Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford | Patient Advocacy

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

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Tag: Ostomy

12th Sep 202614th Sep 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Bowel obstructions, surgery, and hospital experiences

8th Sep 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Reducing microplastics: My ongoing swap mission and why it matters for gut health

Two plastic jugs filled with clear fluid
11th May 202615th May 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

My small bowel contrast MRE experience: jugs, breath-holds, and a very close call

29th Apr 202615th May 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

“Yes, yes” isn’t listening: My recent appointment and the reality of medical trauma

20th Mar 20261st May 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Can you lie on your front with a stoma?

Female in meditation
23rd Feb 20261st May 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 20261st May 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

17th Aug 202526th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

So, I became a meme: Advocacy and the risk of visibility

9th Jun 202526th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

The recovery loop: Why it’s never a straight line

23rd Apr 202528th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

More than surgery: When chronic illness becomes trauma

25th Feb 202528th Jan 2026 Sahara Fleetwood-Beresford

Some hard data on diet and Crohn’s: The ADDapt Trial

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Older Posts

First, apologies for the recent irresponsible post! Intestinal blockage aftermath... I’ve switched to an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet recently, but adapting it to suit my specific restrictions (intestinal strictures from surgeries) has been a lot to get my head around! 😵‍💫 Life has been a bit chaotic lately! Between the additional tasks of researching and publishing new articles for IBD Science, doing separate dog walks every morning to work on individual behavioural issues (Loki is a barker and Aragorn is a puller!), and a vet visit for Lady’s cheek infection, my energy has been stretched! https://www.instagram.com/p/Db7xtK1sGss/ 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/
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