Innholdsfortegnelse for TAK2343 i Take 5

The Best Medicine

It was against the rules, but I had to do it Lisa Buckley, 46. Beep, beep, beep… The sound of dialysis machines filled the ward as I walked down the corridor to my next patient. “Are you all right, Gavin?” I asked the man sitting by the machine. He simply nodded and looked away. It was 2015, and at 39 I’d spent the past 14 years working as a dialysis nurse in the renal wards of different hospitals. I’d treated a lot of patients, though I had the sense that Gavin, 40, who had kidney failure, diabetes and heart failure, and required dialysis three times a week, wasn’t overly fond of me. But when I mentioned this to a colleague in the staffroom, she looked shocked. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”…

5 min

Sweet Dreams

Tips for getting your best night’s sleep yet We all struggle with sleep at some stage. A night spent tossing and turning has a trickle-down effect into other aspects of our lives. You may feel sluggish, irritable, forgetful, unfocused… The list goes on. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you find yourself lying wide awake at night listening to the clock tick, rest assured there are some things you can do to ensure a peaceful slumber. 1Eat meals on a regular schedule to help regulate blood sugar. Choose nutrientdense foods and be sure to consume sufficient protein, an average minimum of 100g lean protein a day. 2 Try to avoid caffeine from midday onwards to allow the body time to process your morning brew. If possible, reduce…

Kicking Goals

I had no idea how far soccer would take me Caity, 28, Canberra, ACT. I opened the door to my recovery worker, who had popped round for a check-in. “How are you doing, Caity?” Kunmi asked. “Not great,” I responded. It was 2019, and aged 24, I’d recently moved back in with my mum after a long stint in hospital. I’d been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder four years earlier and had been in and out of hospital since. It was good to be at home again, but the previous few years had taken a huge toll on my self-esteem, and the medication I was prescribed was making me gain weight. “I want to get more active,” I told Kunmi. “You should try Street Soccer,” he suggested. The program was…

Bestie Betrayal

My friend took advantage of my generous heart Susan Hughes, 51. My friend Anna sashayed down the stairs in high heels. “They look familiar,” I said, raising an eyebrow at her shoes. She laughed. “Sorry, I meant to ask,” she said. Anna and I were joined at the hip, after meeting in 1998, when we worked as carers in the same supported living complex. At 17, she was nine years younger than me so I’d taken her under my wing. We moved in together later that year. Though we bickered – mainly over money, as Anna avoided the bills – we were like sisters. That night, we headed to our local club. At the door, my jaw nearly hit the floor seeing the bouncer. He was older and thickset with…

5 min

Forever Brave

I thought my firefighting days were done! Peter Wilson, 62, Adelaide, SA. Sitting in front of the campfire with a beer, I found myself laughing for the first time in months. It was December 2019, and my wife Kathryn, 60, was sick with ovarian cancer. Her prognosis wasn’t good, but somehow, she’d convinced me that a boys’ weekend away with my mates, Mark, Pat and David was just what I needed. She was right – like always. Still, I couldn’t wait to get home to her. We’d spent the day four-wheel driving around Elmhurst, Vic, and now we were settling down for the evening at our camp site. Feeling grubby, I wanted to have a shower. The nearest ones were a short drive away, at the local footy stadium. “I’m…

A Brave Face

Our good news came with a warning Katrina Moore, 29, Tahmoor, NSW. I shook my sleeping husband, Tom, in fright. “I think I’m having a stroke!” I cried. It was 2020, and, at 27, I’d woken to find my face was completely numb. We rushed straight to the doctor, who assured me it was likely just a sinus infection. Makes sense, I thought, as I’d had sinus issues all my life. But over the coming days, the numbness didn’t improve at all, so I went to see a specialist, who did some tests. “Sit down,” the doctor instructed, before explaining I had a meningioma the size of a large marble in my head. “A what?” I asked in confusion. Hearing the words ‘brain tumour’ was too much for me to…

