Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy

Inflammatory bowel disease, ostomy, chronic pain, PTSD, and mental wellbeing.

Menu Skip to content
  • About me
  • IBD
  • Ostomy
  • Mental health
  • Chronic pain
  • Fertility Testing
  • FAQ
  • Research opportunities
  • Work with me
  • Contact me
  • 🔍 Search
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Bluesky
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Author: Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

8th Sep 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Why I'm grateful for my IBD diagnosis

8th Sep 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

The hospital diary – resection and ileostomy

27th May 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Forever in limbo

23rd May 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

IBD survey results!

15th May 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

GUEST BLOG | My Crohn's diagnosis by Lisa Cummins

10th May 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

UC diagnosis, ileostomy, jpouch creation and an ostomy reversal

6th May 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Dating with IBD or an ostomy

17th Apr 201431st Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

The emotional effects of IBD

20th Mar 201431st Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Where my awareness raising / fundraising began…

Posts navigation

Newer posts

My #ADHD diagnosis was one week today, and while I’ve spent that time processing, a few things are starting to click into place. It’s a big piece of the puzzle. For a long time, #ChronicPain and #PTSD have been viewed as two VERY separate battles, but some recent research confirms a deep link. My latest blog post, The PTSD and pain link: What the research says, explores how medical trauma from emergency surgeries, hospital stays, or not being believed actually changes our nervous system - link in bio. Since finishing my #reiki training last month, I’ve been following my morning yoga practice with a "strengthening my light" meditation and some mini self-reiki. It’s been a lovely addition to the routine, but it turns out I was much more tired than I realised this morning. 😂 Yikes! 🙈 Spring must be on its way because I was out of the house today, without a hat! ☀️ The increase in people diagnosed with #ADHD in recent years made it impossible not to learn about it, just "in passing". Plus, some people around me have a keen interest in neurodivergence, too. It's not a rabbit hole I went down, but the more second-hand thing's I've learnt, the more I began to wonder whether it could be me. Then I wondered whether everyone thinks that about themselves? If you've ever looked at a restaurant menu and felt like you were staring at a list of potential landmines, you aren't being "difficult". I'm sharing how new research validates the food fear so many of us in the #IBD community live with for #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek. SOME surgeries can impact fertility, but finding the facts and figures for your specific surgery can be difficult 🤯 It took me seven years after my #UlcerativeColitis diagnosis to finally talk about the emergency surgery, the sepsis, and the complications that followed. When I started sharing in 2014, I was doing it from a place of anger because I was tired of being misjudged. At the time, I didn't have the language for the grief I was carrying, and even the word "feelings" made me cringe. Not much of a roasting 😂😂 I'd love that! 🌿 Grief is a word we usually associate with losing someone, but when you are diagnosed with a lifelong #ChronicIllness, you are grieving too. You are grieving the loss of your healthy self, the person you were in your best memories, and the future you thought you would have. Don't worry, I haven't gone to the "dark side" 🙈
One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Buy me a coffee ☕️

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

£5.00
£10.00
£15.00
£5.00
£15.00
£100.00
£5.00
£15.00
£100.00

Or enter a custom amount

£

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
Blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy
      • Join 52 other subscribers.
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar