Tabla de contenidos para TAK2537 en Take 5

The bullies taunted me for my looks, but I refused to let them ruin my life Hannah Harpin, 23. I clutched Mum’s hand as we walked across the playground. The other kids there all stopped and stared. “What’s wrong with her?” one said, pointing at me. At just three years old, I knew that with my nearly bald head, missing eyelashes and eyebrows, and cleft palate, I didn’t look like most children. “Just ignore them, love,” Mum said scooping me into her arms. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.” But deep down, I wished I looked the same as everyone else. I was hard of hearing, had poor vision in one eye, no tear ducts or sweat glands. When it was cold, I suffered joint pain, and during…

My boy went to work one day and never came home Patrizia Cassaniti, 52, Castle Hill, NSW. The crowd hung on every word. “Thank you all for being here,” my son Christopher said, flashing that megawatt smile that always melted my heart. “And thanks, Mum and Dad, for this lovely celebration. It’s been a great 18 years.” Everyone cheered. It was Saturday, March 30, 2019, and we were celebrating Christopher’s 18th birthday at home with family and friends. Tall, shy, and gentle, he had a quiet charisma that drew people in. He loved soccer, but he also had a wicked sense of humour and a way of making everyone feel included. When he came home from work, he and his younger brother Michael, 16, would kick a soccer ball around…

I was part of the march that started a movement Diane Minnis, Sydney, NSW. Pulling my winter coat tight, I grinned at my comrades. It was June 24, 1978 and we’d gathered at a cold and dark Taylor Square off Oxford Street, Sydney. As members of the Gay Solidarity Group, we’d been asked to take a stand against the Briggs Initiative in California which was seeking to ban gay men and lesbians from working in schools. Earlier that day I’d marched peacefully through the city and had gone home to rest up before this joyful and fun night-time event. A few months earlier, I’d come off my motorbike and broken my right foot in two places. I was still walking in plaster, but it wasn’t going to stop me from…

Surprise! I was thrilled to win some books from both Take 5 and Women’s Weekly. Thank you, we have plenty of reading now! Barbara Wilson, Kawana, Qld. WE PAY $100 FOR EACH LETTER PRINTED Funny guy My partner Thomas, 62, and I have been together 10 years, and his sense of humour has both amused me and tested my patience. Recently, we were in a sports store to get him a pair of joggers. “Try pulling the tongue out a bit,” the young shop assistant suggested as Thomas struggled to get the shoe on. Thomas grabbed his own tongue and pulled it out of his mouth. “Thith doethen’t help ad all,” Thomas lisped. The expression on the shop assistant’s face spoke volumes. Patting her shoulder, I said, “Don’t worry, love.…

I found love and my voice in the Aussie outback Nicole Piccione, 25, Mount Isa, Qld. My mum handed me an old photo and smiled. It was me, aged three, sitting at a piano with my dad during a visit to my godparents in Nevada, USA. “You were always going to be a performer,” she said. “Well, I’ve got you and Dad to thank for that,” I grinned. Music was always playing in our house as I was growing up in Italy. Neither my mum, Donatella, nor my dad, Luca, were musicians, but their love for it rubbed off on me. I was the first in the family to turn music into more than just a hobby. In 2017, during a family trip to Toronto, Canada, something shifted. One night,…

Ah, spring! The sun is shining, flowers are in bloom and the grass is green – then you feel a tickle in your throat and your eyes start to itch before you fall into a sneezing fit. If you suffer from allergies (spring-induced or otherwise), you’re not alone – the National Health Survey suggests that 4.6 million Australians struggle with allergic rhinitis. However, if you’re not normally a hayfever sufferer or your symptoms become more severe, it could be sinusitis. Here’s how to tell the difference. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ALLERGIES & SINUSITIS? “Sinusitis is the inflammation of the tissue that lines the hollow spaces in the skull between and behind the eyes, forehead and cheeks known as the sinuses,” says Blooms The Chemist Group pharmacist representative Alexandra Keipert. “It…

My baby was dying – then a phone call changed everything Kristy Busuttil, 42, Altona, Vic. Cradling my newborn son in my arms, I couldn’t stop staring at his little face. Harlen was my fourth baby – a perfect bundle of chubby cheeks and tiny fingers – but something wasn’t right. His skin and even the whites of his eyes were a bright, unnatural yellow. At his two-week checkup, I pointed it out to the maternal child health nurse. “It’ll clear,” she said casually, cocking her head. “Are you sure?” I asked. “Yes, it’s normal,” she replied. Trusting what she said, I told myself not to worry. Harlen was eight weeks old when I took him back for another check-up. This time, a different nurse took one look at him…

It’s estimated that around 90 per cent of women suffer some form of premenstrual symptoms. That means the whopping majority of us have probably silently suffered through bloating, headaches and mood swings, just to name a few. Yep, being a woman can be all kinds of fun! A new study has shown that eating a handful of nuts each day (around 30g) can help lessen these symptoms and relieve PMS by 41 per cent. “Nuts are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with essential fatty acids, fibre and micronutrients to help balance hormone levels,” explains dietitian Belinda Neville. HERO INGREDIENT Describing nuts as “a nutrient-dense hero food”, she says the “powerful mix of omega-3, fibre, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, selenium and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals” all help to ease inflammation in the body. They…

Is adopting a rescue dog right for you? Last financial year, nearly 17,500 dogs found refuge with the RSPCA, and many Aussies gave them a second chance at life – but this isn’t a decision to take lightly. Author, founder of The Canine Perspective and canine behaviourist Sarah Rutten says adopting a rescue dog can be life-changing and, for some, this is a perfect fit; but for others, it may be overwhelming and that’s okay. “Past neglect and abandonment can weigh heavily on rescue dogs – sometimes manifesting as reactivity, anxiety and unique needs that may not be the right fit for every home,” Sarah says. “Even puppies, while generally quicker to adapt if rehomed between the ages of seven and nine weeks, may still carry unseen trauma. “As rewarding…

Hi Take 5ers, My terminally ill mother has been in aged care for over a year. As she wasn’t allowed to bring her 13-year-old dachshund with her, she left her in the care of my sister, Anna*. Sadly, the dog died six months ago. But to my horror, Anna has been giving Mum updates on the dog as if he’s still alive and well! When I confronted her, she said she didn’t want to add to Mum’s sorrows. I feel very uncomfortable going along with it as Anna shows Mum old photos of the dog on her phone, pretending they were taken last week. What should I do? Victoria*, 60 It depends on your mum’s cognitive function. If she’s fine, she’ll accept the loss of the dog. If she’s not…

I was heading toward a red light when my body stopped working Leah Aharon, 60, Byron Bay, NSW. Watching the news with my husband, Shai, 38, a knot tightened in my chest. “Conflict had erupted in Israel again,” the newsreader said gravely. It was 2014 and we’d moved from Byron Bay to a town near Tel Aviv for my work in finance. Our sons, Osher, eight and Matan, seven, had just started at a local school, but didn’t speak Hebrew. “We need a way to keep track of their whereabouts,” I said to Shai. In Australia, I’d heard other mums raving about Life360, an app that showed where their loved ones were on a map. I wasted no time setting the app up on our phones. Fortunately, we never became…