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‘I can’t live like this, just take it off.’

Those are the words I screamed through tears, my voice raw, at doctors while in hospital in February 2018.

My left arm no longer felt like part of me; it was a burning, twisted thing attached to my body. I would’ve done anything for the pain to stop.

This ‘pain’ was due to a neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

However, it’s also known by another name – the ‘suicide disease’.

It is no wonder that I thought my life was over when I received my diagnosis at the start of 2018.

However, I didn’t know at the time, but my life would go on to be so full and hopeful, even with a debilitating disease.

Life before my diagnosis could not have been more ordinary. I lived with my parents, loved my role as a teacher, and spent many hours walking my dog, Bessler.

The only problem I had to contend with was seeing my mum face stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Despite her illness we were determined to carry on as normally as possible.

However everything began to change in autumn 2017, when I started feeling run-down and was diagnosed with a respiratory infection.

I was prescribed a medication for my throat but I had a severe anaphylactic reaction and ended up being admitted to intensive care – where an issue with a cannula led to a further infection. 

This was treated with different antibiotics, and surgeries to try and clean my hand from the inside – but it never truly recovered. My hand would swell, change colour and was incredibly painful. I didn’t understand what was going on, and at first, neither did the doctors.

I was just 24, but I felt like my life was over.

The constant pain became uncontrollable. It felt like millions of angry ants were crawling up and down my arm. 

A slight breeze was enough to make me scream in agony. The pain soon became the only thing I could think about and my teaching career stalled as a result.

With so little understanding of what was causing my pain. I was being passed between different doctors, wards and teams, without any end in sight.

Eventually, in January 2018, I received the diagnosis of CRPS. Doctors told me that I would likely have years of pain, rehab ahead of me but it was discovering that this condition is dubbed the ‘suicide disease’ that sent me into a spiral.

I’d spend hours in hospital beds and psychiatric units trying to come to terms with what had happened to me.

I was distraught and I couldn’t imagine a future for myself.

The doctors had warned me that amputating could make things worse as the pain might spread.

But on that February night in hospital in 2018, the pain in my arm was so severe, so relentless, I genuinely thought about doing it myself – finding something sharp and ending the nightmare by my own hand.

In that moment I would’ve traded anything, even part of myself, for a release from the pain.

Things got even worse when, in September 2018, I woke up from another operation on my hand, unable to move the lower part of my body.

Doctors were unable to tell if the botched cannula insertion triggered this, but either way, the outcome was the same: I now had to contend with being paralysed.

My life, once defined by movement, independence and purpose, had changed forever.

By 2020, I’d hit rock bottom. Hospital wards had become my home where I trialled multiple different treatments, had endless physio appointments and faced my uncertain future.

One day in March 2024 while on a neuro-rehab unit I sent a silly lighthearted video to my parents of me lipsyncing in my bathroom to an audio of a lady giving a swimming lesson on TikTok.

At the time, it was a decision that felt small and insignificant. At most I hoped it’d give them, and me, a much-needed laugh. 

But that video changed the course of my life dramatically.

Having accidentally made the video public, it wasn’t long before the views and comments from people all around the world started rolling in. And to my surprise, most people showed an interest in me and my condition.

I began responding – it left me feeling more connected to the outside world than I had in a long time. The more I shared, the more empowered I felt as my community grew. I realised I wasn’t alone, there were so many more people fighting a similar diagnosis and on similar journeys as me. 

While my social media flourished, I was still learning how to survive the reality of my new life as a disabled person. The pain was still constant – but creating content and sharing videos became an unexpected refuge. It was a way to reclaim some sense of control at a time when so much felt out of my hands.

I still can’t believe I now have millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, but I’m proud to use my platform to show people that, even when life takes a different path, there can still be joy and hope. It’s something I desperately needed when I was coming to terms with my new reality.

That’s why it was such an honour to win Sense’s ‘Digital Voice of the Year’ Award and I plan to keep challenging stereotypes and building a community through my posts.

I know that being diagnosed with a debilitating illness is scary and it’s okay to feel lost or even angry – your whole world has changed, and it takes time to grieve the life you thought you’d have.

