-hygiene products can help ease symptoms. ■ True ■ False 4 Vaginitiscan always be treated with antibiotics. 1 TRUE Other symptoms include pain when weeing or having sex, and light bleeding or spotting. 2 TRUE It can also be caused by STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes or trichomoniasis. 3 FALSE If affected, avoid feminine-hygiene products, as well as tampons, tight underwear, hot baths and perfumed soaps. 4 FALSE Treatment depends on the cause, so seeking medical attention from your GP or a sexual-health clinic can help…

The wind was howling outside. ‘It’s making me cold just listening to it,’ I shivered to my hubby Barry, 66. ‘Cup of tea?’ he chuckled, getting up. While he pottered in the kitchen, I logged on to Pick Me Up! Bingo. It was October 2018. I couldn’t face bracing the cold for a trip to the bingo hall so thought I’d play at home. Since signing up in September 2007, I’d won over £16,300. Not all in one go - I’d scooped five jackpots! And in 2015, I even won a holiday to Tenerife in a promotion. Barry and I are both retired, so we’d spent much of our winnings on trips to Italy, Spain and Switzerland. We’d redecorated the house too, with a lovely new kitchen. When I joined,…

I have 17 tattoos and want more. I think they can be really beautiful. Tattooing someone while they are drunk  should be an absolute no, but the 18 age limit is a bit extreme – putting tattooing in the same category as smoking and drinking is madness! Hannah Bishop, Burntwood If you get a tattoo you regret, you’ll learn a life lesson. Why should there be a law in case you make a bad choice?  Cover-ups for tattoos are amazing these days, too, so it’s not the end of the world if you do come to dislike it. Lisa Rule, Penzance I had a tattoo aged 14, after going through a bad time. I ended up hating it as an adult and had it lasered off.  Thankfully it’s now completely…

Tuna and couscous roast peppers Serves: 4 Prep: 8 min Cook: 40 min ◻ 2 x 145g cans tuna chunks in spring water ◻ 4 medium peppers, halved and cored ◻ 3tbsp olive or vegetable oil ◻ 200g couscous ◻ Finely grated zest of 1 lemon ◻ 1 vegetable stock cube ◻ 400ml boiling water ◻ 6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped ◻ 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6. 2 Drain the cans of tuna and break into chunks onto a plate. Cover and set aside. 3 Arrange the peppers, cut sides up, in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with 2tbsp olive or vegetable oil. Roast for 20 min. 4 Meanwhile, put the couscous into a heatproof bowl and add the lemon zest. Dissolve the…

BIRMINGHAM Dr Timothy Evans, 39 Pervy medic Dr Timothy Evans, who lured a teenage girl into online sex chats, has been jailed. Working at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth and Good Hope Hospitals as a registrar, Evans then convinced the teen to reveal intimate parts of her body. Evans denied attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity – but last December, he was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court. In March, Evans was jailed for two and a half years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. He’s also been handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. MANCHESTER Farhad Abdullah, 54 Estranged husband Farhad Abdullah sought revenge on his wife after they separated due to his controlling behaviour. In May last year, Abdullah, of no fixed address,…

ARIES 21 March–20 April We both know that the way you have been reacting to events lately is not doing you any favours. From Friday you start to see what needs to be done to get everyone back on track. You start to enjoy speaking from the heart and guess what, it suits you! Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May You may have to spend time with someone you don’t really like in order to make peace with a close one who you have repeatedly overstepped the mark with of late. The written word can both make and lose you money. Go the professional route and it will pay dividends in the long run. Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June You slowly, but surely, start to…

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As I gnawed on a barbecue chicken wing, my eyes were drawn to one of the waitresses in the restaurant. She was tastier than the chicken! I recognised her from a picture I’d seen on a friend’s Facebook page, knew her name was Sylvia. Her cropped haircut, tomboy dress sense and delicate features reminded me of someone I adored. The hottest person on the planet in my opinion... Justin Bieber! It was 2012, and I couldn’t stop looking at this gorgeous girl. But as I sat there with friends, I couldn’t utter a word about the butterflies rippling through my stomach. You see, no-one - not even my closest pals or parents - knew that I was a lesbian. As far back as nursery school, I’d known I was attracted…

Picking up my newborn daughter Chloe, I gently patted her back. It was July last year, and Chloe had been struggling with a hacking cough since her birth two weeks earlier. Concerned, I took her to the GP to get checked out. ‘Chloe has bronchiolitis,’ he said after examining her. It is a common condition affecting babies and young children, causing coughing, slight fever and noisy breathing. Initially, me and my husband Stephen,31, weren’t too worried. Our son George, 2, had had bronchiolitis as a baby, too - but it had passed after a few weeks, without treatment. ‘She’ll be over it soon,’ I told Stephen. But the next day, I noticed Chloe struggling to breathe after waking up from her nap. Worse, her lips were starting to turn blue.…

Enjoying a drink in a local pub in Dundee, me and Mum celebrated a recent bingo win. It was April 2012, and getting our first round in, we got chatting to the locals. It was then that I met Derek McLaren, 42. He seemed sweet and friendly, bought me a drink. He had a special way about him, made me feel like the most important person in the room. We swapped numbers - and a week later, he called. Within weeks, I saw a different side to him… It was scary Things accelerated - and by May we were an item, spending almost every minute together. I was falling for him. To me, it made sense a month later to give up my rented home and move into Derek’s flat.…

Swallowing another tablet, I prayed it would ease the pain. ‘Your head still hurting?’ asked my husband Rich, 25, as he climbed into bed. ‘As always,’ I replied, rubbing my temples. Ever since I was a girl, I’d been having piercing headaches. Doctors had told me to drink more water. ‘And get enough rest,’ my mum Sue, 52, always nagged. Nothing worked. So I’d just learned to live with the pain. Then when I was 8, I’d been diagnosed with dyslexia. Reading was such a strain, soon everyone had put my headaches down to exhaustion. But even when I left school, headaches still plagued me as I began working as a hairdresser. In April 2017, aged 25, they were getting decidedly worse. Rubbing my temples and closing my eyes, this…

I always know when someone has recognised me. Giggling is the first clue. Then there’s the elbow-nudging. The brave ones ask me straight out... ‘You’re the undies woman from Facebook, aren’t you?’ ‘Yes, it’s me!’ I’ll chuckle. See, back in 2016, I started a Facebook page called Knee Deep In Life. My hubby Steve, 37, came up with the name. I wrote about motherhood and whatever my boys Elliott, 8, and Toby, 4, were up to. I even started reviewing products I’d seen online. Then, last September, I came across an ad for a magic waist trainer. A piece of elasticated material that promised to give a flat stomach in seconds. That could be fun to review, I thought. So, that month, I stripped to a sports bra and pants,…