Innholdsfortegnelse for January Special 2018 i Pick Me Up! Special

Sometimes it feels like the odds are stacked against us, but this month, we’ve been amazed by so many women who have simply refused to give up, and defied them, even in the darkest of times. Terminally ill Emma (pg32) was told that keeping her unborn baby wasn’t an option, but she took a risk for the son she thought she’d never have. Anorexia had such a grip on Nicola (pg34) that her family were told to say their goodbyes, but she headed to the sun and transformed herself mentally and physically. While Lizzie (pg40) was so heartbroken at the death of her dog that she ‘died’ too! But it turned out that she was in the perfect place to be brought back to life. You won’t be able to…

‘I wore a mask for two years’ I’ve always loved my 36F boobs, but I hated my face – specifically, the acne scars on my chin. They weren’t terrible, but they bothered me. So, in 2009, after watching Channel 4’s 10 Years Younger, I had an idea. ‘I want a chemical peel,’ I told my husband John, now 41. The process uses liquids to remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new cells, evening out skin tone. ‘You don’t need it,’ John said. ‘But, if it makes you happy, do it.’ So, in February 2009, I paid about £1,000 for the peel at an apparently reputable clinic. As the doctor painted the fluid onto my face, with extra layers on my chin, it was agony. ‘It feels as…

We heard him crying outside As any cat owner knows, moggies can be very adventurous… Our Marv is! In the four years we’ve had him, he’s always roamed around the place, climbing on things and getting into scrapes. On 22 April, I was home from my job in finance by 2.30pm and getting on with some work when one of my neighbours knocked. ‘I think one of your cats has got stuck’ she said, sounding worried. ‘I can hear it meowing.’ We walked outside and, sure enough, we could hear a cat crying loudly, as if in distress. Following the sound, we soon realised it was Marv – he’d somehow managed to get wedged upside down between our two garages. ‘How did you do that?’ I sighed. The gap was…

1 Be realistic If you set unrealistic goals, you're setting yourself up for failure. Don't resolve to never eat unhealthy takeaways again; rather resolve to eat them less often. 2 Plan ahead Don't wait for New Year's Eve to make your resolutions. Try to make your list long before the end of the year so you have time to think them through. 3 Outline your plan Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that exercise class. Practising positive thinking is a good way to fight the cravings. 4 Make a list Seeing your goals written down will keep you motivated. Keep this list with you and refer to it when you need motivation. 5 Talk about it Don't keep your resolutions a secret. Tell friends and family…

‘We'll do whatever it takes’ When my daughter Sara gave birth to her second little girl in August 2012, we were all delighted. I was a grandmother again! ‘She’s beautiful,’ her husband Giuseppe gushed. Sara, Giuseppe, their first little girl Giulia, and now baby Alice, lived in Italy. I’d lived there for 26 years, but I had moved back to Scunthorpe 10 years before. Naturally, I flew back out to meet baby Alice. But within hours, doctors whisked her off for an ultrasound. ‘They’ve found a blue mark on her face,’ Sara explained. They’d also discovered a lump on Alice’s neck which only showed up when she cried. ‘She has venous malformations,’ doctors explained. In her tongue, neck, cheek and larynx, the varicose veins were growing every second, putting her…

‘The audience watched him get down on one knee’ Makeup: yup. Perfume: yup. ‘Why don’t you wear a dress to the show tonight?’ suggested my partner, Matthew Long. ‘Nah,’ I shrugged. ‘I’m comfortable in my playsuit.’ We were off to Cardiff to see comedian Jack Whitehall. Me and Matthew loved watching his stand-up DVDs. Even better, a few days earlier, Matthew’s mum, Sharon, had told me that she and his dad, Steve, had a room booked at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cardiff the same night we were there. ‘We don’t fancy it,’ she’d told me. ‘You two stay there.’ We’d jumped at the chance. ‘Can’t remember the last time we had a night away,’ I smiled. After dropping our daughter, Lily-Mia, six, off at Sharon’s, we set off on…

‘They'd fall asleep in the field’ ‘Damsel trots into our kitchen’ On our farm, we have cows, horses, sheep, chickens, dogs and cats. But of all the animals in our care, the one my eight-year-old daughter Grace loves the most is a young cow… See, we’d been trying to breed Deeping Damsel, our Lincoln Red, for around four years. Then finally, in January, she gave birth to a healthy young calf – who we called Damsel. Me, Grace, and my husband Adam were all there at the birth to make sure that everything went nice and smoothly. ‘Look! There’s the baby!’Grace cooed as little Damsel appeared. She wasted no time in introducing herself to the new calf and they were soon running around the barn, playing together. ‘So sweet,’I said…