But I promise you, this isn’t the end of your story, it’s just a different chapter.

I have found strength as a result of time, adaptation and coping strategies that allow me to coexist with pain rather than be defined by it.

And I’ve had an incredible experience in my wheelchair – like going on rollercoasters, horseriding and water-skiing.

In fact, if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change a thing. 

I love my life exactly the way it is today and that’s something I never thought I’d say.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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I looked down at the whirring hair dryer in my hand, perplexed. 

I was a hairdresser – I spent my days styling and cutting hair, but suddenly my right arm felt so weak, I couldn’t hold the hair dryer up a second longer. It was as if it were made of lead. 

At first, I thought I’d slept funny. Or maybe I was getting older and weaker – especially since it was the lightest dryer on the market.

I knew at that moment that something really wasn’t right. 

It wasn’t the first time I’d had trouble with my strength. The signs had started six months earlier when I couldn’t push myself out of the bath easily.

I’d been struggling to hold the hair dryer for long periods, and on one occasion, my colleague had noticed my arm twitching. 

I shrugged these moments off, putting them down to stress, being 55 years old, maybe even the menopause.

It was only when, on that same day, my speech started to slur that I knew something wasn’t right. 

The fear began to creep in. I googled my symptoms and the first thing that came up was Stephen Hawking. That was when the dread truly settled in. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone, other than my best friend – I was terrified.

A few days later – on August 22 2021 – I rang my GP to discuss my symptoms of vertigo. That’s when she told me to call 999, and that I was having a stroke.

Terrified, I went to hospital and went through six months of endless tests: blood work, MRIs, lumber puncture and scans.

Then there were the misdiagnoses. First they thought it was menopause. Then a stroke. Then multiple sclerosis.

Finally, one day in September 2022, the neurologist delivered the unthinkable news: ‘You have motor neurone disease’. 

I was told that 50% of people with MND die within three years; 90% within 10. There’s no cure and nothing to slow it down.

In the moments that followed, my first thought was of my children. I’m a single mum to three grown kids and I’ve always been their rock, their support. But at that moment, all I could think about was that I might not be there for them much longer.

I was terrified of leaving them to face life without me. 

Three years on, I’m one of the ‘lucky’ ones who have made it this far – but I can feel myself deteriorating every day, asking for more help. 

Now, I can no longer dress myself, cook for myself, or even get out of bed on my own. 

My arms are completely paralysed, my fingers are curling and I can’t lift my head without help. My torso and neck are losing strength, and I can’t even stand on my own anymore. 

My lung strength is down to 50%, so I rely on a machine to help me breathe at night, and I choke every time I eat. And just recently, I’ve had the operation for a PEG tube to feed me because swallowing will become impossible.

The thing I dread every day is when my voice will go, because I don’t know how I will express myself, or tell my family I love them.

It breaks my heart to think about my children one day having to care for me in ways I never imagined. 

As their mother, I’ve always been their protector. Now, I’m the one who needs their help. 

My children have been so strong. I’ve had the discussion that I don’t want them to put their lives on hold just because of me but that I will fight this for as long as I can. They understand, but watching silently while the person they love deteriorates is traumatic. 

When I explain my condition to people, they often ask, ‘Oh, you’ve got MS, right?’ They don’t know what MND is, or how brutal it is. 

This is a disease that takes everything from you, slowly – and the fact that people don’t even understand what it is hurts just as much as the disease itself.

Among my own social circle, I know eight other women hairdressers with MND. These women – daughters, mothers, friends, wives – are all being forgotten in this fight, as we feel that too much of the MND focus is around men, particularly elite sportsmen. 

When I was diagnosed, I vowed to make a difference. I wanted my story to be something that raised awareness. So last year I started a Facebook support group for women with MND called MND QUEENS. 

It’s a group for women with and, who have been affected by MND. We support each other, talk about MND care, menopause, treatment equipment, our families, accessibility, mental health and so much more. We even have our own t-shirts!

I’ve also worked with the MND Association on their #teammnda campaign, as well as fundraising for research and advocacy.

