Desmoid tumour patient, desmid survivor, chest scar, rib removal, black disabled woman, black woman scar, chest scar, Hortense julienne, Nuts Lover, healthy snack brand

From Rare Tumours to Entrepreneurship

Posted on by

From Desmoid Tumours to Entrepreneurship: A Journey of Personal Transformation

 

Nuts Lover, snacks maker

Hortense – The Nutter In Chief

Hello, am Hortense, you special Nutter in Chief

Introduction:

Rare diseases can often bring unexpected challenges into our lives. For me, it was the diagnosis of desmoid tumours that turned my life upside down. However, instead of succumbing to despair and after a long period of dealing with Chronic Neuropathic Pains, I used this experience as a launch pad for change and embarked on a path that eventually led me to launch my own healthy snacks brand – Miss Nang Treats. In this blog post, we journey a bit into my transformation and the turn around that has become the foundation of my successful venture.

The Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of desmoid tumours was the turning point in my life. At first, I was devastated by the news. The journey of battling these rare tumours was overwhelming, both physically and mentally. However, as I underwent various treatments and surgeries, I started to see the immense strength within me and the power of resilience. The various surgeries and treatments left me with a missing rib and 1/3 of the left shoulder blade.

Discovering a New Passion:

The Original snack quartet from the brand

I am  addicted to peanuts and the various ways of enjoying them, so, During my recovery period, I immersed myself in creating snacks that suited my palate better than what was on the market. I also realized that maintaining a balanced diet played a vital role in improving my overall well-being. Nuts and seeds emerged as a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, and I became passionate about incorporating them into my daily diet.

 

The Birth of Miss Nang Treats:

Saffron & beetroot cashews

Motivated by my own journey and a desire to share this newfound knowledge with others, I decided to start my own healthy snack brand – Miss Nang Treats. The name “Nang” in some cultures is a term of endearment and also symbolizes strength and resilience, which perfectly mirrored my own journey. But it was specifically chosen because it is the end on one of my many African names – Nguepnang (Cameroonian & Bamileke).

The Mission:

Miss Nang Treats is not just a business, but also a platform to raise awareness about desmoid tumours and the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. Through my blog and social media channels, I provide educational content, share personal stories, and offer support to those dealing with similar challenges. If you follow me on Instagram, you will find many ideas about living ia zero-waste & plastic-free life as well as occasional setbacks due to health challenges.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities:

Starting a business is never easy, especially in a competitive market. However, my journey with desmoid tumours taught me to view challenges as opportunities for growth. I used my unique perspective to create a brand that stands out in the market and offers a genuinely healthy handmade snacking alternative made in England.

Spreading Positivity and Empowerment:

Miss Nang Treats not only aims to deliver nutritious snacks but also seeks to inspire individuals to take charge of their health and embrace their own personal journeys. I continually share stories of hope, empowerment, and resilience through my social posts and YouTube channels, encouraging others to turn their adversities into strengths.

Tasting event in a store

Conclusion:

My journey with rare desmoid tumours became the impetus for a remarkable turn around in my life. Through the creation of Miss Nang Treats, I transformed my struggles into a thriving business that promotes health, positivity, and empowerment. I invite you to join me on this journey, as we navigate the challenges and triumphs together, embracing the transformative power of a healthy lifestyle and a resilient spirit.

 

Credit: Blog created with the help of ChatGPT. – What do you think? email miss-nang@outlook.com

 

Perfectionism and Disability

Posted on by

The month of Love has arrived. If you are single like me, this month is a reminder of your failing at bagging a life partner. African and south Asian families are great at reminding you how unaccomplished you are if you aren’t married at after 25 with kids. That already tells you how inadequate you are. Weirdly, there is always a cousin, a sister or a friend who has ticked all those boxes at the right time. Queue: why aren’t you like the daughter of… who has married a banker and has twins? Arrrgh. The short of this is, by you not having a home, you are IMPERFECT!

Of course, having a chronic illness and a visible disability makes meeting that elusive partner even more difficult. Those two every day are reminders that you do not fit in society in its current form. Society isn’t built to welcome people with visible or invisible defects (disable) therefore it seems nothing is built to help us evolve even with our disability. Yes, there is the Disability discrimination act 1995, but how many people even know it exists?

I recently saw on Instagram a Disability Community page, I found it to be a great concept and for the first time, I saw the black community opening acknowledge that there may be black people with disabilities. There weren’t many comments on the page, not many followers. There were 5 messages and 2 of them, were messages from women damning the idea that there could even be black people with disabilities around. Just because people refuse to acknowledge something, it does not negate it existence.

Another place where Disability and Perfectionism collided in my life in the past was my desire to perfect every single thing I did. Especially at work. I have come to realise that my desire to perfect everything around me was to compensate. My imperfections were visible: the missing bones, the patch work scar going from the neck down, the funny walk due to chronic pains. I had to do something about it.

This summer I completely embraced my disability. I recognised that in the eyes of the world I was imperfect, but the person who made me [GOD] thinks am perfect. He repainted the cracks in me with gold and made me much more valuable (see kintsugi).

And it is true.

The next step was to accept that I cannot spend my life ironing every aspect thereof because Good should be Good Enough, Very Good is better than Good and Perfectionism is just a way to public declare our insecurities to the world. Yes, perfectionism is the result of insecurities.

My disabilities have created insecurities in me. Society declared me imperfect so, becoming a perfectionist was a way to prove that I could do ‘IT’ far better than anyone who was an able bodied, whatever ‘IT’ was.

It is tiring to be a perfectionist, it becomes obsessive, many projects don’t see the light, you have eye in the back of the head, things are check, double checked, triple checked and even so, still put in the drawer after so much work. Perfectionism can cause paranoia, mental health.

During the lockdowns, I understood the perfectionist me, embraced my disabilities (imperfections) and my place in society.  I feel a lot lighter and more productive. Am now unearthing old projects that should be further along and looking forward to what’s in store for Miss Nang and Co in a Post covid world economy.

Hope you stick around as the journey take a new turn post pandemic, it is going to be an interesting new way of living with a mind freed at last.

Do you fancy continueing this conversation?

Join me on Sunday 7th February at 6pm live on Instagram.

See you next month.

Hortense, Founder of Miss Nang Treats  & Fuelled By Nuts (both on Instagram).