Through my eyes, my sister Lisa had it all. She was beautiful, with a perfect figure, shiny blonde hair and an amazing, committed boyfriend, Harry. I’d always been jealous of Lisa while growing up, always wondering why I had not been blessed in the way she was. Compared to her, I was ordinary. I had […]

Question: Be positive! Try not to use your dog’s name in a negative way – such as when you’re reprimanding or warning your dog. Answer: You want your dog to feel it’s a good thing when you call his or her name – not a cause to be frightened or hesitant. Jeff, via email.

Clare-Louise Brumley is a picture of fitness and health — a good thing, considering she’s Australia’s cross-country skiing champion. But seven years ago it was a different story for the young occupational therapist. Clare-Louise, 26, was constantly tired, her body ached and her throat was always sore. She was so unwell she stopped training to […]

Kim Goodwin was just 11 when her nightmare started. It began with the periods from hell – severe cramping and bleeding keeping her in bed for days every month and needing to use up to 60 sanitary pads a day. “I regularly missed school and later took sickies from work,” says Kim, now 36. “My […]

Tiny Jessica Lopez lies on a blanket on the floor of her parents’ Sydney home. While she looks like one of the most fragile creatures on Earth, her appearance belies the strength that saw her survive when her mother Philippa contracted listeria while pregnant. “Babies of mums who catch it are usually stillborn,” explains Philippa, […]

Soaking romper suits and sodden cot sheets created a watery mystery for Perth mum Barbara Christie – until she discovered the peculiar leak was coming from her baby daughter’s hands and feet. The sweat dripping from Katherine – then eight months old – was enough to make puddles under her highchair. And her tiny hands […]

Jane Foster was like most hardworking Aussie mums – always on the go, looking after everyone else and having very little time to herself. In fact, she kept putting off her regular Pap test because she simply didn’t have time to visit her doctor. “I had been through a divorce, my parents had died and […]

The mention of her knock-knees causes champion swimmer Leisel Jones to turn red – then erupt in gales of laughter. As a gangly 10-year-old, she dreamt of finding catwalk fame as a model, and was convinced her knock-knees were the only things standing in her way. Such was her zeal to walk straight and tall, […]

Question: My nine-year-old female terrier cross refuses her own food and is always stealing the cat’s food. Is it okay for her to be eating like this? Sarah, via e-mail. Answer: This is not an unusual problem – a lot of little dogs love cat food, particularly the fishy ones. It won’t do her any […]

Question: My 11-year-old dog has cataracts in her eyes. Is it possible for them to be removed by a vet? Emma. Answer: Cataracts (stiffened opacities in the lens of the eye) are a very common problem in ageing dogs. They can cause visual disturbances and pain if there is associated glaucoma, and can even lead […]