Innehållsförteckning för TAK2339 från Take 5

Most of us have heard stories of our friends, family members or colleagues copping a “periods can be painful” or “have you tried ibuprofen?” when they present to a trusted doctor in pain. Anecdotes aside, research shows that doctors are more likely to mistreat women’s pain. In a 2021 study, researchers at the University of Miami found when male and female patients expressed the same amount of pain, observers viewed female pain as less intense. Although pain isn’t the only thing that doctors can overlook in women. Other studies have revealed women are more likely to be sent home from Emergency in the middle of a heart attack or stroke. Femma CEO and women’s health specialist GP Dr Emma Rees says this is because women’s health issues have previously been…

Abig gathering of friends sat around our living room making music. “Get up there, Roberty-Bob!” my mum, Mary, egged me on. It was 1996, and aged five, I’d recently started Irish dance lessons with my two older sisters. Timidly, I showed off some of the steps I’d learnt as the friends cheered. We lived on an apple orchard in the Huon Valley, Tas, which had been in my dad’s family for generations. Mum had left her own family’s farm in Ireland after she met my father, Robert, while he was travelling around Europe. She vowed to never forget the culture of her homeland. On nights like this one, friends and family would gather for a jam session. Many would bring instruments – tin whistles, Celtic drums, piano accordions – and…

Hi Take 5ers, Sadly, my dad passed away a couple of years ago from a heart attack, and my mum took it really badly. To help pull her out of her grief, I recently set her up on a dating website. Even though she said she wasn’t ready to meet anyone, I convinced her that just talking to someone might help. After I set her up, I made myself a fake profile of a man of her age. I thought talking to her and giving her compliments, pretending to be this man, would help boost her confidence again. However, Mum has now fallen for the man I created and has recently asked to meet. I don’t want to tell her the truth in case it crushes her, and she never…

Fruits of labour A couple of years ago my greatuncle Tom gifted me a dwarf banana tree to celebrate me finally buying my own little house with a garden. Tom, 87, taught me so much about gardening and growing my own food. Sadly, he passed away before I could share my first banana crop with him but I can almost hear him say, “What a haul! Well done, my girl!” Millie Lamont, Skennars Head, NSW. Mr Muscles I was in the supermarket carpark when I overheard a mum who had a baby in her arms ask her little boy, aged around four, if he could lift a bag of nappies into the car. After a few unsuccessful attempts he sighed and said, “I need more strong, Mummy. When I’m 10…

Sitting on the boat next to my husband, I felt totally at ease. “This is the best holiday we’ve ever been on,” I told Geoff, as we watched the idyllic French towns slowly pass us by. It was 2012, and I’d been worried our decision to spend two weeks sailing Burgundy’s rivers and canals in a fibreglass boat, which only travelled at 11km/hr, might get boring. But the slow pace forced us to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Along the way, Geoff and I met so many people who told us they spent six months of every year cruising through Europe on their boats. “We have to do that when we retire,” I said, and Geoff agreed. Back home on the Sunshine Coast, it quickly became apparent we could…

Even the seemingly most confident people can struggle with self-doubt occasionally. Thankfully, life coach and author of The Panic Button Book, Tammi Kirkness, has shared her tips for building up your bravado… CREATE A REVERSE BUCKET LIST Write a list of all the things you’ve done in your life that you’re proud of and keep it handy. Whenever you have a wobbly moment, re-read your list and remember that if you’ve already done X then today you can do Y. STRIKE A POSE Before starting something scary, send a message to your brain that you’re confident by altering your posture. Straighten your spine, move your shoulders back and lift your gaze. DRESS CONFIDENTLY When heading out of the house, take the time to choose an outfit that helps you feel…

Igripped the microphone and began to sing. “Everybody,” I began, “rock the kasbah!” I’d really hit my stride when the phone started ringing. “Will you shut up!” roared Marcia, my neighbour from the apartment next to mine. “How about you shut your cake hole,” I snapped. “It’s only 7pm and I’m not breaking any rules.” Marcia was a real battleaxe and, sadly, this wasn’t the first time she’d complained to me. “Rock the kasbah?” she asked sarcastically. “You’ve got rocks in your head if you think you can sing, girl.” She hung up abruptly and I burst into tears. You see, singing has always been my dream; and even though I never scored a part in the school musical and was rejected when I auditioned for a music course at…

The doctor’s face was grim. “It’s not good news,” she said. My husband, Adam, 33, gripped my hand as the doctor explained our unborn child had pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), a terminal brain condition. “She might only live a few hours,” the doctor warned. “And if she lives beyond that, she will need a wheelchair and a feeding tube. We advise you terminate.” I clutched my pregnant belly protectively. It was early 2019, and only the year before, we’d lost our baby Noah at 19 weeks in utero. I was still reeling with grief and now I had this terrible news. Suddenly, a strong maternal instinct took over me. “I’m her mum,” I told the doctor firmly. “We’re not terminating. I will love and protect her whatever happens.” I hired a…

Scrolling through Facebook, my attention was drawn to a post by my friend Sonya, who ran an animal support group. We need help raising $6000 for vet bills for this poor pup, she’d written. Underneath, she’d posted pictures of a six-week-old puppy called Dylan, looking weak and dehydrated. He’d been abandoned in someone’s yard and had a severe case of mange, leaving him with no fur on his tiny body. How can people be so cruel? I thought sadly. Pulling out my bank card, I donated some money and messaged Sonya directly. I’ll foster him until he finds his forever home, I told her. That would be amazing, she replied gratefully. Two weeks later, in November 2022, I went to collect him. Despite the pictures, his appearance still shocked me.…

Stuff a thin pool noodle between your washing machine and the wall, so you don’t lose socks in the space in between. Nellie Fraser, Wollongong, NSW. You can remove the labels from jars with a little baking soda and olive oil. Anita Kapoor, Rosanna, Vic. If you have any hooks in your kitchen, hang up your bananas instead of putting them in a bowl. Then they will last much longer. Leonie Mason, Lower Hutt, NZ. My baking secret is sprinkling sea salt on biscuits right after baking them, which makes them taste really, really good! Amber Lee, Darwin, NT. I found out that putting a marshmallow in my brown sugar container stops the sugar from drying out and getting clumpy. Russell Haines, Herveys Range, Qld. When I want to walk…

The sound of applause echoing through the hall made me smile. . “That was beautiful,” my friend Lance told me once I’d made my way off the stage. It was 2005 and I was with the local church choir, as we were rehearsing for an Easter performance. Blind from birth, I was determined to live my best life and pursued my long-time love of singing. That’s how I first met Lance, 61, who sang in the choir, too. And while I obviously couldn’t see what he looked like, from the warmth in his voice, I imagined him to be a tall and handsome man. “Can you give me a ride home?” I asked. Although I tried to be as independent as possible by living alone, driving was one of the…

When you hear the word hike, you’d likely think we’re talking about long walks through mountain ranges with a trekking pole in hand. But what if we said you can take a hike without travelling out of the city – and sans most of the gear? Whether you’re heading interstate or enjoying a staycation, these scenic city hikes across Australia are worth checking out. Here are three of the best to get you stretching your legs… BONDI TO COOGEE WALK SYDNEY, NSW Explore two of Sydney’s most famous beaches on this beloved 6km paved urban trail. Start in Bondi with a swim in the surf and an exploration of the tidal pools on the northeastern rocks. From here you’ll wind south along a clifftop path edging the posh eastern suburbs.…