Reply posted for John123.
Hi John,
I just joined this group today, and seeing that nobody answered your question, I thought that I would, although it was a while ago so maybe you've moved on from your feelings and questions since then.
I would say that the answer to your first question is that you might have been unwell anyway, but the fact that you had undiagnosed Crohn's at the time meant you were more ill than if you didn't have Crohn's. So in effect becoming unwell with gastro symptoms sparked a flare up. I've got colitis, and just before I was diagnosed, when the sickness and diarrhoea bug did the rounds at my school (I'm a teacher) everyone got sick, but I got really sick - much worse than everyone else, fever, lost my voice, enlarged tonsils, as well as the gastro symptoms that my students and colleagues had. Looking back, I think that I would've got gastro anyway, but the fact that I had (untreated) colitis as well made it far worse.
As for mental health - yes! You're coming to terms with the diagnosis of a chronic illness, you've probably had a lot of worry, uncertainty and anxiety for the past couple of years, not to mention all the trips to the loo. You've probably read things and heard things in the lead up to diagnosis and afterwards that are scary or confusing. I think it's very normal to feel like this. It's a huge thing to adjust to, learning how to live with it, deciding who you want or need to tell about your condition and how you are going to describe it.
I got diagnosed in 2015. I'm in the UK and I'm Colitis not Crohn's but I'm happy to answer questions if I can. I hope you have a good and healthy 2021.
Take care
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