There was a point where I didn’t recognise my own life anymore.
Living with a stoma isn’t just physical - it affects your confidence, your identity, and the way you see yourself.
And yet, for something so life-changing… it’s barely spoken about.
The silence around real experience
When I first entered this world, I expected information.
What I found was silence.
No real stories.
No representation.
Nothing that showed what it actually feels like to live with a stoma.
Everything felt either clinical, filtered, or hidden.
There was no space that felt real.
My reality
For six years, I couldn’t even look at my stoma.
One word stayed with me:
"Disgusting.”
It affected how I saw myself and disconnected me from my own body.
I also live with autism and experience sensory challenges, so adapting to such a sudden physical change was overwhelming - mentally and physically.
There was trauma.
There was discomfort.
There was a version of me that felt completely lost.
The stigma is real
I wasn’t just dealing with my own thoughts - I was dealing with how others saw me.
I’ve been bullied online by people I knew.
I’ve experienced judgment from people who were meant to help - including paramedics and mental health professionals.
I’ve even been stopped from using disabled facilities because I “don’t look sick.”
Those moments stay with you.
They make you feel like you have to prove your body to the world.
Why this needs to change
No one should feel isolated or shut out from life because their body is different.
Stigma creates silence.
Silence creates isolation.
And that’s why visibility matters.
Why UNPOUCHED exists
Unpouched is a community-led platform focusing on real stories, real advice, fashion, lifestyle, and mental health.
It exists to give space to experiences that are often overlooked or misunderstood.
We are not just talking about life with a stoma - we are showing it in its full reality.
This includes:
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lived experiences and storytelling
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practical advice and support
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fashion and identity expression
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mental health and confidence
THE VISION:
And in the future, we are looking to grow into something much bigger:
physical magazine issues, model representation, and catwalks that bring ostomy visibility into mainstream media.
Because we don’t belong on the side-lines of fashion, media, or culture.
We belong in it.
Not as medical cases.
Not as invisible stories.
But as people.
Finding my way back
Confidence didn’t come back overnight.
It came through finding the right support, the right people, and the things that helped me feel comfortable in my body again.
Nine years ago, I felt completely alone.
I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.
Looking forward
You can read more about my personal journey in the first issue of the UNPOUCHED magazine - dropping soon.
This is just the beginning.
A movement towards visibility, confidence, and representation.
Welcome to UNPOUCHED