The association has really helped me since being diagnosed, but it is significantly underfunded. 

No one should have to go through what I’m going through, left to watch my body deteriorate, one part at a time. 

We need to do more. 

The more that people understand what this disease does to people, the more money we can raise to find a cure. So I write this not for sympathy, but to raise awareness, and to make sure my children know that I fought to find that cure. 

Because no one should ever have to hear those words: ‘You have MND’ – and I will fight to the end for people living with this disease. 

Originally published November 16, 2025

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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Whether old or young, we know that being too sedentary is not good for us and research suggests that long periods of sitting have been linked to cardiovascular disease, an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and other conditions such as depression and anxiety. 

So, if your New Year’s resolution is to get a bit fitter or move a little bit more but you can’t find the time to make it to the gym, or don’t want to venture out into the cold, an under-desk bike could be a total lifesaver. 

We’re not talking about super-expensive, technical equipment here. The Dhouse Mini Pedal Exerciser is a compact, easy-to-use bike that slots neatly under your desk so you can pedal while answering emails, on Zoom calls, or even watching Netflix – no extra time needed. 

Dhouse Mini Pedal Exerciser

The Dhouse Mini Pedal Exerciser is a compact and versatile fitness tool for both arms and legs, perfect for use at home or in the office.

It features adjustable resistance, a non-slip base, and durable construction, letting you pedal safely while sitting at a desk, watching TV, or reading.

Lightweight, foldable, and portable, it helps improve circulation, strengthen muscles, and boost overall fitness in just a few minutes a day.

Buy Now

Small but effective, it works your legs and gets your blood pumping in just a few minutes – and it’s only £12.10 at Amazon UK.

What features does it have? Well, it’s built to stay put, with a protective bottom pad and stabilising tubes that stop it sliding or vibrating, so you can focus on your workout without worrying about slipping. 

Plus, the tension knob lets you adjust the resistance for a tougher or easier session, and it works both clockwise and counterclockwise, so you can work different muscle groups.

This mini pedal machine isn’t just for legs though. It can be used for both arm and hand training to boost flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and upper body strength. Regular use can even help improve muscle tone and overall energy levels.

If you’re not a desk worker but experience health issues making mobility difficult, this could be just the ticket too.  

With this there’s no waiting for machines at the gym (or paying for an extortionate membership), heading out into the cold weather or faffing around with exercise classes, just a quick bit of movement while you work that actually makes a difference to your overall health and wellbeing. 

And users who’ve already welcomed the mini pedal exerciser into their life have been reaping the benefits already.

‘Brilliant for the price. I used this after a knee replacement. It helps with the knee bend and building the muscle in your legs,’ said one happy shopper. 

This shopper loved using it while watching telly: ‘Lovely little bit of kit. I have been suffering with arthritis lately and just moving my legs whilst watching TV is helping.’

And one user was keen on its no-frills design: ‘Great product, highly recommended. Also great price, there are loads similar with all added extras like calorie counter and revolution counters but that’s not needed here, this is a great basic model at a competitive price.’

We all know we shouldn’t be sitting down all day but for those who are stuck at a desk for work or need a hand getting moving, this machine’s a gamechanger for helping you burn calories, improve circulation, and feel a bit more active without changing your routine. 

And at under £13, it’s a cheap and easy way to sneak a little fitness into your January.

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When Summer Robert was seven, she had to borrow a b-cup bra from her friend’s mum because she was bursting out of her school polo shirt.

‘I was so small, I was just a walking boob throughout the whole of school,’ she tells Metro. ‘I definitely looked super awkward because I had nothing on me apart from boobs.’

Now, 18 years later, at 25 years old and 4ft 9in, Summer measures in at around a 30N or 28 O-cup breast size, depending on the shop, with the weight on her chest amounting to more than four stone, or 25kg.

She’s just been diagnosed with a rare condition called gigantomastia, a severe form of macromastia, which causes excess breast tissue to grow rapidly.

‘In the space of a year my breasts have grown 10 sizes,’ Summer says. ‘From 22 to 24, I stayed a K-cup but now they’re increasing rapidly in size again. That’s why doctors think I’ve got gigantomastia, rather than just macromastia.’