Hope After Hell

When a flood ruined my life, I was thrown a lifeline Rhonda Hayes, 72, Coraki, NSW. I was sitting in the lounge room with my labrador, Toby, when there was an urgent rap on the front door. Who could that be? I wondered. It was late, and there was a heavy downpour outside. I opened the door to a man in an SES uniform. “You need to evacuate!” he insisted. “The whole area’s flooding.” It was February 2022, and many of the neighbouring towns had already been devastated by floodwaters, but because of our elevation, I thought Coraki would be okay. I was wrong! I was given 20 minutes to pack before Toby and I were driven to a nearby church being used as a refuge, where hundreds of other…

Finally Glowing

After years of torment I can now look in a mirror and feel beautiful BEFORE AFTER Liara Cartier, 32. The lights blinked off and our house plunged into darkness. “Not again,” groaned Ruma, our housekeeper. Power cuts were common in Dhaka, Bangladesh, back in 2000. I was eight, and watched Ruma lighting old-fashioned kerosene lanterns around the lounge room. Absentmindedly, I picked up a match and lit it. In an instant, there was a loud bang. Fire leapt from the match to the container of fuel that Ruma was holding. As a reflex, she threw it away from her and inadvertently doused me. My whole body went up in flames. My brothers, Nahid, 15, and Abid, 12, saw the gasoline container shootot out of the hallway window and, with my…

Bargain Beauty

The best beauty launches under $20! 1. SKINCARE ESSENTIAL Known for their dermatologist-developed, budget-friendly range of skin and body care, CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser uses three essential ceramides along with hyaluronic acid to protect your skin without stripping it of natural oils. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, $13.49 2. SCRUB UP Healthy hair is just a cleanse away thanks to this nourishing scrub. Bamboo extract, jojoba oil and avocado oil are used to support hair growth and remove oil build up. It also has the added bonus of aloe vera and geranium leaves for a soothed, fresh scalp. Akin Purifying Scalp Scrub, $18.99 3. PLUMP IT Hydrated skin is healthy skin, and this super thirstquenching serum is enriched with hyaluronic acid and algae extract to lock in all the moisture. The results? A…

57 Kids … And Counting

Family means everything to us Maryelen McPhail, 54. The nurse looked at my mother seriously. “Would you mind leaving the room so I can speak to Maryelen in private?” she asked. My mother agreed and, when it was just the two of us, the nurse smiled gently. “It’s your body and your choice,” she began. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” I nodded in agreement. It was 1983, and, at 15 years old, I’d fallen pregnant to my boyfriend, Billy. I’d been advised to have an abortion which was why I was here, in a hospital gown, about to have the procedure. But as it drew closer, I thought about the baby growing inside me. “I can’t do this!” I blurted, hurrying to get dressed as…

5 min

Safe as Houses

Your dilemmas solved by fellow Take 5ers Hi Take 5ers, The rising cost of living means I can no longer afford to keep living on my own. A former housemate, Jessica*, had a spare room and allowed me to move back in with her. At first, everything was going well and I was finally able to save again. But Jessica brings men over at least twice a week, often late at night, and I don’t feel safe. I raised my concerns politely and she accused me of slut-shaming her and made it clear that the lease is in her name, not mine. What should I do? Liza*, 34 You need to move out. Don’t even think twice about it. Do you have family that can help, considering you don’t feel…

Nanna Knows!

Foraging for food can be done in a city near you Anna Matilda, 43, Blackburn North, Vic. Walking along the paddock, my mother Ulla-Karin’s face lit up. “Wild blackberries!” she cried, pointing to a patch in the hills. It was 1987, I was eight and my family had gone to Tasmania for a holiday. We soon had several bags full of delicious berries that we hauled back to the farm B & B, where Mum made jam. “Allemansrätten,” she said to me in Swedish, stirring the giant pot. In English her words translate to “land belongs to everyone”. Her other commonly used saying was “lagom” – only take what you need and no more. My mum is Swedish, my dad, Greg, is Australian and we moved to Melbourne from Denmark,…

Next On His Kill List

Kevin was my friend, then I heard something disturbing … Nedra Calloway, 53. My friend put on music and we started bopping. “It’s Friday night – let’s do something fun,” I said to my mate, who I called ‘T’. “Let’s pick up my wages then head out on the town,” she suggested. It was 2000, we were 29 and T worked at an adult video store. We headed straight there and I noticed a tall man who I didn’t know but had seen there before. “He comes in here quite often on my shift,” T whispered. I raised my eyebrows but didn’t think much of it, other than that she had a secret admirer. “From now on, we’ll call him ‘weirdo’ and keep a tally on how much he comes…

