Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2018 i Pick Me Up! Special

A mother’s instinct is a powerful thing and when Claire (pg18) woke up her three year old daughter one morning, she knew something was wrong. She never imagined it was a stroke. Asha (pg40) wishes she’d pushed harder when a doctor prescribed her daughter medication. Within hours, the little girl was literally melting from a terrifying extreme allergic reaction. A reaction was exactly what Leanne (pg24) got when she revealed she was still breastfeeding her three year old. But while some people called it ‘damaging’, other’s found her honesty a huge source of support. Sometimes you need a shock to kick start you into action and that’s what happened to Jen (pg22) when she was dumped. Now she’s eight stone lighter and engaged to her soulmate! If you need any…

I’ve always loved being around little kids. So joyful, they always put me in a good mood. At 14, I volunteered as the ‘toy girl’ at a nursery, setting out toys then clearing them away. After college, I studied a foundation degree in Early Years at the Open University. Becoming a nursery nurse at 16, I was chuffed. Then, on my 21st birthday night out, in March 2008, I met my now hubby. We married in June 2014, and by the end of the month, I felt nauseous and dizzy. ‘Positive!’ I shrieked, after taking a pregnancy test. I’d a tough pregnancy, though, with constant morning sickness. At my 20-week scan, we found out it was to be a boy, so decided to name him Jack. At around 26 weeks,…

‘Her eyes were open but she couldn't talk’ I looked at the clock through bleary Sunday morning eyes. It was 8am. Funny, she should be up by now, I thought, listening for my daughter Maddie, then three. I’d heard her stir around at 6am, but she’d settled again. My then husband Marcus was in the spare room. Separated, we were having counselling. Padding into Maddie’s room, I drew the curtains. ‘Morning Maddie!’ I smiled. She opened her eyes, but didn’t speak or move. Thinking she must be tired, Marcus brought her down and lay her on the sofa, hoping she’d wake up a bit more. But she didn’t even stir when a neighbour popped in to visit with her daughter. I’d just been on a first-aid course, went through the…

‘How was it harming my kids?’ During the quiet of the night, I tried again to feed my baby. ‘I just can’t do it!’ I cried to my husband Lee, 30. ‘He won’t latch on.’ I desperately wanted to breastfeed newborn Frankie. It was natural, wasn’t it? So why was it so hard? I’d spent hours on the internet, searching for the answer. Nothing helped. So I sat with my baby on my chest and turned on the webcam. ‘This is Frankie,’ I said. ‘We’re having trouble breastfeeding.’ I talked about my struggles and I posted it to my YouTube channel. I’d started Umbumgo nine months earlier, vlogging about parenting issues and had got over 20,000 subscribers. Already a mum to twins before Frankie, I’d always found sharing my experiences…

Mexican chilli potato wedges Serves 6 For the guacamole: For the salsa: 1. Heat the oven to 180°C. 2. Parboil the potatoes for 12 minutes. 3. Fry the onion and add the garlic, peppers and mince, chillies, spices and season well. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes. 4. Drain the potatoes and put them in a large, deep baking tray, cover with the chilli mince and half the grated cheese and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. 5. While this is cooking, make the guacamole and salsa. Mash the avocado and mix in the remaining ingredients. Set aside. In another bowl, mix…

‘It only happens to one in a million people’ After an afternoon watching my five-year-old daughter Lydia playing at the park, I noticed that she was feeling a bit warm. ‘Amit, can you grab the Calpol?’ I asked my husband. ‘Lydia has a temperature.’ ‘We’ll keep an eye on her,’ he said, ruffling her hair. But by the next morning, Lydia was burning up. It was a Saturday, so I took her to an out-of-hours walk-in clinic. ‘I’m going to prescribe her penicillin and ibuprofen to be taken four times a day,’ the doctor said. ‘OK, but Lydia’s never had penicillin and I’m allergic to the medication,’ I explained. ‘Is there anything else we can give her instead?’ ‘Just because you are allergic, doesn’t mean she will be,’ she scolded.…

