It's been hard. I had symptoms for quite a while and then it got to a point where they were just horrendous and wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. Blood is a frightening sight down there, so I saw my GP at the end of November 2018. They said my inflammation markers were off the scale and I was diagnosed early January 2019. Since then, having Colitis has massively affected my daily life. It’s changed my life.

There’s the constant need for the toilet, the bleeding, and the unbelievable pain. There’s also the fatigue, the brain fog, and times when it is hard just to concentrate on one simple thing, never mind go to a full-time job. I've had some dark, dark days.

The debilitating symptoms are physically overwhelming but there’s also the impact which can affect us mentally. This is something which I’ve constantly struggled with since my diagnosis.

I felt a hundred different feelings rolled into one. I broke down in front of my consultant because I wasn't even able to get down to play with my little daughter on the floor. I felt like a failure and a fragment of myself. At my worst I lost around 2 to 3 stone in just over a month. It's an invisible illness not just because people can’t see it but also because it can feel easier to try and hide it. It did for me, at first.

Music has been my therapy and having an outlet for all the feelings and emotions has been a blessing. There was a time where I wrote songs that reflected where I was at, lost and locked away, but last year I decided to change that. Last year I decided to start writing music that inspires people instead.

I wanted to write songs to connect to the people who had been through the emotions that I had and had been at the points that I had. Whether it was related to Crohn’s, Colitis, or something else, I wanted it to be upbeat and anthemic. I wanted to give people that connection through music to show them that that they weren't alone. I hoped my music could be a place that people could escape to and feel accepted as a part of something.

I was starting some sort of adventure and I wanted people to come with me. I want it to be our adventure, our time, our place to stand up for who we are and what we are. To smile, to dance, and to sing along.

I used to get out and play live quite a lot. I've even played shows while flaring before but life in general has been hard over the past couple of years, especially being on immunosuppressive medication. I've been using the time to write and record new songs instead, approaching it all in a different way. I think that time has helped with that. It's about adapting. You have to adapt to a life with Crohn’s or Colitis but try not to let that be a negative.

People don't realise how much Crohn’s and Colitis affect your day to day life. It’s hard for people to understand if they haven’t been through it and no words can describe what we go through when we’re flaring.

Having Pancolitis has made me slow down and appreciate the little things, so I enjoy what I do. I had a brain haemorrhage and major brain surgery when I was 8 so I’ve always had a different perspective on life, but this is like a reminder - enjoy the little things.

Music has been an amazing therapy for me, and my latest single has been featured on BBC Introducing. I've also been interviewed by a podcast in the US, added to Spotify playlists, and have been played on the radio in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. All of this while suffering with my Colitis.

So, keep writing, keep going and above all, keep enjoying it.

And to everyone out there: take your time and don't feel bad when you just need to rest. Keep fighting, you can do this.