Innholdsfortegnelse for Best Of 3 2017 i Pick Me Up! Special

Speaking out after suffering unimaginable pain can seem daunting, but two brave women have found the strength this month in order to help others. Mum Sukhi (pg38) lost her beloved son Amar in a horrific car accident. A seatbelt could have saved Amar’s life, and she’s made it her mission to stop more family tragedies. Debbie (pg20) thought she’d never get justice for the abuse she suffered, but 43 years later, she made a stand for victims everywhere. Having to dig deep at a time of crisis is something Natasha knows about all too well (pg32) . Her young daughter Nakita was left paralysed while learning to surf, but their fighting spirit is inspirational. New mum Paige (pg40) was terrified when her daughter was born with a huge tumour, but…

‘It felt like my neck had been scratched to pieces’ Pulling the throw over my shoulders, I curled up on the sofa and closed my eyes. ‘Are you still not feeling very well?’ my boyfriend, James, asked, concerned. ‘I’m exhausted,’ I groaned, my teeth chattering as I shivered. ‘I think you should give your lecture a miss today,’ he suggested. ‘Try and see the doctor.’ Nodding, I promised I would call the next day to book an appointment. I’d been to the doctors so many times before with the same symptoms. When I was 15, I’d been overweight, tipping the scales at more than 18st and struggling to squeeze into a size 22. I decided to start eating a healthy diet and exercising more. In less than a year, I’d…

‘I was shamed into action’ Scoffing a chocolate bar before school, I’d snack on sugary sweets all day, too. I never thought about calories, just the enjoyment! ‘It’s puppy fat,’ I told anyone who questioned my flabby folds. But by 13, I was a size 20, weighing 15st. For my 5ft 5in frame, I wasn’t just podgy, I was overweight. I had plenty of mates, but deep down, I wanted to be just like them - slim, wearing the latest fashions and flirting with boys at school. Then, walking home from school one afternoon in spring, I had a pain in my stomach. Concerned, my parents Darren, 49, and Bridget, 52, rushed me to A&E at East Surrey Hospital. There, tests showed I had a fatty liver - it was…

1 Proper etiquette When trick-or-treating, only go to houses that have decorations outside. If the house isn't decorated, chances are those people are not taking part. 2 Plan your route Roads leading to schools are always a good bet for trick-or-treating. There's usually a lot of kids who live on quiet roads like these, and chances are they will be joining in the fun too. 3 Comfort first Regardless of what they're dressed up as, make sure your kids wear comfy shoes when they go trick-or-treating. You don't want their night cut short by sore feet. 4 Fishing for brains Fill a hollowed-out pumpkin with jelly and then stick lollipops into it. Tell trick-or-treaters to reach inside the pumpkin's ‘brains' for their treats. 5 Be prepared Always buy more sweets…

‘I threw myself over the flames’ Idon’t know where it came from. But there was a sudden bang. A loud whistling. And a burning firework hurtling straight towards us. It was November last year. Me and my son, Tyler, 10, had gone to a local bonfire night party. When we got there, we stood behind the safety barriers and waited for the fireworks to begin. It started with loud crash, a familiar whizzing and an excited gasp from the crowd. Only, a few minutes later, there was a bang that didn’t sound right. I looked up and saw a firework flying directly at us. It was all so quick, I’m not even sure what happened. But the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Tyler was beside me,…

‘Suddenly I had the bounce I needed’ Everyone’s got a weakness. For some it’s shoes, for others it’s handbags. For me, it’s rabbits. I’m absolutely hopping mad about those little critters! Watching their noses twitch and their fluffy tails wriggle, it’s hard not to love them. I had hamsters as a child and was in a pet shop to a buy them food when I spotted a lonely bunny and decided to buy him. That’s when it started. So, when I turned 30, I knew exactly how to mark the occasion. When I brought Rupert the black lionhead rabbit home, my kids - Megan, eight, Molly, six, and Conner, two - adored him, too. But after a couple of weeks... He must be lonely, I thought, watching him hopping along.…

When Jo Richings decided to lose weight, she thought a slimmer figure would make her feel better - little did she know that beating the bulge would end up saving her life. As the mum-of-two started to shed the pounds, a tangerine-sized tumour revealed itself in her right breast. It had been hidden under layers of fat. It would send Jo on an extraordinary journey that would leave her feeling grateful for the deadly diagnosis. Tipping the scales at 20st 3lbs and bursting out of a size 24, Jo knew she had to do something about her expanding waistline - even before her cancer diagnosis. After dropping a few dress sizes, the business coach noticed a 10cm lump in her breast in January 2012. ‘I genuinely hadn’t felt it at…

