Take 5

We were so happy to share Ashlee’s story this week, and give a well-deserved shout out to her wonderful grandma, who stepped in to look after her when she was growing up. We especially loved the part where Ashlee called her gran a mum and a best friend, and we thought it would resonate with many of our readers. It certainly did with our team. Deputy Features Editor Theo was very close to his Nana Joan. They loved playing Scrabble together. “She was a former English teacher, and super savvy,” Theo recalled fondly. “She’d take no prisoners, even during games a few weeks before she passed in her 90s.” My nanny Jan loved a card game and had a wicked sense of humour. She’d also set up assault courses around…

The party was in full swing, and as everyone danced around us, the handsome stranger and I couldn’t stop talking about one thing… cricket! I was 16, Tony was 20, and there was an instant spark between us. “Can I have your number?” he asked at the end of the night. Digging a pen out of my bag, I quickly scribbled it down on a piece of paper. “I’ll call for sure,” he promised. True to his word, Tony called me on the home phone the next day, and before long, we were inseparable. Mum and Dad loved him, and he was always making me laugh. If our conversation happened to reference a song lyric, we’d both instantly break into song! Two years on, we were at the pub where…

My kids were in serious trouble and I was helpless to protect them James McLeod, 44, Burrum Heads, Qld. The older kids giggled as they played with their Christmas presents at my mum’s place. My youngest, Wyatt, four months, was having his nails gently trimmed by my sister-in-law. “Who does she think she is?” my wife Charmaine elbowed me. “What?” I frowned. “I didn’t ask her to cut his nails,” Charmaine snapped. “I’m not spending Christmas here.” Charmaine didn’t like my sister-in-law. “C’mon love. It’s Christmas. Think of the kids,” I said, but she stormed out. Our kids, Aaleyn, two, Matilda, one, and Wyatt, would have to spend Christmas without their mum because she’d chucked another tantrum. Charmaine was real hard work. We’d met 12 years earlier and became friends…

When Mum failed to look after me, Grandma stepped in Ashlee McNamara, 32, Melbourne, Vic. I screamed as my mum burst through my bedroom door, terror etched across her face. “Get back here now,” a male voice bellowed behind her. He appeared in the doorway with a knife in his hand and launched himself towards us. Thankfully, Mum’s partner grabbed him in time and dragged him out. I was three years old, and this wasn’t out of the norm. My mum, Kim, was a heroin addict and had been before I was born. There were always strangers at home, particularly men, as Mum would prostitute herself out to them to make money. She’d moved us to South Australia, isolating us from her family in Melbourne. As she was incapable, I…

The Bachelor made me realise I’m a lesbian! Steph Crothers, 30, Flemmington, Vic. Lazing on the couch with my friend, I sipped my wine. “Let’s make a bet,” she said, grinning. I raised my eyebrows. It was 2017, we were having a girls’ night in, watching The Bachelor, where ladies compete to win a man’s heart. “If we’re both still single when this is casting next, we have to apply,” she said. “Deal!” I laughed. Months later, I saw an ad on Instagram calling for applicants for the show. By then, my friend was loved up with a boyfriend, so I assumed she’d have forgotten our silly bet. Just then, my phone buzzed. Looks like you’re auditioning for The Bachelor! she texted me. A deal’s a deal, I guess, I…

Despite popular belief, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) isn’t just a potential side effect of flying. This serious condition occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the body’s deep veins, most commonly in the legs. It’s so dangerous because the blood clot can break away and travel through the bloodstream, resulting in a pulmonary embolism – a potentially deadly blood clot in the lungs. WHAT CAUSES DVT? There are three main causes of DVT, commonly referred to as Virchow’s Triad. They are: 1 REDUCED BLOOD FLOW This occurs after a period of prolonged immobility – think long flights, bed rest, or even sitting for extended periods at your desk! 2 INJURY Certain surgeries – particularly orthopaedic surgeries – carry an increased risk of blood clots. Trauma, fractures and inflammation…