Despite this, she claims doctors have refused her reduction surgery due to the fact she exceeds the BMI threshold critera set by the NHS where she lives in Glasgow.

Techically, Summer is categorised as ‘morbidly obese’, but she only measures this way because of her chest size – something that’s caused her problems since she can remember.

‘When I would run in PE boys would shout “bounce, bounce bounce”,’ Summer recalls.

At just 13, she claims she received a shocking comment by a teacher.

‘I wore a vest top under my shirt because there were gaps between the buttons where the fabric stretched, and he said “you need to put a jumper on”,’ she says. ‘I said no because it was summer and I was boiling, so he sent me to the headmaster because he was “getting too distracted”.’

Summer’s parents frequently shouted at school staff for sending their daughter home because of her breasts, but it didn’t phase her. ‘I just thought it’s not my fault these teachers are perverts,’ she adds.

On her walks home from school she would be cat called about six times, and it’s this public harassment that truly affected Summer.

‘I’d bring baggy band t-shirts to school to put over my uniform so I could walk home and not get targeted – but I’d still get cat called,’ she says. ‘I thought “oh my god, I hate this”. I felt like the world was eating me up inside – it was awful.’

At 15, when she’d gone from a b-cup to a DD in the space of a couple of months, Summer’s mum took her to the doctor, concerned about the rapid growth. The GP said it was ‘just puberty’.

But it wasn’t just fitting into her uniform that was a problem at this age. Summer’s large breasts meant older guys were ‘predatory’ towards her, and her first serious boyfriend, at 15, was 11 years older than her.

‘I was sexualised by him and his friends, and my parents obviously hated him, but I’d sneak out to a different town to see him at these weird parties,’ she adds. ‘I thought it was cool but in hindsight it wasn’t.’

She left school at 16, with double J breasts, to work in hospitality, but the harassment only got worse. ‘I became a chef in my dad’s restaurant but I was too over-sexualised, and other chefs were too grabby and handsy,’ Summer says.

‘So I went back to waitressing and became a manager, but I didn’t get taken seriously. One man put me in a headlock when I asked him to leave because of his creepy and gross behaviour towards me.’

A year later at 17, she returned to the doctor because her breasts had again grown significantly. ‘That was the first time they told me I was too fat,’ Summer sighs.

‘They told me to lose weight, even though I was a size eight on the bottom half. My mum went crazy because there was no fat on me.’

She would receive letters from the doctors with the words ‘BMI’ and ‘overweight’ in bold, which caused her to develop an eating disorder.

‘Being told to lose weight was my final straw,’ Summer adds. ‘I’d been told I was fat from such a young age, from stepping on the Wii Fit which said I was morbidly obese, to getting that letter, so I thought “maybe I am overweight”.

She changed her eating habits and lost a dangerous amount of weight, but always had ‘a fat rack’.

‘It’s because it was pure breast tissue,’ Summer explains. ‘I was really sick, but then my mum broke down and my family begged me to eat – that was when I started looking after myself again.’

It was only at 23, when Summer felt a lump on her breast, that a doctor agreed she needed a reduction. ‘My GP sent me to a cancer specialist the same day and they said “it’s not cancerous but you need a reduction – this isn’t normal”,’ she says.

‘I thought thank god, someone’s listening to me, so she referred me for one and then seven months later they refused to do the reduction because my BMI was too high. They didn’t care.’

So Summer resigned herself to living life with ever-growing breasts, and continues to wear a doctor-prescribed corset wherever she goes.

‘I’ve worn one since I was 16 because if I’m walking my back feels like it’s broken – it’s so intense and painful,’ she says. ‘If I’m washing up or cleaning my house, I have to wear a bra because of the sheer weight of them.

‘I swim a lot because I’m weightless so it’s a relief, but then I get out the pool and it feels horrific.’

She can’t go to the gym, go for a run, or find a bra that doesn’t cost her £400, but despite these drawbacks, Summer has turned her large breasts into a positive.