Speak Out

Master the art of public speaking and being comfortable behind the mic Whether you’re giving a wedding speech or a professional presentation in front of a small audience, public speaking can really spike our anxiety. In fact, a study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that public speaking is the most commonly feared situation in the population. According to Monica Lunin, communications expert, speaker and author of What She Said, the biggest challenge for any public speaker is ensuring your message hits home for the people who are listening. “You need your audience to tune in and understand,” explains Monica. Take a deep breath and try her five techniques to take control of any situation. 1START AND FINISH STRONG First impressions matter and final impressions linger. People may lose the…

3 min

Your Top tips

Send your clever ideas to Take 5 If you’re grating chocolate for baking or desserts, use a potato peeler and you’ll get curly choc shards. Suzie Hafiz, Narre Warren, Vic. Got a drawer that’s hard to open? Rub a bit of candle wax to smooth the edges so it glides out. Maria Jong, North Perth, WA. I cut up my husband’s old shirts and use them for cleaning rags. Leslie Smith, Manukau, NZ. You can use cooking spray to help set your at-home manicure. Bessie Hart, North Lakes, Qld. When I’m shaving my legs, I shave upwards then straight back down again before starting the next strip of leg. It’s much faster! Melissa Suzuki, Caringbah, NSW. Always take an eye mask with you when you’re travelling, so you can block…

Something Fishy

I wasn’t going to let them ruin our holiday Amanda*, 32, Kew, Vic. Lowering my book, I saw my husband, Alex, emerge from the turquoise sea like Daniel Craig in a Bond film. Grabbing a towel, Alex plonked himself on the sun lounger next to me. “The water’s great,” he said. The buzzing sound of a boat pierced the air. Alex and I turned to watch a charter boat pull into the dock. On it were around 10 people with masks on top of their heads. “Look, they’ve just been snorkelling,” Alex said, turning to me excitedly. “Mmm,” I replied, noncommittally. The people on the boat were all Australians loudly laughing, swearing, even burping and farting on purpose and basically acting like loudmouths. Bogans, I concluded. I know I sound…

The best of Andalusia

Add these top spots to your bucket list! SEVILLE The capital of Andalusia may be famous for flamenco dancing and Moorish architecture, but it’s equally known for being the hottest city in Europe with temperatures soaring into the high 40s during the summer. On the plus side, while much of the continent shivers through freezing winters, this city can still be enjoyed in a mild, and often dry, climate. Seville’s main attraction is its 10thcentury UNESCO-listed palace complex, the Real Alcázar. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar is a spectacular combination of three palaces that combine Gothic, Islamic and Renaissance architecture. Marvel at the intricately tiled walls and mosaic ceilings before wandering in the royal gardens filled with orange trees, palms and the gorgeous Pond of Mercury. For something a…

Stars

OCT 26-NOV 1 LIBRA Sept 24 – Oct 23 The recent eclipse activity in your sign has probably brought up a lot of stuff which you realise you need to release. Give yourself a pat on the back. That’s very woke of you! So what now? ★ Forgive and move on, that’s the quickest fix. SCORPIO Oct 24 – Nov 22 It’s as though you feel like life is against you so you’re behaving in a way that’s actually attracting more negativity. That’s what’s happening for you right now. Of course, the best thing to do is stop that! Meditation will help fix your mindset. ★ Trying to fight an enemy you can’t see is exhausting. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 – Dec 22 There could be money worries this week but…

3 min

Mailbox

Roadtrip nightmare Kerry Martin’s story in issue 31 about driving around Australia with her two dogs reminded me of when we moved from Sydney to Melbourne a few years ago. My husband drove the moving van and I drove with our two boxers. They barked and howled constantly, scratched at the door for toilet stops every 20 minutes, threw up, and destroyed the car when I had to use the bathroom. Five hours into the trip I stopped at a vet clinic and begged for help. Thankfully, they gave me some magic pills and the dogs slept the rest of the way. Never again! Carol Eliades, Elwood, Vic. Faulty footwear I was helping my four-year-old grandson, Lachy, get ready for preschool when he insisted he could put his socks on…