Table of contents for 25-May-2017 in Pick Me Up!

What A Week! Dawn Smith, Associate/Social Media Editor What A Racket! Having misophonia means certain repetitive sounds drive me crazy. I had to get off the bus to avoid throttling a man with hiccups! Know your phobias? Got to www.lifedeathprizes.com/phobias-quiz 86 that’s how old 46-year-old me I felt when popped into my local on a Saturday night to find it’s been taken over by 20-something punters. Grrr! What A Relief! I’ve finally admitted I’m old, and started wearing earplugs to rock gigs. The blow was softened slightly by the sight of someone at least 10 years younger than me wearing some, too. Phew! What A Lucky Escape! Accidentally buying a £16,500 campervan on eBay while my mobile was in my pocket was definitely the terrifying ‘highlight’ of my week! Thankfully,…

Tanya Jackson, 30, Merseyside Waking with a yawn, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘Morning, darlings,’ I whispered as my son Aaron, 6, and his sister Eva, 3, crept into the bedroom hand in hand. ‘Cuddles!’ they shrieked, clambering onto the bed I shared with my fiance Kevin, 33. I was just rolling over to kiss Kev good morning, when suddenly I recoiled in horror. His green eyes were blistered shut and weeping pus, his lips cracked and blackened. ‘What’s wrong with Daddy?’ Aaron asked, as Eva’s lips began to quiver. ‘Nothing,’ I blurted, quickly ushering them out of the room. Six days earlier, in September 2016, Kev had complained of a sore throat. I’d insisted he see the doctor, but Kev refused, adamant it was just a cold. ‘I’ll be…

Contraception concern Q I have difficulties with hormonal contraception, so have made the decision to get a copper coil fitted. However, some friends have told me that it can be painful afterwards. Amber, Swanley A Having the coil fitted can be uncomfortable for some, but many tolerate it very well. If you’re concerned, then you should ask for suitable pain relief for before and after. Parkinson’s worry Q I’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which has made me less active as I can no longer jog, which I loved. Should I rest or exercise? Ellen, Shrewsbury A Exercise is beneficial for Parkinson’s. Not only can it slow the disease’s progression, but it helps with gait speed, mood and fatigue. I’d suggest exercising as much as you can manage. Runny nose Q My child…

It was 2 February 1928 when the sheriff ’s deputies found the sack in a ditch. It hid a grisly secret – the headless body of a Mexican teenager. Unidentifiable, the boy had been shot through the heart. And Los Angeles County police had no clue as to the killer. Terrifyingly, over coming months, several young boys went missing… In March, Walter Collins, 9, vanished on his way to the movies. Two months later, Lewis and Nelson Winslow, 12 and 10, disappered after a modelyacht club meeting. What could have become of the missing boys? Then, in September 1928, police received a call from Canadian Jessie Clerk, 19. She explained her younger brother Sanford, 13, had been kidnapped by their uncle Gordon Stewart Northcott, then aged 20... Over coming months,…

Pilot Andrew Danziger, who flew President Obama, reported seeing a white disc become a glowing ‘red ball’, before disappearing. Spooky! Smarty Pants Why not impress your mates with these unusual facts? • The longest time between twin babies being born is an eye-watering 87 days! • Most Westerners eat 50 tonnes of food in their lifetime. • It’s possible to survive on a diet of butter and potatoes. • A shrimp’s heart is located in its head • In 1811, a quarter of British women were called Mary. Your Royal A-list, Sir! These celebs are all connected to our royalty... Michael Douglas 19th cousin once removed to the queen. Paris Hilton 20th cousin to the queen. Ellen DeGeneres 15th cousin to the Duchess of Cambridge. Robert Pattinson Distant cousin to…

Grace Mecklenburgh, 24, Bracknell Sinking my teeth into a juicy Big Mac, I guzzled down large fries and a ‘full-fat’ cola. Sitting back, stomach bursting, I grinned. Bliss. McDonald’s was my sanctuary. I lived for that brief, daily moment where I’d escape from my misery. See, I was in a vicious circle. Since primary school, I’d been a big girl, and schoolmates teased me relentlessly. ‘Fatty!’ sneered one girl. I hid my upset inside, and comfort eating made me feel better briefly. At secondary school, it got worse. I’d no pals, and would suffer cruel jibes before, during and after class. ‘Grace McBurger,’ hissed one lad, making fun of my name. Everyone sniggered. The silly nickname stuck – and, though I tried to laugh it off, it stung. ‘Ignore them,’…