Shut eye I have trouble sleeping at night. I've been reluctant to take over the counter medication but I'm absolutely exhausted. Is it something I should consider? Melanie, Portsmouth Most adults need between 6 and 9 hours sleep, and not getting enough can really impact your ability to function in daily life, so it’s understandable that you feel exhausted! The best tip in getting a good night sleep is a good bedtime routine. Pre-programming the brain for sleep by following the same routine lets your mind wind down. Over the counter medicines for sleep are antihistamines which can help establish a routine but are only suitable for short term use. A lot of fitness trackers now help people to analyse the amount of sleep they are getting and can give…

Insomnia is one of the most common health problems among us, with 1 in 3 people suffering from it. While it's long been considered a psychological condition, new research has shown that it is actually linked to genetic coding. According to Science Daily, seven genes for insomnia have been found. This new discovery means that researchers can now start looking into finding new ways of treating the condition, providing new hope for those of us who can't seem to get any shut-eye. Dr Marilyn Glenville, a leading UK nutritionist, advises smart eating to combat insomnia. ‘To stop waking in the middle of the night, have a small snack of complex carbohydrates, such as an oat cake, about an hour before bed. This will stop your blood sugar dropping at 4am…

Should I end it now? Jenny, 37, Warwick Since I married ten years ago, IÕve put on a fair bit of weight and my confidence has plummeted. I hardly go out now and I’m getting increasingly paranoid that my husband is cheating on me. It’s all I can think about. I check his social media and search through his pockets. I even go through his phone. He tells me every day how much he loves and fancies me, but I just can’t believe he’s not unfaithful when I look the way I do. I’m no fun anymore. Shall I end it now and let him go? YES Pick Me Up! reader Tina from Newcastle says: Clearly you are no longer happy in this marriage, and you should move on. You…

‘His young skin was red raw’ Eyes wide, with the perfect pout, it was too hard to resist my little boy... ‘Mum, pretty please, can I have one now?’ pleaded my son Callum, then five, as he stood by the henna tattoo stand - again. It was the fifth night of our family holiday in Antalya, Turkey. Each evening, Callum ended up begging me for a Spider-Man tatt. I hadn’t given in yet, but with just two days to go before flying home to Sunderland, I thought he deserved a souvenir. ‘Oh, go on then,’ I said. It would only last a week. Completely harmless, I thought. As the tattoo artist didn’t have the Spider-Man design, she offered Callum the superhero’s web. ‘Yes please!’ Callum grinned. Within 30 minutes, he…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April Fundamental modification and effective transition formulate the driving force this year. Any domestic complications could require tactical assertiveness. Romantic situations may be highlighted in July and September. An appraisal of personal circumstances provides answers and creates conditions for success. Potentially helpful crystal: Dolomite Taurus 21 April - 21 May A sense of spiritual reference leads to renewed hope. April is important with respect to romantic decisions. Alternative solutions play a role in attaining improved results within business. An exploration of contacts overseas deliver new opportunities with unexpected results. June and November prove exciting with regards to social horizons. Potentially helpful crystal: Rainforest Jasper Gemini 22 May - 21 June Unity will set the scene for more enhanced emotional discovery. The Autumn months prove significant,…

‘I'll always sound this way’ Watching telly, I turned to my hubby Patrick, 47. ‘I don’t feel well…’ I said. ‘Your face is drooping, Sarah,’ he said, panicking. Then I collapsed, paralysed. Raced to hospital, paramedics struggled to understand my slurred speech. ‘You had a stroke,’ a doctor explained to me. The subsequent brain damage had left me with ultra-rare foreign accent syndrome. My Devon drawl had been replaced with a Chinese accent. ‘But I’ve never even been to China!’ I said. Released a few days on, I needed physiotherapy and speech therapy. I tried to stay positive, but it was tough sometimes. Just asking for a normal item at a shop caused confusion. ‘That’s a strange accent,’ they’d say. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m still Sarah from Plymouth!’ I…

