Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy

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

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Tag: Ostomy life

3rd May 202227th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Anxiety about using the toilet in other people’s homes

11th Mar 202228th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

20 low-residue meal ideas

7th Mar 202228th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Your relationship with yourself: Self-compassion tips & exercises

4th Mar 202228th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Your relationship with yourself: Processing your emotions & body confidence tips

14th Feb 202227th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Dear stoma, I love you because…

9th Feb 202227th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Dating with an ostomy

19th Jan 202228th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Ostomy life: Progress report

7th Dec 202117th Oct 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | Swimming with a stoma

21st Oct 202122nd Nov 2024 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Sex after stoma surgery: Honest conversations and practical advice

20th Oct 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Disability Employment Awareness Month

6th Oct 202127th Mar 2023 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Comments and accusations during meals out

4th Sep 202128th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

We’re not “fussy eaters"!

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

5th Aug 202122nd Jun 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

FAQ | What can I wear with an ostomy bag?

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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! I wanted to share a little update following yesterdays post about trying to reduce some of my pain medication, and that this week has been worst than last, despite the dose being the same. ​I am trying to reduce some of my pain medication at the moment. Today is the birthday of the NHS! As someone who has survived seven abdominal surgeries, sepsis, C-diff, and years of managing #UlcerativeColitis and #fibromyalgia, my relationship with healthcare is deep, complex, and incredibly personal. Looking in the mirror when you live with a #ChronicIllness like #IBD or fibro can be a really complicated experience! For a long time, when I looked at my reflection, all I could see were the visible reminders of what my body had been through: the scars, medication side effects, and #ostomy bag. It’s so easy to focus entirely on the parts that feel altered, scarred, or broken. I've started a new little project, and I'm excited to share it with you! It is called IBD Science for Patients. July is #DisabilityPrideMonth, and it got me thinking about how we define that word. For a long time, I didn't think it applied to me, even while managing #InflammatoryBowelDisease and living with an #ostomy bag. When your illness is mostly hidden behind closed doors, it is so easy to downplay your own reality! Ever since I became active in the online #IBD community back in 2014, I’ve regularly struggled with seeing people I care about going through sh*t, and feeling like there was absolutely nothing I could do or say to fix it.
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Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy
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