Known as Scotch Dolly, she went from hospitality to being an OnlyFans creator at 23, at the suggestion of a colleague, after an evening of being harassed by customers behind the bar.

Now, she flaunts her boobs on the subscription porn site for £12.90, and last month alone she made £70,000. Alarmingly three of her former teachers have subscribed to her account.

But for the young model, it’s just more money in her pocket. ‘When I first started there was one bikini picture of me and I made £800 in one day,’ she says. I used to make that in two weeks.’

Now, when she gets cat called walking down the street, she replies and tells them to subscribe to her OnlyFans.

‘When I was younger I hated the attention but now I just think they could be a potential buyer, and my subscribers aren’t creepy, they genuinely love my breasts and support me.’

With her newfound confidence, she wants young women who face similar struggles to ‘focus on themselves’.

‘Blame the clothes companies if nothing fits you, big boobs are beautiful and there’s nothing wrong with your body,’ she says.

This article was originally published in November 2025.

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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New Year’s resolutions are underway, and for many of us, this means getting serious about taking better care of ourselves.

Just the thought of it can feel overwhelming — like you’re gearing up for an uphill battle before you’ve even laced up your trainers.

But what if there was a way to take some of that stress off your plate? Enter WHOOP, a piece of tech that is designed to take the guesswork out of self‑improvement.

Unlike a traditional smartwatch that buzzes with notifications or pressures you to hit certain goals, WHOOP quietly works in the background by tracking your body around the clock, giving you key insights into how you sleep, recover, and train. 

WHOOP Smartwatch

WHOOP is a fitness and health wearable designed to track your body 24/7 without distractions.

Unlike traditional smartwatches, it focuses on sleep, recovery, and strain insights to help you optimise workouts and overall wellness. It offers personalised data, cycle and pregnancy tracking, and even calculates your 'WHOOP age.'

Memberships start at £169/year, and you can try it with a one-month free trial.

priced from £169 per year

Getting started is super easy. First, you just pick the membership that suits you best – One, Peak, or Life. Each tier comes with its own perks, from basic health monitoring to a full-on heart screener that gives you ECG and blood pressure insights. The best part? You can dive in with a one-month free trial, so you can really see how this clever little gadget fits into your routine before fully committing.

Even the standard membership is packed with features you’ll actually use. Think recovery, sleep, and strain scores, step and activity tracking, and even women’s hormonal insights. Yep, you can track your cycle, log symptoms, and spot any hormonal changes that might be throwing off your sleep or workouts.

And it doesn’t stop there. WHOOP has got you covered with pregnancy-friendly tracking, personalised guidance, and helpful insights to make sure you’re looking after yourself – and your little one – every step of the way.

Membership prices start from £169 a year, with the top tier coming in at £349 – but trust us, this little gadget will feel like your new best mate in no time.

One of the coolest perks? You can keep wearing it while it wirelessly charges, thanks to a battery pack that lasts up to at least 14 days. And don’t worry about distractions – no screen or notifications are getting in your way, so you can stay fully focused on whatever you’re doing. All your data is neatly synced and easy to check in the mobile app.

Even better, you can completely personalise what you track. With over 140 different behaviours and habits – from meditation sessions to how your medication affects your body, WHOOP really gets to know you. It then crunches all the numbers to calculate your “WHOOP age” compared to your actual age, helping you create a smart, actionable plan to get the most out of your workouts, recovery, and overall health.

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‘What matters to me is that I know exactly what I’m putting in my body and that I’m using a product I can trust’

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As we enter the new year, most of us are reassessing our habits and analysing where we can make swaps to live a healthier lifestyle.

What if we told you there is one you can make in your kitchen that you might not have necessarily thought of?

We often take to the kitchen tap to refill our water bottles or get a refreshing glass of cold water. However, if unfiltered, this can carry potential health risks as it can carry the likes of metals, bacteria, microplastics, and chlorine. In recent times, there has been a big switch to taking better care of what we put in our bodies, which is why Water2 Pod 2.0 under-sink filtration system has become a popular purchase for many.