‘The crash team fought to revive me’ I thought it was just an eye infection, but my mum Wendy, 71, wasn’t convinced. ‘But you’ve had it for weeks!’ she protested. She was right. My left eye was giving me hell. It was itchy, red and crusty. My GP prescribed antibiotics, but it just got worse. Finally, I took myself to the A&E department at Royal United Hospital, Bath. After a few tests, the doctors referred me to an eye specialist. ‘It looks like a viral infection,’ he confirmed, after an examination. ‘But I’m worried about the mole on the back of your left iris.’ The tests had shown that it was huge – about the size of a fingernail. I needed to have a scan to get the mole checked…

LIFE IS CHAOTIC BUT WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO BEAT 200 MILLION TO ONE ODDS We scraped together our savings After four heartbreaking years of failing to get pregnant, I was finally about to get answers. I’d had hospital tests, and the results were back. ‘I’m sorry, you’ll never conceive naturally,’the consultant said. I gripped my husband Simon’s hand and tried hard not to cry. The consultant went on to explain that my ovaries simply didn’t function properly, meaning there was no way for my eggs to be fertilised naturally. My only hope of becoming a mum was through IVF. ‘Whatever it takes,’I said. Knowing there were no guarantees, I tried to prepare myself for disappointment… Amazingly, our first cycle of IVF was successful, and Celina was born in December…

‘I feel guilty about her criminal ways’ Opening the back door, I saw a car sponge on the doormat. ‘Oh no! Not another one!’ I exclaimed. My black and white moggy, Milly, sat looking like the cat who’d got the cream. It was the fifth unusual gift Milly had presented to me that month. She’d always been partial to pinching the odd glove or sock from upstairs or the washing line. Me and my fiancé Steve, 54, had always laughed it off. We’ve got five other moggies: Patch, 20, Garfield, 10, Harry, 10, Roxy, eight, and Willow, four. I’m used to dealing with birds and mice – live or dead – left as little presents for me from my lot. But Milly’s the only one of them who prefers to…

‘There was so much delicious food on offer’ ‘He was throwing up and had a temperature’ Bustling around the busy airport, my husband, Mark, 47, and I tried not to lose the kids among the crowds. ‘Come on, this way,’ Mark said, taking the lead as he pushed our suitcases on a trolley towards the check-in desk. Dashing around excitedly behind, my sons, Jude, five, and Jacob, nine, chatted about all the things they planned to do on our holiday to Cape Verde. ‘I’m going swimming every single day,’ Jude announced loudly. ‘I’m going in the sea,’ Jacob chimed. We’d been to the same resort the year before and absolutely adored it. But just as we were checking our luggage in, I got a text. It was from Thomas Cook,…

‘The cancer was still spreading’ ‘It was a risk I had to take’ The day I found the lump, I knew it was cancer. My husband Matt, 41, and I were messing around one morning and we simultaneously noticed a lump in my breast... Life’s changed forever, I thought. I met Matt in 2004. Our wedding day was truly the best day of my life. We moved into a new home and I worked as a supply teacher while Matt was away with work a lot. In August 2012, we’d got our home looking perfect when we found the lump in my breast. I was 34. After tests at The Royal Surrey Hospital, I was called back for the results. I wasn’t nervous. I already knew I had cancer. ‘Unfortunately,…

‘'Has she died?' I asked’ As pregnancies go, it was pretty textbook at first. My partner Chris Morrison, 33, and I found out we were expecting our third child in March 2016. For the first three months, I suffered morning sickness. Then it stopped, and we had our first scan and broke the news to our older two, Brooke, then eight, and Mollie, three. ‘You’re both going to be big sisters,’ I beamed. Bless them, they were so excited, they burst into tears. Our 20-week scan arrived. Another little girl! Only, in late pregnancy, I developed a liver condition called cholestasis. Triggered by pregnancy, it causes intense itching and can be dangerous for the baby, in some cases causing stillbirth. Terrifying. I was monitored and was told I’d need to…

