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

Tag: Colostomy

16th Jun 2018 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Stoma gallery

6th Jun 201827th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Time for a new bag? UK ostomy manufacturers!

26th Apr 201824th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

This is a VERY long road I'm travelling

24th Apr 201824th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Things people don't usually talk about – highs and lows of upcoming surgery

11th Apr 201828th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Self-care | Eating and Drinking with IBD

19th Mar 201824th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Why you SHOULD love the skin you're in

10th Aug 201724th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Influential people in the IBD community

7th Jun 20179th Oct 2025 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Do you know how many of your health issues are actually IBD related?

11th Aug 201624th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Dear inappropriate lady with your colostomy bag at the pool today… WOW

24th Apr 201624th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Openly insulting statements about ostomies online

18th May 20153rd Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Has having IBD changed your eating habits?

17th May 20153rd Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Has your outlook on life /priorities changed since being diagnosed with IBD?

16th May 20153rd Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Has IBD made it difficult in terms of dating or sustaining your relationship?

14th May 201524th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Has IBD affected your relationship with friends and family?

22nd Nov 201424th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Ostomy reversal surgery – in pictures

Posts navigation

Older Posts
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.
Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy
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
 

Loading Comments...