Developed by fast-growing UK start-up Water2, founded by 24-year-old entrepreneur Charles Robinson and co-owned by survival expert Bear Grylls OBE, the compact Pod 2.0 fits discreetly under the kitchen sink and connects directly to the existing cold tap. Therefore, it takes away the need for a professional to fit the device, and doesn’t add any clutter to your surfaces. 

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‘Customers usually notice the difference within seconds of switching on their tap,’ explains founder Charles Robinson. ‘Our mission is simple: to help people actually enjoy drinking their tap water.’

The Pod 2.0 Starter Kit, which retails for £129, is fitted with a multi-stage filtration system that filters up to 99.99% of microplastics, reduces up to 95.28% of chlorine, and prevents up to 99.99% of bacterial growth, so you’re guaranteed top-quality H2O. Explaining why over 150,000 UK homes have invested in the contraption and has scored over 12,000 five-star reviews.

Better yet? You can save £20 off your order with the code ‘VIEWER‘. How good is that?

‘Easy setup, neat and tidy, noticeable difference in water taste and smell. Cost-effective alternative to filter jugs without the hassle,’ said one happy customer. 

Another shared ‘Glad I went ahead with this water filtration.. straight forward installation.. can really tell the difference in water quality, much better, less limescale everywhere..  no more jugs and bottled water….. (yay) I have noticed a drop in water pressure but all in all very happy.’

A third followed with ‘Easy to order and super easy to install. As soon as we tasted the water, we could immediately tell the difference. It’s crisper, fresher, and there’s no chlorine smell at all. Absolutely worth every penny.’

At £129 for the system and £99 for an annual filter replacement, the Pod 2.0 offers a compelling financial alternative to buying endless amounts of bottles of water in your weekly shop. For a typical household spending around £20 a month on bottled water, the switch can deliver savings of more than £140 per year, while dramatically reducing single-use plastic waste.

The Pod 2.0 is available for immediate delivery across the UK via Water2.com, with a 100-day money-back guarantee included with every order, lowering the barrier for first-time buyers looking to make the switch this January.

You can get yourself a £20 discount by using the code ‘VIEWER‘ expires on 28/02/2026 11:59pm (GMT).

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There was a time in Aisling McCarthy’s life when she was in agony and couldn’t look at herself in the mirror.

After being diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia in her early thirties, the mum-of-one struggled with searing pain that would shoot through her back, hips and hands, which left her feeling depressed. 

‘I was exhausted and sometimes, it felt like my whole body was on fire,’ the 43-year-old tells Metro. ‘I’d feel so low, and to deal with it, I ate my feelings. It was constant toffee popcorn, chocolate bars, muffins and ice cream… Then I started to lose mobility, which caused me to gain even more weight.’

When Aisling was pregnant with her daughter in 2014, she was often using crutches or a wheelchair, and after Bethany, now 10, was born, the new mum couldn’t lift her.

Aisling weighed 17 and a half stone, and was determined to feel healthy, while still maintaining her curves, so she tried ‘every diet under the sun’, including Slimming World and Slimfast shakes. Although she had some success, it never lasted. ‘I gained it all back because I was starving,’ Aisling remembers.

Then, on one visit to her GP in early 2022, the word ‘Ozempic’ was mentioned. The prescription semaglutide drug had only been approved by the EMA [European Medicines Agency] for weight loss in November 2021; previously, it was primarily used as a treatment for diabetes.

‘There weren’t many people talking about using Ozempic specifically for weight loss at the time, so I was a little anxious about injecting something into my body that I didn’t know a lot about. It wasn’t like it is now, with everyone aware of exactly what it is,’ she explains.

To ease her concerns, Aisling contacted the makers, Novo Nordisk, who talked her through the ins and outs. She learnt that it mimics the hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite and slows down digestion, meaning users feel fuller after eating less. ‘I was still nervous, but I started to believe it could work, so I was willing to try,’ she adds.

Once she received her prescription, Aisling began injecting herself with a 0.25mg dose every week, which doubled after four weeks, and rose to 1mg after another two months.