TO HOGWARTS! Scotland's West Highland Line, made famous for its role in the Harry Potter films, has been named the UK's most scenic rail journey. The 164-mile journey runs from Glasgow to Mallaig, offering views of Ben Nevis, mountainous hillsides and shimmering lakes. www.scotlandrailways.com KEEP COOL Take a trip to Ibiza while getting beach-body ready as you sip on Ibiza Ice sparkling fruit wine (£1,99, ibizaice.com). Made with Austrian spring water and fruit wine made from apples and pears, it contains no sugar, resulting in a low-cal contemporary sparkling drink. GOOD ETIQUETTE A survey by British Airways has revealed that 59% of travellers say it's OK to remove your shoes during a flight, but 87% say it's not acceptable to remove your socks. 80% said it's fine to wake your…

‘It would have killed me’ Clutching my stomach, I bent over and groaned. The pain was back again. It was December 2015 and, for weeks, I’d had terrible indigestion after meals. Tablets would help the pain at first, but it would soon come back again. I just thought it was something I was eating that disagreed with me. But the agony soon spread up to my shoulder, and I started feeling sick all the time. ‘You need to see a doctor,’ my fiancé Matt, 27, insisted. ‘I’m going to refer you for an ultrasound,’ said the doctor at my appointment. Three days later, I went to Ipswich Hospital for a scan and finally got a diagnosis. I had gallstones. Normally, they’re harmless – tiny stones made of cholesterol were blocking…

Better tracking If you're trying to get fit in 2018, fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors and GPS tracking devices are getting even smarter and cheaper this year. Invest in one of these to take your performance to the next level! Going green Good news for vegetarians! 2018 will see expanding menus in restaurants - no longer will you have to page to the back and turn your eyes to the bottom corner to spot the three veggie options. Menus will be organised more according to ‘tapas', ‘entrees', and ‘plates to share' - all of which have meat-free varieties. Time of the month? Gone are the days when you have to head to the shop once a month to buy your monthly ‘necessities'. This year, more and more brands…

I played while waiting for my hair colour to set Rubbing the hair dye in, I sat on the loo seat while it set. It was November 2015, and I was giving my dark locks a bit of a colour boost. My partner Julian, 45, was downstairs watching TV. So, to pass the time in the bathroom, I decided to enjoy a few games of bingo on my phone. I’d joined Pick Me Up! Bingo the year before, after my daughter, 29, recommended it. I bought a few tickets for Sapphire - my favourite game - and watched as the games played out. Then I realised I only needed one number to win the £1,000 jackpot. A few minutes passed. Then... ‘Bingo!’ I shouted out as my number was called…

‘I loved him so I forgave him’ At 17 and single, I felt flattered when a cute lad messaged me. You’re gorgeous, it read. I’d never met James McCourt, also 17, but we had mutual Facebook friends. He made me smile and laugh as we chatted online. We got together a few weeks later, in February 2015. I studied hairdressing while James worked on building sites. ‘You’ll be with me forever,’ he promised. James was attentive, but he could also be immature. When we moved in together, there were ups and downs. James could flip over nothing. Throwing things at me then begging for forgiveness. Frightened, I always caved in. It won’t happen again, I always told myself. On 4 June, we’d been out with my mum, Susan, 51, at…

‘I was getting my eyebrows done’ It’s hard to look good at 39 weeks pregnant. So I thought I’d get my eyebrows tinted. I’d been seeing beautician Audrey, 40, for two years. She was pregnant as well and due the week after me! At my visit on 21 October 2015, I told Audrey that I’d recently had a trickle and thought that my waters had broken. She said I should get checked right away. So when I left hers, I called A&E, who told me I should go straight in. My hubby Alex, 35, met me at Southmead Hospital. ‘You didn’t need to come,’ I said. ‘I’ll be out in a few hours!’ How wrong I was…! It seems my waters had actually broken four days earlier – and I’d…

OUR FIRST HOLD WAS MAGICAL My partner, Les Hatton, 57, squeezed my hand as the doctor spoke. ‘Your baby seems to have a cystic hygroma,’he said. A what?! I was 12 weeks pregnant, and we were at my first scan. The doctor explained it’s an abnormal growth, made up of fluid-filled sacs. It could be treated after the baby was born. So Les and I put it to the back of our minds, and focused on getting things sorted for our new arrival. We both had kids from previous relationships – my two girls, Molly, 17, and Megan, 19, and Les’kids, Michael, 34, and Melanie, 32. They were all excited to meet the new baby. Then, at 32 weeks, doctors picked up on something. Our baby’s kidneys weren’t functioning properly.…

