Table of contents for 15-Nov-2018 in Chat

Fiona Campbell, 38, Fort William For me, sitting still was always hard. ‘You’ve got ants in your pants,’ my mum, Linda, now 75 used to say. And I guess it was true. I was always the first to throw myself into new challenges and I’d never shy away from danger. Not only was I a jet-setter, I was also an adrenaline junkie. So when, in November 2008, I started suffering with muscle spasms that rendered me barely able to walk, I knew that something was up. It came on out of nowhere, this blinding pain in my stomach. Soon, it spread to my back, leaving me in agony. I couldn’t walk properly. ‘You’re walking like a duck,’ a friend laughed. I tried to laugh it off, but my muscles felt…

Skye Wheeler, 20, Camborne Scratching my eye, I desperately tried to see what the teacher had written on the board. It was December 2012 and, aged 14, I’d been having trouble with my right eye for a few weeks. It was sore and red, and I couldn’t stop rubbing it. Even with glasses or contact lenses, I was struggling to see. The irritation got worse, and my eyelid began to droop. It was burrowing its way in, eating away at me My mum Samantha, 41, took me to the GP, who referred me to Stoke Mandeville hospital. There, an eye consultant examined my eye, then said, ‘This is acanthamoeba keratitis (AK).’ ‘What’s that?’ asked Mum, confused. We learnt AK was an infection caused by a tiny water parasite. Found in…

Heath Booton, 51, Plymouth Taking to the stage, I strummed my guitar and began to sing. It was late 2010 and I was gigging with my band XLR. Afterwards, a petite woman with dark hair came over. ‘Hi,’ she smiled. ‘I’m Gemma.’ Mates with our guitarist, she seemed nice enough. Pretty, too... But with my marriage on the rocks, the last thing on my mind was romance. A few weeks later, I spotted Gemma again at another of our gigs. Her kind, smiling face was overcome with rage Then another, and another... Over time, we got to know each other. Months after my marriage ended, Gemma and I became a couple. I was nine years older, but we shared a big passion: music. Not long after we got together, she…

Nearly crying in the hairdressing salon, I took in my new long do. I’d always wanted to be a blonde bombshell...and now I was! ‘You look like a different person, Mum,’ gasped Isabelle, 9, later. ‘You look great,’ grinned Roy. By now, I was determined to completely change the way I looked. There was no stopping me. I’d never bothered with make-up before, but I splashed out on pretty pink lipsticks and nail varnish. I stepped up my healthy-eating regime and joined the gym. By May, I was 13st, couldn’t believe it when I slipped into a pair of size-14 jeans. I was finally slim enough to wear a sexy bikini and feel good on the beach. Isabelle proudly shows me off to her friends now There was only one…

Get on the list Register your number with the Telephone Preference Service ( https://www.tpsonline.org.uk , 0345  070 0707). Once you're on the list, it's illegal for firms in the EU to call you trying to sell you something, unless you've opted to receive marketing info. Being signed up won't block calls from outside the EU or automated calls. If you get recorded messages from firms you haven't given permission to, then complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk). Take action Speak to your phone company to find out what services they offer to block unwanted calls. For example, BT Call Protect is a free call-filtering service available to its customers. If you're using the service and someone calls you from a number that's on BT's blacklist of nuisance…

• It’s a 90-ball Bingo game – you can win cash prizes on one line, two lines and Full House • You can win the Progressive Jackpot if your Full House is called within a set number of ball calls • Buy six tickets to have a chance of winning Bingo tickets in the Blox Blitz Challenge bonus game. Blox Blitz Challenge bonus is one lively minute of matching three or more coloured Blox to get both a high personal and group score to win Bingo tickets for the next Blox Bingo game • Tickets prices are from just 10p.…

Phil Smith Be Gorgeous Root Touch Up Root Concealer Spray, £6, Sainsbury’s A great quick fix to cover greys or regrowth in between colours, this quick-drying spray stays put all day long. Available in six different shades, it can even be used to create semi-permanent high or low lights with no commitment. Radox Caring Coconut Bath Soak, £3.99 Turn your tub into a spa with a glug of this nourishing bath oil. It doesn’t create much foam, but don’t let you put that off – the sweet coconut scent more than makes up for it. Great for dry winter skin, it’s packed with natural oils and vitamin E to nourish and soothe. Barry M Mythology Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette, £6.99, Superdrug Warm up your make-up for winter with this gorgeous…

Marcela Iglesias Looking online at cute pictures of mini pigs, I couldn’t tear myself away. I was transfixed by their tiny, pink hooves and micro snouts. Adorable! I already had a guinea pig, Coco, but I’d wanted a micro pig since I was a little girl. Now, in January 2014, I decided it was time. I found a post for a litter of mini pot-bellied pigs, available on a farm only 90 minutes away. My eyes were drawn to the biggest pig of the litter ‘We have to get one!’ I squealed excitedly to my hubby Stephen, 50. ‘As a pet?’ he scoffed. But, being pig-headed myself, I soon talked him round. The following day, I raided my piggy bank for the money I needed, and drove out to the…

