Breaking stigmas

Tanya’s joined our advocate family to raise awareness – especially around endometriosis, stomas, and invisible illness in conservative communities. She hopes her story can inspire others and offer much-needed representation.

What motivated you to become an advocate and share your story?

I honestly don’t know how I got here – I just knew I wanted to be part of this. My first chat with Zoe felt right. I trust Salts, use their products, and feel like Confidence BE® found me. I’m exactly where I need to be and so happy to be part of the Salts family.

What stigmas do you want to break the most and why?

People don’t realise endometriosis can affect your whole body – not just your cycle – and even lead to needing a stoma, like it did for me. No one warned me. I want to change how we talk about bowel habits, periods, and body image, especially for people of different cultural backgrounds. These things are often brushed under the carpet. There are so many stigmas – from the medical side to how society sees you. This platform lets me open up and hopefully help someone else.

Have you ever faced misconceptions or judgements about your stoma? How have you dealt and handled it?

Online, I’ve been lucky – curiosity has come from a genuine place. But in real life, like in a bikini at the beach or at a spa, I’ve noticed the stares. I’d rather someone ask what’s on my stomach than why. I don’t always need to share the medical side – sometimes I just want to educate. Some misconceptions have mainly come from family and friends around how my life is affected on a day-to-day basis with questions around what foods I can eat, what can I do in the gym, can I swim; but I’m thankful that they give me the space to educate and have open conversations with them.

Why do you think representation is so important, especially for those from more conservative backgrounds?

There aren’t enough voices from minority communities speaking out. I didn’t see people from different cultural backgrounds talking about stomas or endometriosis when I started sharing. I had comments from others from minority conservative backgrounds talk about how refreshing it is to hear from someone they can relate to. So many feel voiceless. I hope I can be someone they see themselves in.

What has been your experience navigating faith and having a stoma at the same time?

One of the first articles I read when I had my stoma, was about a young Asian girl with a stoma, whose family told her she’d never marry and wouldn’t support her. There was no around being someone like me with a stoma. Everything I do now is trying to change that profile and change that narrative. If my story shifts one mindset – from a different background or not – then makes it’s worth it. There’s so much more to life than your condition.

What kind of support do you think is missing?

There’s a big gap in awareness and education. Life with a stoma isn’t always easy. I didn’t know I was having a stoma until I woke up from surgery. I cried for days. But I had amazing support from friends and family. People need someone to ask the little questions: What do I take to hospital? What can I eat? Hopefully I can be that person for someone else.

What would you say to someone who was ashamed or afraid to talk about their condition or their stoma?

Find the right person to seek comfort in, if that’s a family member, a friend or a stranger online – just try and find someone you can feel comfortable talking to, that will just listen and be there for you and help you to navigate this new chapter of your life. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you keep things inside, it’ll just eat you up and you will never make peace with it.

Do you have a personal mantra that helps you stay empowered?

“You’re never given more than you can handle”. You don’t realise the strength you have until you need it; you just keep going.

What do you hope people take away from your story?

I want people to feel they have ownership of their body and their voice. Don’t be afraid of what might come – embrace it. you can be powerful with a stoma! It can be scary and it can feel isolating – but it gets better. There is a wonderful world of people out there, that will welcome you into a community, meeting people face to face makes such a difference.

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Our Confidence BE^® sample packs come in either mixed colour packs (black, white and stone) or transparent/stone packs, giving you the opportunity to try the bag in all three colours. Please note that the mixed colour packs are NOT available on prescription they are for sampling purposes only. To see the full Confidence BE^® range that is available on NHS prescription, please download the full product code listing sheet.

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Samples currently only available to people living with a stoma in UK and Ireland. If you are not currently using a soft convex product, please speak to your Stoma Care Nurse before ordering a sample.

Flat Closed Mini Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BM13MIX	Add to Order
Flat Closed Standard Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent	Large	BT1375ST	Add to Order
Flat Closed Standard Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed	Large	B1375MIX	Add to Order
Flat Closed Standard Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent		BT13ST	Add to Order
Flat Closed Standard Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		B13MIX	Add to Order
Flat Closed Large Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent	Large	BLT1375ST	Add to Order
Flat Closed Large Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed	Standard	BL1375MIX	Add to Order
Flat Closed Large Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent		BLT13ST	Add to Order
Flat Closed Large Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BL13MIX	Add to Order
Convex Closed Mini Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBM1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Mini Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBM1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 21mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB21MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Stone Transparent	XBT1325ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Stone Transparent	XBT1338ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Stone Transparent	XBT1352ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB1352MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 25mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB25MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 28mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB28MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 32mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB32MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 35mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB35MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 38mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB38MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Standard Bag 41mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XB41MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Stone Transparent	XBLT1325ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBL1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Stone Transparent	XBLT1338ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBL1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Stone Transparent/Overlap	XBLT1352ST		Add to Order
Convex Closed Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBL1352MIX		Add to Order
Flat Drainable Mini Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BDM13MIX	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Standard Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent	Large	BDT1375ST	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Standard Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed	Large	BD1375MIX	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Standard Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent		BDT13ST	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Standard Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BD13MIX	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Large Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent	Large	BDLT1375ST	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Large Bag 13-75mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed	Standard	BDL1375MIX	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Large Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent Stone/Transparent		BDLT13ST	Add to Order
Flat Drainable Large Bag 13-55mm Starter hole* Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BDL13MIX	Add to Order
Convex Drainable Mini Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBDM1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Mini Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBDM1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 21mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD21MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDT1325ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDT1338ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDT1352ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD1352MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 25mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD25MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 28mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD28MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 32mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD32MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 35mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD35MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 38mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD38MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Standard Bag 41mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBD41MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDLT1325ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBDL1325MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDLT1338ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBDL1338MIX		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent Stone/Transparent	XBDLT1352ST		Add to Order
Convex Drainable Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed	XBDL1352MIX		Add to Order
Flat Urostomy Standard Bag 13mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Stone		BUT13STSAMP	Add to Order
Flat Urostomy Standard Bag 13mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BU13MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Flat Urostomy Standard Bag 13mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Stone		BUL13MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Flat Urostomy Standard Bag 13mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		BULT13STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 21mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU21MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBUT1325STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU1325MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBUT1338STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU1338MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBUT1352STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU1352MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 25mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU25MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 28mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU28MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 32mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU32MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Standard Bag 35mm Pre-cut hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBU35MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBULT1325STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-25mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBUL1325MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBULT1338STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-38mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBUL1338MIXSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent Stone		XBULT1352STSAMP	Add to Order
Convex Urostomy Large Bag 13-52mm Starter hole Transparent/Overlap Mixed		XBUL1352MIXSAMP	Add to Order

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