Miriam Gwynne, 40, South Lanarkshire Peering out of the window, my two kids could hardly contain themselves. ‘Look, Mummy, it’s nearly finished!’ my daughter Naomi, 8, said. Her twin brother Isaac smiled and pointed. It was last summer, and they’d waited weeks for the new park to be built. ‘I wonder what there’ll be,’ Naomi said. ‘Slides, climbing frames, swings!’ At the mention of swings, Isaac’s eyes lit up, and he clapped and grinned. Isaac never speaks, he can’t. You see, both he and Naomi are autistic. Diagnosis The pregnancy and birth were all fine. But as the twins approached a year old, I noticed they were developing slowly. If I pulled silly faces, smiled or pouted, they wouldn’t copy me. They didn’t understand facial expressions. Isaac was formally diagnosed…

100-Calorie Gallery Alpen Light Chocolate & Fudge bar...80 cal Slice of Soreen Malt Loaf...86 cal Milky Way fun size, 70 cal 7-Minute Workout Challenge Assistant, for Android Devices at Amazon App Store Don’t have a spare hour to do a daily workout and get in shape? Then try this 7-minute quick-fit workout with 12 exercises each performed for 30 seconds, with 10-second rests in between. It’s fast, furious – and very effective! Flattering Fashion This long, loose, attractive paisley print dress is perfect to take away on holiday and for wearing at home on all those hot summer days that (fingers crossed) we’ll be enjoying this year! Try this…. OptiBac Probiotics One week flat, £8.69, www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk With five billion live probiotics per daily dose, these are designed to support a…

Irene Paisley, 46, Glasgow Peeling the potatoes last December, I shooed away my Staffie puppy. ‘You’re not allowed in here!’ I tutted. Macie was 12 weeks old, and very cheeky. We’d got her two weeks earlier and she was part of the family already. My dog Boston had died of cancer two months earlier, aged 10. My kids Darren, 24, Shannon, 23, Sophie, 14, and Georgia, 13, had grown up with him. Now Macie was healing some of the sadness of losing Boston. But she was mischievous. She’d already ruined some of her squeaky toys! Finishing the peeling, I put my potato knife in the dishwasher, before heading upstairs. Minutes later, Macie followed. She was making a strange squeaking noise. She’s swallowed her toy! Still squeaking, she started to cough…

Katherine McCulloch, 24, Ipswich Aaron and I were just 17 when we got together in September 2010. I moved in with his family and we soon started talking about the future. I’d like to have kids one day,’ I told him. But there was no rush. Two years on, I was working as a customer service assistant at Co-op. I’d started suffering terrible stomach pains. ‘You’ve developed a rare form of pelvic inflammatory disease,’ the doctor at Ipswich Hospital explained. ‘It’s caused a build-up of scar tissue, leaving your chances of having children extremely low.’ Given antibiotics, they didn’t know what had caused it. ‘All I ever wanted was to be a mum,’ I sobbed. After, I stopped taking the Pill, tried to get on with life. But every month,…

Jenny, 42, Sunderland My husband’s father died last year, and his elderly mother is having a very difficult time trying to cope on her own. My husband has suggested that she comes and lives with us but, unfortunately, me and my mother-in-law have never got along very well. She criticises me constantly, is very rude and makes nasty remarks about my weight, cooking, the state of the house – but I have three teenagers! Although, she’s really lovely to everyone else. With my hubby working long hours, I’ll be the one who ends up caring for her and I know she’ll make my life hell. Should I put my foot down? YES Pick Me Up! reader Karen Rowe says, ‘Yes. Why should you be verbally abused in your own home?…

Asperger’s Syndrome 1 It is a form of autism. True False 2 People with the condition have split personalities. True False 3 It’s curable with medication. True False 4It only affects children. True False 1 TRUE Asperger’s is a disability affecting how people perceive the world and interact with others. 2 FALSE People with Asperger’s may have difficulty with eye contact, facial expressions and body language. Many find change upsetting. 3 FALSE There’s no cure for Asperger’s, but speech and language therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and social-skills training can all help. Most people with Aperger’s can lead relatively independent lives. 4 FALSE It’s diagnosed in childhood, mostly, but in some cases isn’t picked up until adulthood. Asperger’s can’t be grown out of, but with help and support, most can manage…

What is the Truth Project? The voices of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse need to be heard. That’s why the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales has set up the Truth Project. If you’ve been affected, it’s a way for you to share your story in complete confidence. • We want you to get in touch if any organisation (such as a school, church, the Armed Forces, or a children’s home) failed to protect you from sexual abuse. • Or you may have suffered sexual abuse by a family member, a family friend, or even someone you didn’t know – but when you reported it to someone in authority, they didn’t act on it or do anything to protect you. • By telling the…

Treat of the Week Portuguese Almond Cake Serves: 12 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45 min • 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing • 200g caster sugar • 3 eggs, beaten • 100g self-raising flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting • 100g ground almonds • 1tsp almond essence • 1tbsp brandy Buttercream icing • 100g unsalted butter • 3tsp soured cream • 1tsp vanilla paste • 1tsp almond essence • 150g icing sugar • Flaked almonds, toasted, to decorate 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin. 2 Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually add eggs, beating well with each addition. Fold in flour, ground almonds, almond essence and brandy. Pour into tin and bake…

Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Foam for Men, £13.99, www.bondisands.co.uk If your fella’s pasty bod needs a holiday glow, this is just the thing! It builds into a natural-looking, streak-free tan, and it even smells good – a bit like a blokes’ body spray! Verdict: GENIUS! Why should us girls have all the beauty fun? Ride With The Queen Car Sticker, £4.95, www.prezzybox.com Let neighbours think you’re taking Her Maj out for a drive to the supermarket with this incredible novelty car sticker. There’s no better way to turn heads and give your car that magic royal touch! Verdict: BONKERS! Brilliant for a cheap laugh, though! Polaroid Play 3D Pen, £29.99, Ryman This works like a normal pen, except it draws with plastic, so you can make your own 3D…

HOWDY! Did you know these amazing facts about Dallas? 1Baddie JR Ewing was originally meant to be only a supporting character. 2JR is the only character to have appeared in all 357 episodes. 3 When it first aired in 1978, it was as a five-part mini-series. 4Dallas has been shown in 90 countries and dubbed into 67 languages. 5Spin-off series Knot’s Landing actually came first. Angry at missing the lift, a mobility scooter driver rammed the doors so hard he burst though and plunged to his death! AWKS! Being a woman is awesome, but it comes with some tricky situations… •Killer heels that were so comfy on the carpet at home! •Clothes you didn’t know were see-through, until a friend tells you she can see your knickers! •Wearing a strappy…

• Sickening bathroom attack • Shunned by most of her family • Rapist sibling finally jailed BIG STORY ANDREW ARMSTRONG Karina Townsley, 30, Manchester Hearing my name called, I wandered into my brother Andrew’s bedroom. ‘Hey, Kar,’ he said. ‘Can you give me a hand?’ Andrew was 13 – four years older than me. We had different dads, but both lived with our mum and two sisters. ‘OK,’ I said. Sitting on his bed, Andrew asked me to pop his zits. Yuck! Being the youngest, I always did as he said. But my big brother gave me the creeps. His dingy teenage bedroom smelled musty, with a tinge of cannabis. I hated being alone with him. As I grew up, he’d ask intrusive questions about who I was dating, acted…

Sukhi Atwal, 50, Great Barr, West Midlands Standing in the hallway, I waited for my boys to get their things together. It was half-term and they were going for a sleepover at their cousins’ house. ‘You’re going to be late!’ I shouted up the stairs. A few minutes later, Amar, 12, and Arjun, 10, came racing downstairs, their rucksacks packed and ready. But before they dashed out of the door, Amar stopped to give me a huge hug. He was such a loving, kind boy. ‘I love you so much, Mum,’ he said, wrapping his arms tightly around me. ‘I love you, too, but you’d better get going,’ I replied. I waved them off outside, where their lift was waiting, before going back in to make a start on dinner.…

Real-Life Trends,PLUS Info and Advice Ruth Ferguson, 31, Portree, Isle of Skye As I rocked my son Zander, then 3 months, in my arms, my right eye watered. I put it down to tiredness. Me and my husband Derek, 35, were staying with my parents for a few weeks. Next night, Mum made spaghetti bolognese. Everyone said how tasty it was, but I couldn’t taste a thing. Back home, I still didn’t feel myself. I had a crick in my neck and my mouth felt numb. Then, as I brushed my teeth the next day, I saw my reflection. The right side of my face had drooped. I tried to smile and raise my eyebrows, but it was no use. ‘I think I’m having a stroke,’ I called out to Derek.…