Breakfast bruschetta Serves: 1 Prep: 5 min Cost per serving: 62p • 30g fromage frais • 1tsp reduced-sugar strawberry jam • 1 slice wholemeal bread • 3 small strawberries, sliced • Sprig of redcurrants 1 Mix the fromage frais and strawberry jam. 2 Toast the bread, then spread over the fromagefrais mixture, top with sliced strawberries and garnish with redcurrants. Fromage frais is a soft, smooth fresh French cheese that has a texture similar to thick yogurt and a tangy flavour. It can be used in either sweet or savoury dishes. Berry breakfast pot Serves: 1 Prep: 5 min Cost per serving: £1.20 • 150g fromage frais • 50g strawberries • 25g raspberries • 25g blackberries 1 Spoon the fromage frais into a bowl. 2 Hull and slice the strawberries,…

To my younger self... Looking at you in old photographs, I see a pretty girl with lovely, blonde hair, eyes sparkling with the endless possibilities that lay ahead of her. Not a wrinkle in sight! You could’ve done anything, been anyone you wanted. It would be another 50 years before that happened. But first... Remember meeting Edson? He was the long-haired office worker in spray-on jeans and winkle-picker shoes. You were the mousey 15-year-old, doing the tea round and you reckoned he was quite the dish. If only you’d had the confidence I do now, it wouldn’t have taken you months to start chatting. Nevertheless, the first date was great, wasn’t it? Edson picked you up in his Morris Minor drove to the Odeon for The Sound of Music. You…

Jasper, my 15-year-old Cavalier, was a rascal. He pinched my underwear, then looked at me as if to say, I'm not guilty! Sadly, we lost him a few weeks ago, but I'll treasure the years we shared. Janet Marney, Liversedge Me and my family went to a Batman-themed wedding. Look at my wonderful son, dressed up as the Joker. Isn't he fab?! Margaret Gale, Exeter My tortoise Elsa, 2, loves making new friends. She gives the toys a good sniff and is always so curious. Helen Cooper, Kidderminster It may not look like it, but my partner Andy was thrilled to be pictured outside Doc Martin's house in Cornwall! Susan Jones, Ashtead This photo of me, aged 7, was taken in 1947, and I'm sitting on the bumper of my…

Bright red! Q After exercise, my face turns bright red. Should I ease off? Greta, Skelmersdale A Exercise raises your core temperature, causing blood vessels in your skin to widen. But if you have a skin condition such as rosacea, or are prone to excess blushing, it can be more pronounced. Don't ease off, it's harmless! Painful wrist Q My wrist hurts and I've seen supports advertised...but I don't know which type to buy. Angharad, Fishguard A A support's unlikely to do harm, unless you wear it so long it weakens your wrist, but it won't help unless it's right for you. Pain due to inflamed wrist tendons, pressure on a nerve, arthritis or other causes need specific supports. Your GP or a physiotherapist will advise. Vision going Q I've…

DO: • Wash, rinse and dry your hands before touching lenses. • Wear lenses only for the recommended time. • Have regular contact lens check-ups. • Seek advice immediately, if your eyes become sore, red or swollen. DON'T: • Wear damaged or unfitted lenses, or a lens you've dropped. • Put water on lenses while wearing them, or swim or shower when you're wearing them. • Keep wearing a lens if it doesn't feel good or your vision is blurry. For more information, go to nhs.uk  and search ‘contact lens safety'.…

Rhian Peart, 24, Middleton Watching my boy Eddie, 2, play with his toys, I couldn’t help but smile. Holding a princess doll, pink and sparkly, he carefully brushed her hair and straightened her dress. Every day, he played with that doll, his favourite toy. Then, in early 2017, Eddie lost interest in dolls, his attention turning instead to the cars and trucks in his toy box. They were his new obsession. I reckoned the enthusiasm for cars had filtered down from my dad and brothers, who spent days working on their engines. And, through them, I’d picked up a passion for cars, as well. Whenever we went out, Eddie would point and ask, ‘What’s that one, Mummy?’ Quizzing me on the models he liked, soon he was an encyclopedia of…

1 Test your foundation on your jawline for the most reliable colour match, as well as in the centre of your face where you’re likely to need the most coverage. We love Maybelline Superstay 24H Full Coverage Foundation, £10, Sainsbury’s. 2 For bottles that can’t be squeezed or your fingers can’t reach, use a cotton bud to get the very last drop out of your products. 3 Trace your hairline with Vaseline before dying your hair at home to stop the colour from staining your skin. 4 Swap black eyeliner and mascaras for browns to create a softer look with an instant anti-ageing effect. NYX Professional Makeup Retractable Eye Liner, £5.50, is great for smoky eyes.…

Every kid loves the school holidays, and sisters Sheila and Katherine Lyon were no exception. It was 25 March 1975, the first day of the Easter break, when the blonde siblings headed out to the local shopping mall in Wheaton, Maryland, USA. Their dad John, a well-known radio DJ on local station WMAL, was out. But mum Mary was home. And as they set off just before noon on the 30-minute walk, Mary reminded them to be home for 4pm. But it was the last time she’d ever see Sheila, 12, and Katherine, 10, alive. The girls arrived at the mall – and, after looking at shops for a while, decided to have some pizza for lunch. At 2pm, their older brother Jay spotted them tucking into their slices at…