Taking Ozempic

It wasn’t the easiest of starts; Aisling struggled with nausea and fatigue for the first six weeks. ‘I went to my GP about it and he asked: “Are you eating?”’ she says. ‘The issue was Ozempic was so effective at turning off any food noise — the little voice nagging me to go into the cupboard — that I was having one meal per day. I started setting an alarm every two hours to remind myself to have some food.

‘The weight started coming off straight away, but I didn’t see it myself until around three months, even though my clothes were hanging off me.’

Aisling also noticed that she had more energy and confidence, which had many benefits, including a healthier sex life with her husband, Jonathan. ‘He was supportive from the start, but then he was very happy,’ she says with a smile. 

Her friends in Cork also began to notice changes. Never secretive about how she achieved it, Aisling says the most common reaction was ‘you jammy b***h’. 

What was most important was how she felt: ‘I’d gone from hating to loving myself, and that’s a hard thing to do. I’m in less pain, which means I’m able to do things I haven’t done since my twenties.’

Recalling a holiday to France during the summer of 2023, a disastrous error demonstrated how far she’d come: ‘Jonathan realised the day before that his passport had expired. I took Bethany alone, which I wouldn’t have been able to do before.

‘Being on holiday and even silly things, like being able to go down a slide with her, felt huge. Before, I wouldn’t have been able to walk up the steps to get to the top.’

Within a year, Aisling had reached her goal weight of 11st and stopped taking Ozempic. The decision was down to a combination of ‘being happy with her curves’ and supply shortage issues due to growing demand. ‘It was a bit late one month, and then again, and then I couldn’t get it at all. I thought if I didn’t choose to come off it, I would start to struggle mentally,’ she explains.

Since then, Aisling has had a breast reduction and an apronectomy to remove loose skin, and now weighs 10st and 9lbs. ‘I used to put talcum powder under my breast to stop infections and smells. I don’t have to anymore,’ she says.

Looking forward

Today, Aisling’s doctor calls her the ‘poster girl for Ozempic’ because she’s bucked recent research by the University of Oxford, which found people taking weight loss medication usually regain any lost pounds within a year of stopping.

‘Weaning off made the difference. I tell everyone not to go cold turkey, because it’s hard to handle the appetite coming back in one go,’ she explains. Gradually reducing her dosage has also meant Aisling has been able to keep her portions small and limit sweet treats. As someone who went through counselling while taking Ozempic, she adds that it’s imperative to do the mental work. 

‘Some people are looking for a quick fix, rather than a tool,’ she says. ‘They’re not treating the reason they gained the weight, so when they stop, the issues that caused the gain creep back, and they don’t know how to handle them. You have to work on your mind as well as your stomach, because otherwise, they’ll sabotage each other.’

Although it’s thought that around 1.5million people use weight loss injections in the UK, it was only in June that GPs were given the green light to prescribe Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Wegovy (semaglutide).  

This latest NHS rollout is expected to see around 220,000 people with the ‘greatest need’ receive the jabs over the next three years. Health Secretary Wes Streeting claims that it’s not only about lowering weight, but also taxes, as people will become less reliant on the NHS.

‘It does save money,’ agrees Aisling, who experiences fewer flare-ups from arthritis and fibromyalgia. ‘I’m no longer needing as much medication, a physio, or a dietitian.’

Talking about the public perception, she adds: ‘There’s still a lot of bias and fat phobia towards people taking the medication. A lot seems to come from personal trainers, and people who’ve been slim their whole life, so they don’t understand. 

Aisling has also noticed that social media can be full of unwarranted comments: ‘I get messages saying “You lost all the weight, but you’re still fat.” I don’t want to be too skinny; it wouldn’t suit me. I like my curves, so why would I want to be something that I don’t like?’

Taking the drugs comes with risks, which Aisling was also made aware of. And although she hasn’t experienced any negative side effects, Aisling warns that Ozempic shouldn’t be a go-to for anyone wanting to lose weight. 

‘It shouldn’t be people’s first choice,’ she stresses. ‘I would advise people to do their research, but if they do go ahead, then they shouldn’t feel any shame in trying to get healthy. 

‘Ozempic genuinely changed my life, so I have no regrets.’

A version of this story was first published on 3 October 2025.

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