Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy

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

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Tag: Ostomy life

20th Mar 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Can you lie on your front with a stoma?

Female in meditation
23rd Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Why we need to talk about the mental impact of chronic illness

Stages of grief
20th Feb 202627th Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

The stages of grief in chronic illness

9th Feb 202620th Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Family planning, pregnancy & childbirth after bowel surgery

5th Feb 20264th Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Braving the Big Talk – we don’t always need the “right” words

3rd Feb 20263rd Feb 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

A different version of me: Why I stepped back and how I’m moving forward

4th Oct 202528th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

World Ostomy Day: More than just survival

23rd Apr 202528th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

More than surgery: When chronic illness becomes trauma

17th Oct 202428th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Swimwear for women with an ostomy

6th Sep 20246th Sep 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Product testing opportunity | Ostomy leakage detection system

18th Jun 202418th Jun 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Research opportunity | Focus group for new stoma device

20th Mar 202428th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Bowel obstruction experience and fears

1st Feb 202428th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | Managing different ostomy output

13th Nov 20234th Jun 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Fertility testing journey | A short recap

12th Nov 20238th Nov 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Fertility testing journey | The conclusion

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Older Posts

One of the first questions I had after my #stoma surgery was whether I'd ever be able to lie on my front again. It shouldn't need saying 🙄 The clinical notes usually tell one story, but they often leave out the mental weight of living with a #ChronicIllness. Why would she post that?!! 😳 A diagnosis changes so much more than just your medical records. It often shifts your entire identity, and it is completely valid to mourn the life you thought you would have. It's #EndometriosisAwarenessMonth, and I'm talking about the frustrating diagnostic loop that so many of us find ourselves stuck in. When you live with #ChronicPain in the pelvic or abdominal area, getting a clear diagnosis often feels like a game of ping-pong between specialists. A memory popped into my head yesterday, that made me feel really icky. 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! ☀️
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