Hina Khan, 19, south London Stomping upstairs, I slammed my bedroom door. As one of seven, it wasn’t unusual to squabble with my brothers and sisters. Flopping onto bed, I counted down the seconds till our dad Seyed, 49, got home. He always knew what to say... When Dad pushed open my door, he joked, ‘Safe to come in?’ ‘Of course,’ I replied. Instantly, I felt calmer. Kissing the top of my head, Dad led me downstairs. At the table, my mum Zahela, 40, brothers Khalil, 21, Hanif, 20, Zain, 6, and sisters Kainat, 15, and Nemera, 11, were waiting. Full house. Dad kept the peace that night. Usually, the family ribbed me, said Dad loved me most. Daddy’s little girl. To me, Dad was perfect. He worked hard as…

At Fairfax County Circuit Court on 4 October last year, a jury found Kempton Bonds not guilty of second-degree murder. ‘We are thrilled to have been able to help Kempton and his family get through this ordeal,’ Peter Greenspun said. ‘This was the right result on the facts and, hopefully, time will allow healing for all concerned. ‘Kempton is a terrific young man, and I know we will be hearing great things about him in the future.’…

Come again? Q My partner says that my clitoris is small compared to his ex-girlfriends'. Is that why I find it difficult to orgasm? Rachael, Tiverton A Clitorises do vary. If orgasms are tricky because your clitoris is small and isn't becoming stimulated during sex, the right technique should help. Experiment or ask about sex therapy. Breast lump Q There's a lump in my breast which my surgeon says is a harmless fibroadenoma... So why does he want to remove it? Kat, Camberley A Fibroadenomas are common, smooth, harmless lumps of breast tissue which you can easily move with your fingers, hence their other name of ‘breast mice'. Most surgeons would still remove them, just to be 100 per cent sure they're not missing cancer.…

Natalie King, 49, Newquay Sweat poured down my face and neck as I heaved my bulk along the sand dunes. Wearing a black maxi skirt and baggy T-shirt, I looked down the beach and realised I was nothing like the slim, tanned girls in their bikinis. With it came a pang of shame. I hadn’t always looked like this, used to be a model ‘Maybe I should just go back to the car,’ I huffed to my husband, Roy, 44. ‘We’re almost there,’ Roy encouraged, passing me a towel to wipe my sweat. Only, just then, two teenage girls walked passed. Eyeing me from head to toe, they burst into peels of laughter. My heart sank. This was exactly why I avoided going out. For years I’d been doing my…

Aries 21 March - 20 April There’s a glance and a smile that suggests you might want to take things further. If you think this’ll just lead to flirty fun, think again - this could be lifetime-deep. So, if that’s more than you want, back off. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May You know how you’re halfway out of the door and are called back? That may happen now, and you get a last-minute job offer. Someone clearly doesn’t want you to go - but is that enough to make you stay..? • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June You’ve both said your piece, but there’s still no agreement, so that’s that, then? Not quite. Soon your…

Jenny Berrow, 53, Birmingham Pottering around the house one morning, I was waiting for a lift to a family function. While my partner Pete sorted out a few things, I decided to relax until he was ready. So I logged on to Chat Mag Bingo. I’d played bingo since 2010 and enjoyed the fact there was always so much going on. For a while, I’d popped in to my local bingo hall, loved the social aspect of it. Going out, saying hello to familiar faces. My friends and I had been sad to see the local hall close down, so I was thrilled to discover I could play online with friends, old and new! There was still a great sense of camaraderie in the chatrooms. So, on that wet and…

Coronation Street Confession time for Tracy When Abi discovers her kids’ foster parents are taking them to Lapland for Christmas, she goes on a booze and drugs binge. After finding Abi unconscious and calling for an ambulance, Tracy’s consumed with guilt as Seb says his mum’s life has fallen apart since being accused of sabotaging Michelle’s car. How will Abi and Seb react when Tracy reveals that she tampered with the car and got rid of CCTV footage which could have cleared Abi?! Emmerdale Dramatic times for Debbie… When Priya gives Joe’s mobile to Debbie, Graham has to admit he sent the text she thought was from her fiance. Having thought she was close to finding out why Joe jilted her on their wedding day, Debbie lashes out at Graham.…

Louisa Jarvis, 26, Dronfield Sitting in the hospital waiting room, I waited anxiously for news on my little boy. We’d taken Lucas, 3, there three days earlier, after he caught a nasty cold. Usually, we’d have let the fever run its course. But Lucas was battling leukaemia. Don’t tell me this nightmare’s happening to you, too? Every sniff and cold posed a risk to his fragile immune system, shot to pieces by the chemotherapy. So now it was October 2015, and we were back on the cancer ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital for a checkup. It was then I noticed a familiar woman with brown hair and a kind face pass by in the corridor. ‘I hope that’s not who I think it is,’ I whispered to my partner Damian,…