I was already a mum to gorgeous little Harvey when I found out I was expecting again. My partner and I were both so excited, especially when we found out we were having a little girl. ‘One of each,’ my partner smiled. I was thrilled, thinking about all the pretty clothes I could buy her. We decided to call her Mila. Everything was going smoothly until I was 32 weeks gone, when Harvey caught a bug. And then I caught it, too. I spent two days throwing up and went to the GP. ‘You’re severely dehydrated,’ he said. ‘You need to get yourself to hospital quickly.’ Scans there showed Mila’s heart rate had dropped dramatically. ‘We need to rehydrate you,’ doctors said, hooking me up to three bags of IV…

Pets are a huge part of the family so it can be very difficult for everyone when they die. Children often turn to their dogs for unconditional love. As much as we want to shelter our kids from the pain, it's important to help them through the grieving process. BE TRUTHFUL Obviously you can gauge how much information to share depending on a child's age and maturity, but avoid making up something like ‘Rex ran away.' It won't help them feel any less sad and will backfire if they find out. This is probably their first experience with losing someone and an opportunity to bring up the important issue of dying. Be prepared for some questions. SHARE YOUR TEARS Your children might feel angry, lonely, and even guilty that they…

Mental Workout People often joke about having ‘senior moments', but according to a study by the University of Illinois, people over 60 actually excel at mentally challenging jobs, as a loss in memory is made up for with experience. Try to keep your mind strong in your later years by doing regular mental exercises. Fizz Out Put down that can of soda! It's not only bad for your teeth, but it can also prematurely age you. Carbonated beverages can cause brittle bones, pancreatic cancer, muscle weakness and paralysis. By all means, enjoy a can of soda every now and then, but it's probably best you don't have one every day. Get Some Shut-eye The older we get, the harder it is to get the sleep we need. Sleep is the…

• Regularly apply a cuticle balm which will help to protect your nails from harsh weather, and also works to regenerate skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. • Keep nails at a reasonable length, and slightly shorter than normal, as they are at a greater risk of breaking during winter months. A good quality file will seal the edges and prevent peeling - try to use a glass file, which has a super fine surface and will seal the free edge, leaving it smooth and snag-free. • Washing up, having a bath, or even a manicure offering a soak in a bowl are all big no no's! Exposing your nails to water makes them swell. Although the water in the nail plate will evaporate in around 30-60 minutes, the harmful…

‘What must he have been through?’ Following the satnav, my mate Sally and I got lost in north London and ended up in what looked like wasteland... I adored animals, and we had driven all the way from Leicestershire to collect a horse. I was about to have a moan about technology, when something caught my eye - a dog crate that looked like it had a dead animal in it. ‘Let’s go and check,’ Sally said. So I approached the crate with my heart in my mouth. Inside was a Staffordshire bull terrier, emaciated and lying in its own mess. ‘Hey there, buddy,’ I said gently. The pup didn’t respond, but was breathing. Racing back to the car, I grabbed a towel. Then, without giving it a second thought,…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April Focus on partnerships and investments now, Aries. In the year ahead you can develop trust in your unions, taking intimate bonds further - just watch for power struggles November 19th. Focus on income, property and financial opportunities in general - think big, considering the lucrative possibilities! The 3rd shows your earnings or contribution. Taurus 21 April - 21 May Dedicate energy towards work projects while you can because mid-November, full focus turns towards partnerships and collaborative efforts. From the 7th harmony flows in unions - feel the love on the 13th. The next twelve months promise relationship growth: visualize exactly what you want now, Taurus. Celebrate your solo successes on the 3rd. Gemini 22 May - 21 June Life feels busy but doesn't lack…

People couldn’t stop staring, but it didn’t bother me. I just held my dreadlocked head high! Being a dog owner gets you attention, especially if you’re a dread ringer for your pooch! I got my Hungarian puli, Sanka, when I was 30. With a big black afro, he looked familiar… But it wasn’t until I found a photo of me as a child that it clicked... He was my dog-elganger! As Sanka got older, his mane started to drop into long dreadlocks - just like the ones I’ve had for seven years. He even uses my special shampoo, too. We’re stopped everywhere we go and Sanka sits patiently while strangers ruffle his coat. Sanka’s a trained show dog, too. My favourite move is when he hides his face after you…