DISCOVER DURDLE DOOR With its massive rock arch set in Lulworth right on Dorset's Jurassic Coast between Swanage and Weymouth, Durdle Door is a stunning world-famous geological wonder. Take the family here to relax on the beach, go swimming, have a picnic and even try your hand at snorkelling through the breath-taking caves and fascinating rocks. You might even be lucky enough to spot a dolphin in the bay! www.lulworth.com ALL STACKED UP Take the family out to enjoy magnificent views and to spot some unique bird life. The Duncansby Stacks, just east of John O' Groats in Caithness, Scotland, stand out like huge 200ft snaggled teeth in the North Atlantic and show off sea erosion at its finest. If you're patient, you could spot kittihawks, fulmars and razorbills as…

Roast Sea Bass With Baby Courgettes Serves 2 1.Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / Gas Mark 5. 2.Place the courgettes, garlic & thyme onto a roasting tray, add a drizzle of light-in-colour olive oil and then (with your hands) work the olive oil into the courgettes and spread into an even layer across the tray. 3.Add the cherry tomatoes, give those a little drizzle of olive oil, then season with a little salt and pepper and finally sprinkle over the caster sugar. 4.Roast in the oven for 15 mins. 5.During this time, wash the sea bass fillets and pat dry on some kitchen roll. 6.Rub a little olive oil onto the fish and season with salt…

‘I was force fed back to life’ ‘I fled to the sunshine to recover’ Clicking a selfie in the bathroom mirror, I scrutinised my body. I must try to get smaller, I told myself. It was late 2011, I was 19, 5ft 9in – and I weighed 4st. You could see every rib, the bumps in my spine. My hips jutted out so much you could even see the shape of my pelvis. I still need to see more bones. I’d started feeling insecure about my body at 14, counting calories at 16. My size-10 clothes soon became loose. Even back then, I never once looked in the mirror and thought I was fat. But I was full of anger I couldn’t explain, and I was so desperately unhappy. My…

‘His fast actions brought me back’ Gathered around the tiny bundle of fur, the room was silent. Me, my mum, Denise, 55, and sister Christine, 22, couldn’t hold back the tears. Daisy, our beloved Jack Russell, was about to be put down. She’d been with our family for years after we rescued her when she was three years old. But she hadn’t been well for a while, so we’d made the heartbreaking decision to end her misery and let her go. ‘It’s for the best,’ I told Mum, holding her hand. The vet began shaving Daisy’s leg, ready for her lethal injection. But as Daisy lay looking up at us with sad eyes, pain started to tear through me – literally. Struggling to breathe, I had to sit on the…

‘Kids parties were a nightmare’ BANG! As soon as the balloon popped, I started to head for the door, my heart racing, hands shaking. As phobias go, a fear of balloons is a pretty strange one. But every time I saw one, touched one or – worst of all – heard one squeak or bang, I felt sick. It had been the case ever since I was a little girl. At parties, in rooms filled with balloons, kids trying to make them pop horrified me. As I got older, it became the family joke. One day, pregnant with my daughter Leah, now nine, I had a weak bladder. Then a mate stood behind a door and… POP! She burst a balloon as I walked in. ‘I’ve wet myself!’ I raged.…

Chicory Coffee, £2.99, www.candidadietfoods.co.uk THEY SAY: This delicious and easy-to-make coffee substitute is derived from ground organic chicory root for a gluten and caffeine-free healthy alternative. Chicory root also supports digestion and can even help aid liver problems. YOU SAY: 'This is a great alternative to coffee, it's easy to make and contains antioxidants, which have left me feeling so much healthier.' Trisha, Portsmouth WE SAY:If you want to enjoy a coffee-like experience without turning to decaf, chicory is one of your best options. The flavour is similar to regular coffee and because chicory naturally contains no caffeine, it appeals to a healthier, all-natural lifestyle.…

‘It took me ages to reach the finish line’ Heading out to the pool, I caught sight of my friends. ‘Over here!’ they waved. ‘We saved you a seat!’ I was on holiday in Gran Canaria with my partner Paul, 30, and a few of our mates. It was something I’d been looking forward to for so long. But as I looked at my friends’ skinny, bikini-clad bodies lounging next to the pool, I felt ashamed. Plonking myself down next to my mates, I felt fat and frumpy. I looked so much bigger than them... And, for the rest of the holiday, my appearance held me back from having any fun. I was just glad when we arrived back home a few days later. And soon, I was back to…