Very unsettling Q It doesn't matter what I eat, I constantly have a funny tummy. My doctor says there's nothing wrong but I'm not convinced. Tracey, Reading A The real worry about a ‘funny tummy’ is that it could be masking something much more sinister – either ulcers or even cancer. While I wouldn’t want you to panic about this, I do suggest you visit your GP and ask to a see gastroenterologist. They will carry out an endoscopy where a thin tube with a tiny camera at the end will be inserted into your stomach allowing them to carry out a close-up and very detail examination. Mr David McArthur, a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Spire Parkway Hospital addresses your private concern. Full of air Q I'm so bloated all…

We all know that crash diets are not sustainable, with most of us regaining the weight shortly after. But research by Oxford University has revealed another reason to avoid crash dieting: it affects your heart. The study assessed the impact of eating just 800 calories a day. After just one week, the volunteers' heart fat had increased by 44%. Their heart's function had also deteriorated. The study's lead author, Dr Jennifer Rayner, explained that the sudden drop in calories caused fat to be released from different parts of the body into the blood and taken up by the heart. Remember, when it comes to healthy weight loss, slow and steady usually wins the race.…

Posing with the married couple, I forced a grin. I was a bridesmaid at my brother’s wedding, and had been forced to squeeze myself into a hideous dress. Big, puffy and plum-coloured, it certainly wasn’t doing my size-18 frame any favours. ‘When Kevin and I get married, there’s no way I’m wearing a meringue,’ I swore under my breath. Kevin, 35, and I had been engaged ever since he’d popped the question with a diamond ring. ‘We’ll have to wait seven years,’ Kevin said. ‘To make sure we ride out the seven-year itch.’ A lot of women would have been insulted, but Kevin was dead serious, and I wasn’t in any hurry. In February 2010, our son Logan was born, followed by Keelan two years later. The ‘itch’ came along…

For months, I’d thought there was something wrong with my baby, Erin. Most babies are up and walking by their first birthday. Erin didn’t walk until she was 19 months, and even then, she was limping. We were back and forth to our local GP until Erin was finally referred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. ‘Your daughter has developmental hip dysplasia,’ the consultant said. The ball and socket of her hip joint hadn’t formed properly. She’d need immediate treatment. Things were hard. Although my husband could support us, I had to take a year out, unpaid, from my teaching job. In the first procedure, under general anaesthesia, a doctor manipulated Erin’s hip joint back into the socket. Then she spent 18 weeks in a special cast to immobilise her hips and…

Pulling myself out of bed, I tiptoed downstairs. But, suddenly, pain tore through my head and I collapsed to my knees. I had a tingling sensation down my right side. I managed to get up, but I had such a bad headache. Worried, I made an appointment with my GP straight away, but I was told it was probably just a migraine. But later that night, my headache just got worse. My lips felt numb, too, and my vision was going blurry. Soon, my headache was so bad, I went to A&E at Burnley General Hospital, where I was referred for an eye test. Finally, I got some answers… ‘We think you’ve had a stroke,’ the doctor said. ‘A stroke?’ I gasped. But I was only 28 – young and…

The queue for the CD signing snaked around the busy shopping centre for as far as we could see. ‘This is going to take a few hours,’ I said to my daughter, Taylor, six. She looked up. ‘Don’t worry, Mummy. Peter Andre will wait for us,’ she grinned. Taylor was such a levelheaded girl, and the love of my life. Followed closely by Peter Andre, of course. I’d followed him my entire life – from those abs in the Mysterious Girl video, to his flirting with Katie Price on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. After about four hours of queueing, we finally saw him looking gorgeous in a white t-shirt with a casual suit jacket and jeans. I held the CD I’d bought, shakily in my hand,…