‘Something wasn't right on our big day’ My four youngest kids thundered through the front door and into the living room ahead of me. ‘Don’t forget to take off your shoes,’ I called after them. I’d just finished the school run and was desperate for a cuppa. But as single mum to seven, ‘me time’ was pretty rare. Sophie, my eldest, was 19, then there was Daniel, 17, Megan 14, Jessica, 12, Lily, 11, Alex, 10 and Dot, four. It was a full house. As we sat down to dinner, my phone rang. Singing was my passion. I’d auditioned a couple of weeks before with an Irish band and I’d been desperate for news. ‘Hi Laura, we have some great news,’ said the voice. It was the guitarist, Lou, 58,…

‘Teams of staff battled to save her’ Finding out I was going to be a mum was a whirlwind. It was only when I had a miscarriage that I realised I was pregnant. But I’d been carrying twins, and one had survived. I’d only been with Jamie Woodham, then 17, three months and the news broke us up. But once Amelia Mary arrived weighing a healthy 7lb 3oz, we knew we wanted to be a family. I adored being a mum. ‘You’re like a duck to water!’ my mum said, a week on. Amelia had her jabs, including a meningitis C vaccine. Amelia was seven months old when I fell pregnant again. ‘It’s meant to be,’ Jamie said, grinning with happiness. On my 21st birthday, Mum and my sister Hannah,…

School Drop-out Katy Perry dropped out of school to pursue her singing career. In 2001, she released a gospel album, but it only sold 200 copies. She decided to switch to pop music, but was rejected by three record labels. She worked as a back-up singer in local clubs before she was eventually signed to Capitol Music in 2006. It was with them that she released her first hit single, I Kissed a Girl, which started her career as a commercial success. Lacks imagination In 1919, Walt Disney was fired from his job at the Kansas City Star newspaper because he ‘lacked imagination'. He went on to start his own cartoon company, Laugh-O-Gram, where he brought Mickey and Minnie Mouse to life. But he wound up in debt. He filed…

‘It was dark as I pushed through the crowd’ Cause this is thriller, thriller night! And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike… My mum adores Michael Jackson. Growing up, we watched the Thriller video with Jacko in that killer red leather jacket surrounded by zombies endlessly. And Jacksons’ music made me feel close to Mum when in 2011, I moved to the UK from the Philippines with my daughter, now 10. We felt at home in Edinburgh and soon after, I had another daughter, now eight, with my partner at the time. We split, but in 2014, I met David Sneath, 32, on a night out, and it was love at first sight. David soon noticed I was always playing Michael Jackson songs and one…

‘I looked on in terror, unable to move’ Watching telly with my kids Aaron, then five, and Grace, three, suddenly, I couldn’t feel my left leg. I was losing sensation in my left side. At hospital, a CT scan revealed I’d had a stroke. ‘But I’m fit and healthy,’ I cried to my husband Stephen, 34. The consultant booked me in for thrombolysis treatment, for drugs to dissolve dangerous clots and improve the blood supply to my brain. But doctors also discovered I’d likely had a minor stroke years earlier without even realising. ‘I remember losing my sight momentarily while I was pregnant with Grace,’ I said. Back home, I regained feeling in my left side. Given blood-thinning medication, I made a 97 per cent recovery. But a week on,…

• THEY SAY: Made with natural cow's milk, a2 is completely free from the A1 protein, meaning it's easier on digestion, even for those who consider themselves as lactose intolerant. • YOU SAY: ''I used to think I was lactose intolerant, but this has left me feeling less bloated – turns out I was allergic to that particular protein, and not cow's milk in general.” Sue, Wiltshire •WE SAY: A great product that lets people who have issues digesting milk return to drinking natural cow's milk rather than having to buy lactose-free or plant-…

Amira Khanom, 28, Birmingham For some people, it’s a glass of wine and a good film. For others, it’s a bit of retail therapy or a bubble bath... But my idea of the perfect ‘me time’ is playing bingo and having a natter in the chatrooms! I joined Pick Me Up! Bingo in February 2015, after seeing an advert in the magazine. I used to go to the bingo hall with my mum. But, since having my four kids, I rarely found the time to go. But when I did have a few minutes to spare, I played Pick Me Up! Bingo. My favourite game was Bingo Lounge, in a 75-ball bingo room. I enjoyed the slot games, too, and loved the chatrooms. There was always a laugh to be…

‘He offered to walk me home’ ‘I froze as his face appeared’ • Pinned down metres from home • Fought off would-be rapist • Turned detective to get justice Dabbing on some lippy, I headed out to meet my mates at the nightclub. I was looking forward to some drinks and a boogie. Only, as I waited in the cold, dark town centre, time ticked by. ‘They’re late,’ I sighed. ‘Sorry! Still getting ready’, one friend texted. Typical! Shivering, I wandered over to sit on a nearby bench when a stranger approached me. ‘Can I borrow a lighter?’ he said. ‘Sure,’ I replied. He was medium height with ginger hair, about my age. We got talking and he seemed quite friendly, so when he asked me for my number, I…

