Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy

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

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Tag: Bowel surgery

3rd Sep 202121st Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | Preparing For Stoma Surgery – Part 2

1st Sep 202121st Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | Preparing For Stoma Surgery – Part 1

17th Aug 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Series wrap-Up | How my ulcerative colitis impacted my life

10th Aug 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Series | How ulcerative colitis impacted my friendships

5th Aug 202122nd Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | What can I wear with an ostomy bag?

22nd Jul 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Trying to find balance with IBD pain

6th Jul 202122nd Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Recovering from emergency stoma surgery

20th May 202128th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Identifying your IBD triggers

6th May 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Why I celebrate World IBD Day every year

22nd Apr 202128th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

To eat, or not to eat? That is the question.

8th Apr 202119th Jun 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Body confidence part 2 | Accepting my new body with an ostomy

8th Apr 202122nd Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Body confidence part 1 | Grieving for my pre-stoma body

26th Mar 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Series | How my ulcerative colitis impacted my physical activity

17th Mar 202128th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Food diary | The impact of different foods on ostomy output

9th Mar 202128th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Controlling weight gain with an ostomy

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When living with a #ChronicIllness, we often talk about getting through the flare, recovering from surgery, or managing the daily symptoms. But what happens after the storm clears? It's strange that it's completely normal to me to start a Saturday with movement that helps manage my pain, followed by a catch up with people I only know because of our shared health conditions, whilst organising my meds for the week. Afterwards, I organised and cut my latest #ostomy supply delivery. Only then did I realise that for a "normal healthy person", this is not a standard day 😂 This is the day of a person who's spent so many years adapting to their chronic conditions, that this is MY normal 💜 I'll give you two ✌️ guesses where this peppermint oil ended up after I'd dropped a few drops 💧 in my #ostomy bag whilst on the toilet 🚽... It's ok to ignore the pile of washing 🧺 in favour of rest. It's very likely that the person judging you most for it, is you. If it isn't, kick them to the curb - you don't need that kind of negativity or lack of understanding in your life 👋😂 28°C in the UK today! Hot weather brings extra challenges when you live with an #ostomy: dehydration, baseplate adhesion issues, and skin irritation. Here, I share practical tips to help you navigate heatwaves safely https://advocatinghealth.com/2018/07/07/ostomies-and-hot-weather/ 💜✨ Have you ever been told that your symptoms are all in your head, or left a doctor’s appointment feeling dismissed because tests came back clear? Living with chronic conditions, chronic pain, and emotional exhaustion can leave you feeling really isolated! 💜 https://www.instagram.com/p/DbL5Xb2sWdC/ It's been a slow start kinda day. I imagine it'll stay slow 🐌 Having been involved in the original research and the creation of this new #stoma resource, I’m so excited to see it move into the testing phase! Dating with #IBD or an #ostomy can feel like navigating a minefield. You might be wondering when to mention your health, how to handle the anxiety, and whether you're worthy of connection while managing your condition. It's scorching here right now 🔥 If you're living with #IBD or have had bowel surgery, staying hydrated isn't as simple as drinking more water 💧 Today is a much better day, so I thought I'd better share the celebration!
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