As I tapped my son, Santi, four, on the shoulder, he looked puzzled. ‘I’ve been calling you!’ I said to him. Santi dashed to the dinner table beside his sister, Aisha, seven. ‘I think Santi’s having some trouble hearing,’ I told my husband, Cesar, 31. At birth, Santi hadn’t passed his hearing test, but doctors thought he’d develop in time. As a toddler he seemed absolutely fine. Now, he’d started school, so I spoke to his teacher. ‘He struggles with instruction sometimes,’ she confirmed. So I took him for a hearing test. ‘He’s profoundly deaf in his left ear, with moderate hearing in his right,’ the audiologist said. Fitted for hearing aids in each ear, Santi struggled to adjust. Online, I found a woman in the US who decorated her…

What teenage girl doesn’t hate getting changed after PE? For me, though, it was especially horrible. No matter how much I tried to hide, I could feel my classmates’ eyes on me. Then the comments... ‘Ugh, your chest is disgusting.’ So cruel. Thing was, I agreed. Aged three, I’d had a bad accident. My mum Christine, now 60, had nipped to the toilet. I’d managed to climb over a baby gate and wander into the kitchen, where there was a hot pan boiling on the stove. Reaching up, I pulled it over onto myself, the scorching water burning my skin. Mum rushed me to Queen Mary’s Hospital. I’ve no memory of the pain, but the scars wouldn’t be so easy to forget. During my four-week stay in the Burns Unit,…

This month... TIME TO DE-STRESS 1 Get some exercise Go running, do yoga, punch a bag at the gym. Exercise is a way to manage stress and doesn't cost you anything. Even a 20-minute walk can boost your mood. 2 Be a social butterfly Spend time with friends and family. Loved ones give you a sense of belonging, providing all the stress relief you need. 3 Take time to write Keep a journal. Dedicating a daily period of time to write about something that's bothering you can reduce tension for the rest of the day. 4 Don't forget to laugh Laughter is the best medicine. Watch a funny film and spend time with people who make you laugh - forget about your worries for a while. 5 Take care of…

‘His condition is very rare’ What is it with kids and burgers? Seems they can’t get enough of them. Not my Alfie, 10, though. He’s on a very strict diet, and can only eat up to 30g of protein a day. An average burger contains more than that, so they’re off the menu. It’s all down to Alfie’s rare condition, glutaric acidemia type 1. If he eats too much protein, acid will accumulate in the part of his brain which controls movement. It can cause seizures, which could lead to irreversible brain damage. But he can also go into something called metabolic crisis from eating too much protein, where he has low blood sugar, vomits and goes floppy. And if it happens, he needs to go to hospital and be…

Sarah C won £1,454 on Emerald  playing my Emerald tickets, I only had a couple of games left, so was pleased when I won £4.50 on two lines. then out came my numbers for the house. I won the Emerald progressive Jackpot of £1,454. I couldn’t believe it! my mum won £8,888 a few weeks earlier on the round the Clock game. I’ve done up my house, treated my family to days out and bought my children bunk beds. the rest will go on more for my home and on a deposit towards a holiday. Janette L won £39,588 on Sapphire  my amazing progressive jackpot win was in the Sapphire room and I saw my balance change to over £39K ! the money will be used for a holiday and…

Julie White, 46, Hartshorne, Derbyshire My family’s collections used to be easily kept in check – I had 50 dreamcatchers strung in the living room, while my hubby Robin’s mini Eddie Stobart vans were strewn across the windowsill. Then came my son Chris. When he was 15, having just watched The Smurfs 2, he was delighted when he received a Smurf toy with his McDonald’s Happy Meal. ‘I’m going to turn Dad’s van into a home for Smurfs,’ he declared. Suffering from ADHD, he struggles to get over ideas once they’re lodged in his head. ‘I told him he could do what he wanted with the van,’ Robin, 62, shrugged. Robin had bought the Mercedes Sprinter van in the hope of a bit of bonding time with our boy. I’m…

Jennifer*, 47, Hastings Slamming me against the wall, my boyfriend put his face up close to mine. ‘You stupid cow!’ he spat. I’d only been living with Warren Manderson a month, and I was already regretting it. His violent outbursts had become a regular thing. It hadn’t always been this way. We’d met through friends in November 2011. Treating me to romantic meals, lavishing me with gifts, he seemed like the perfect gentleman. We lived two hours apart, so when he asked me to move in with him in July 2013, I agreed. But Warren would flip over the smallest things. ‘I was a prisoner in my own home’ After one row, he threw a can of beer at my head. ‘You deserved that!’ he spat, beer soaking my hair.…