‘One day he'll play for England’ Gemma Wheeler, 32, Fareham It was a sunny day and my hubby Dean was putting golf balls into a net in our garden. Our son Zach, then 16 months, watched in awe. ‘Mine, mine!’ he said, grabbing at his dad’s club. Zach tapped the ball… and it rolled into the net! From then on, he lived and breathed golf. Using plastic clubs, he learned how to play before he could walk properly! Zach went to his first golf course aged two, and had his own set of professional golf clubs by four. Last summer, we converted our 100-foot garden into a four-hole course for him. Now, he plays every day. The biggest struggle was buying him golfing outfits, like polos and cute shorts. Everything…

‘People would laugh then wish me luck’ Ripping off the festive wrapping on Christmas Day, I was fit to bounce with joy when I spotted a splash of orange under the paper. ‘Yes! A space hopper!’ I grinned to my hubby Phil, 41. ‘Thank you!’ ‘Why did you want one anyway?’ he asked, slightly baffled. ‘They’re meant to be for kids!’ ‘Research…’ I smiled. In the middle of writing a novel for young adults - We Are All Made Of Rubber - about a teenage girl who wanted to break a world record, I started wondering what it would actually be like. The barmier the record, the better, I thought. So I decided to go for the exact same challenge as my main character - to try to become the…

‘Flexing into position felt so incredible’ While studying a Psychology PhD, I spotted a Pole Dance Society had launched. I’d played University softball and enjoyed keeping fit. Let’s give it a whirl, I thought. Getting to grips with the pole was tougher than expected. I fell off countless times, but had such a giggle. Flexing into all those different positions felt incredible. I loved defying gravity. Many people associate pole dancing with seedy clubs, but it’s not like that. Pole fitness is a sport that requires a lot of discipline. Employed as a Psychology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, I took pole classes twice a week. Three years on, I qualified as a trainer. I adored showing others how to control the pole – quite a big change from the…

Apple & Blackberry Crumble Serves 4 Makes 12 • 450g Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced • 100g blackberries • 75g golden (or regular) caster sugar • FOR THE CRUMBLE: • 100g plain flour • 25g porridge oats • Pinch of salt • 50g Trex low fat butter, chilled • 50g demerara sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/ Gas Mark 6. Mix together the apples, blackberries and caster sugar, then tip them into a 1 litre (1 ½ pint) ovenproof dish. 2. Put the flour, salt and porridge oats into a mixing bowl and add the Trex, rubbing it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like crumbs. Stir in the demerara sugar, then sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. 3. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the fruit is tender and…

‘Nakita wanted to learn how to surf’ My daughter Nakita, eight, took a run up to the pool and jumped in with a mighty splash. ‘Did you see that?’ she beamed. It was October last year and her dad Russell, 34, and I had taken her to Portugal. Russell and I had separated years ago, but we’d remained good friends. And we often did things together as a family. Full of energy, Nikita could barely sit still for five minutes. Five days into the holiday, she wanted to learn how to surf. So Russell agreed to go along and try it with her. We headed to the beach and they practised jumping on their boards on the sand. Neither of them had a clue what they were doing, but they…

‘Amar told me how much he loved me’ 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 rushed 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…

Winter woes Every winter I get so many cold sores. How can I treat them quickly and can they be prevented? Fiona, Brighton Cold sores are caused by a virus that lies dormant until it is triggered. The only way to prevent them is by avoiding those triggers, but unfortunately it is hard to avoid winter! Common triggers related to winter are chapped lips, or coughs and colds, so keep your lips smooth using a specialist lip salve and wash your hands frequently to keep colds at bay. You can treat a cold sore before it gets a hold by treating it quickly with an anti-viral cream such as Zovirax. Buy it in advance and keep it in your handbag ready to apply at the first sign of a tingle.…

‘They started chasing me as I cried’ Slumped on the sofa, I tucked into a delicious chicken stuffed baguette. Mmmm, comfort food, I thought, polishing off the lot. Next, I ate crisps and sweets. But after, I didn’t feel comforted. I felt miserable. It was March 2015, and my husband Simon, 45, had taken our two boys, Arran, then 10, and Logan, four, out for the day. He was always taking them swimming or to the park to play. But I’d stay behind, stuffing my face. A size 20, I was too embarrassed to be seen in public, and so I rarely left the house. My health was poor, too –I suffered with IBS and I was in constant pain. I’m failing my kids, I thought. The worse I felt,…