Have You Become Extra Sensitive With Crohn's?

I don't know...maybe it's just my age (58), but I'm noticing that I'm all around extra sensitive to just about everything anymore.

When I first got sick I cramped 24/7 for 4 months, before being diagnosed. And had pain for most of my life before then. I just sucked it up and went my way. But the past couple of years I'm finding that I'm really sensitive to pain now. And it isn't nearly the intensity it used to be. If I get a cramp I freak and become a big baby.

And those PETA ads with sorry looking dogs and cats in cages? I can't even watch them. My heart just breaks even if I should have a passing thought of any animal (or bug even) in pain, or cold, or hungry.

If someone wins the lottery I cry because I'm so happy for them. I cannot sing "America The Beautiful" anymore because I can't get through it without my throat locking up and getting all emotional.

When kids go missing I go nuts. That whole "Balloon Boy" thing darned near killed me. Of course it was the next town over from me, which could have something to do with that. But when I though of that little boy being in the balloon I felt so hopeless and horrible.

Anybody else extra sensitive?

I think, for me, it is more aging than the CD. I am still not too affected by animal things...I never was a pet person and still am not so much. However, I am finding patriotic things are getting at my heart strings more (my husband - born on flag day and tears up at anything patirotic- may have had an impact there). I am also overly interested in watching things on the news that are devastating...it is almost a need to feel my heart tugged I guess.
I am thinking that as I age, the more trivial or materialistic things matter less and those things that matter to my heart are more in focus.

Of course, valuing life is more apparent with this DD too.

For me I think it is a matter of being no longer willing to put up with the pain. I don't think the pain is that much more, I just have had it for so many years that I am now willing to accept the fact that pain meds are necessary and I am willing to take them to get through the pain instead of sucking it up.

Emotionally I have always been a blubber butt. Both my daughters are too, so I guess that just runs in the family. If we are watching TV, its not unusual for one of us to just get up and grab the box of tissues and just start passing them out without even asking. We just know we all will need them.

But the thing that has changed over time is that I am no longer willing to suffer fools and pains. If people are idiots or just being difficult, I will get so upset so fast. Just dealing with the cable company can ruin a morning because they "appear" so helpful, but really all they are doing telling me they can't do what needs to be done. I can stew about things for way too long. I'm thinking it is an issue of prednisone for way too long, but it could be that I know that life is too important to not do things right the first time and be done. Why waste time and energy putting stumbling blocks in peoples way just because you can.

I have become more sensitive to the ills of the world, definitely, to the point there are days when I don't think I can take another news report about man's inhumanity to man. Over the past decade I would say I've changed rather a lot; during that time my Crohn's has accompanied me, but so has the internet and so has the gradual disappearance of my hopes and dreams :-/

I couldn't possibly say to what extent, if any, Crohn's was responsible. I just have a gut (as it were) feeling that it has made some difference, though, especially in the last five years. Not to be overly pessimistic, but in the last 10 years I feel as though I've been travelling through a dark tunnel of chaos and confusion. Think I might have finally emerged from that tunnel, but on the flip side I've become even more vulnerable and sensitive as a result.

I think like me (I'm 58) it's a double whammy. The disease, and the "age thing". It sucks doesn't it :)

OMG. I feel the same way. I watch t.v and i see someone crying and i start to cry. I'm on entocort and i honestly think it has alot to do with it. I don't think it's age. I also am more aware of my surroundings and people in general. I work at the hospital and feel a wave of depression when i see people so sick. I wonder. Am i going to be in a hospital bed for months when i get older? Is this all i have to look foward to. If that's the case i don't want to live pass 65

dunny2 got it in 1, crohnic illness and age. I feel lucky that we all can respond honestly with each other (Group Hug)

I am like Zanne (LOL I really do think we are twins). I am not more sensitive, but find myself a little more impatient. And I hate it!! Sometimes the pain and Crohns just wears you down and you just get so tired of the little irritating things. Not sure if its age, the disease or what. But I have to work hard to let things slide sometimes. Hugs!