Posing for a photo, my boyfriend Lewis suddenly dropped to one knee. ‘Will you marry me?’ he asked, beaming. I stared at him, speechless. It was October 2014, and, for my 30th birthday, Lewis had surprised me with a trip to Universal Studios in Florida to visit Harry Potter World. We were in the middle of Diagon Alley, and a crowd was gathering to watch. ‘Yes!’ I squealed, flying into his arms as people cheered. It was a magic moment! Lewis and I met through friends back in May 2012. He knew I was potty about Harry Potter, and, on our second date, he’d given me a little Lego figurine of my Hogwarts hero. Lewis is the one I thought. And I was right – now we were engaged to…

‘The look on his face was priceless’ Bouncing up from the table, I laughed as my boyfriend, Matt, hit his knee and did a comedy fall to the floor. ‘Get up you idiot!’I laughed. Matt was one of a kind. We’d met at university, in the summer of 2015, he was finishing and going back to London, just as I was starting my first year. He’d actually approached me on Instagram first of all, commenting on a video of me singing a cover of Whitney Houston track ‘I Will Always Love You’. He wrote: ‘You’ve got an amazing voice.’ We had the exact same sense of humour and would laugh at the same silly jokes. Now, he visited me once a month in Cardiff . Before long, he was opening…

‘We agreed it was worth a try’ Staring down at the pregnancy test, my heart sank. ‘Negative again,’ I sighed, completely deflated. ‘It will happen soon,’ my husband Paul, 38, comforted. But after almost two-and-a-half years of trying for a baby, I was ready to give up. Paul and I had been together for 14 years, and got married in 2014. We were already blessed with our son Riley, six, and Paul’s daughter Megan, 17, from a previous relationship, but we were desperate for another baby. It had taken a year to fall pregnant with Riley, so at first, I wasn’t too worried about the wait. But after 18 months, I knew something must be wrong. We’d tried so many ovulation kits, but having to constantly think about the best…

Unspoilt sources For a unique taste of Europe’s Carpathian Mountains, try AQUA Carpatica (89p, Tesco), nature’s purest mineral water. Every drop is derived from two untouched springs within the pristine mountains, home to Europe’s last remaining unspoilt forests. The sources are protected from chemicals, meaning its entirely free of impurities. Hotel hacks Hotels.com  gives you the inside scoop on finding the best bed for your buck. While Sunday nights are the cheapest night to stay in a hotel, you should leave it as late as possible to book, as you’re likely to get a bargain. Try to check in as late as possible, as you’re more likely to get an upgrade. You’ll be sure to bag a nice room if you tell staff you’ll be tagging the hotel on social…

THEY SAY: These dissolve on the tongue and instantly soothe your throat. Zinc contributes to a healthy immune system, so they're sure to have you feeling better in no time. YOU SAY: 'I had a sore throat at work and felt like I was coming down with something. I took these for three days in a row, and I ended up feeling better, not worse.' Debbie, Glasgow WE SAY: Flavoured with aniseed, rosehip and acerola, these lozenges not only taste nice, but more importantly, are fast-acting, relieving a sore throat while you're on the go.…

The Butcher of Rostov Being exposed to the horror of cannibalism from an early age, Ukrainian-born Andrei Chikatilo grew up to become something from his own worst nightmares. Under Stalin’s regime, starvation was rampant across the Ukraine. Chikatilo’s mother had told him that his older brother had been kidnapped, killed, and eaten by hungry neighbours. He became a teacher, and in 1963, he married and went on to have two children. In 1978, he took up a position at a school in nearby Rostov. That year, he abducted nine-year-old Yelena Zabotnova and stabbed her to death in the woods. Over the next 12 years, he killed over 50 people. Most of his victims were runaways – he’d approach them at bus stations with money or candy, then lure them to…