Steph Hammersley, 25, Crewe For as long as I can remember, I’ve been cursed with bad period pains. I’d hold hot-water bottles to my tummy, take tablets, have hot baths… Nothing seemed to work. I went back and forth to see my GP, but was told I was just one of the unlucky ones. Then in June 2015, the cramps intensified. The next month, they were so bad that I was admitted to Leighton Hospital. Doctors suspected appendicitis and ran tests including a chest scan. ‘We’ve found a tumour in your chest between your heart and lungs,’ a doctor explained. The room span as I took in his words. ‘Is it cancer?’ I asked. But they couldn’t be sure yet. Further tests revealed golf-ball-sized tumours under both of my arms,…

1 YOU SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE WAY THAT SUITS YOU You can talk to a trained facilitator and an assistant will make notes and record your experience. Or you can write your account or make a video or recording. 2 YOUR PRIVACY WILL BE PROTECTED Your name will NEVER be published or made public. No one will identify you, or an individual in an institution. 3 YOU’LL BE LISTENED TO WITH COMPASSION It can be extremely difficult to revive bad memories. The Truth Project is there to listen. 4 THERE’S NO RUSH You’ll have all the time you need in a location convenient for you. If you write or record your account, it will all be read or listened to. 5 YOU WILL BE BELIEVED, AND NOT JUDGED What you…

Enter on page 53. WIN PUZZLE 4 3 letters CAR COO LOG PUN RAP 4 letters CUFF FIST FRET LAWN LOAD 5 letters CRASS OXBOW SALON SHOUT WHELP 6 letters AUTHOR EXTORT FLACON JOYOUS 7 letters DHANSAK ECHIDNA MACAQUE PRECISE QUARREL 8 letters ACCIDENT CHICKPEA EXTERIOR GIGANTIC UNDERLIE WIN PUZZLE £25! Sudoku! To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 2 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 6. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the prize answer. Enter on page 53.…

Want the perfect... At Home Gel Manicure? Try one of these… Autograph Flash Gel Nails (Step 1 – Nail Colour) in Dandy Use the wide, flat brush to apply a couple of coats to each nail before following with the Step 2 Topcoat from the same range, for a professional looking manicure that’ll last for days. Sensationail Express Gel in I Eat My Salmon Raw If you’re short on time, this is the ultimate gel polish! No base coat or topcoat required – all you need is to apply this polish, cure under an LED lamp and you’re good to go! Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Sweet Tea This two-step process of colour and topcoat cures in natural daylight for a highshine salon effect. The actual polish isn’t too thick,…

AUSTRALIA: DIRTY DETECTIVES University student Jamie Gao, 20, made extra money dealing drugs. On 20 May 2014, he headed to a storage space in Sydney with 2.78kg of the drug ‘ice’. There, he was shot twice in the chest, and the drugs were snatched. Jamie’s bloated body was later found stuffed into a silver surfboard bag, dumped at sea. CCTV footage from that fateful day showed Jamie and another man, Glen McNamara, entering the unit. Minutes later, another man, Roger Rogerson, was seen heading towards the lock-up. Shockingly, McNamara and Rogerson were former police detectives. The pair were charged with murder and taking part in the supply of 2.78kg of ice. Last year, the court heard McNamara met Jamie in 2014, through his job as a private investigator... McNamara claimed…

Jo McCann, 54, Glasgow Mum, the baby’s coming!’ my son Darren, 28, and partner Jodi, 27, shrieked down the phone. In June 2011, baby Macie was born. But she kept having fits. Eventually, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. A neurological condition, it affects movement and co-ordination. It could have been caused by birth trauma. We were told Macie might never walk or talk normally – but she was adorable. As she got older, she had to use a wheelchair. But by the time she started mainstream school, she’d begun to take her first steps and say some words. One of her faves... ‘Nee nah!’ Whenever flashing blue lights whooshed by, her eyes lit up. ‘Fireman!’ she said, when I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.…

ARIES 21 March–20 April If close ones act distant, try to show some patience with them as Mercury is making many of the signs far less communicative than normal. Listening on Sunday and Monday can shed a lot of light about what’s really been going on behind closed doors. Call: 09058 170 710* CANCER 22 June–23 July Time is of the essence in business this week, as it’s make-your-mind-up time. Do you stay in the predictable or take a chance and break away? It’s the perfect time to take chances, as Mercury and Mars join forces to bring adventure and opportunity your way. Call: 09058 170 713* LIBRA 24 Sept–23 Oct Don’t get angry, get even, Libra! There’s nothing you want that you can’t have. It’s only been the negative…