Sorry for the diagnosis :/
But your doctor is right: Crohn's isn't life-threatening. It isn't always a picnic in the park, but you are extraordinarily unlikely to die from it. On the very rare occasions people die, it's not usually from the Crohn's per se, but from complications associated with surgery, secondary disease, or whatever.
So don't stress yourself out about
dying: you've as much chance of reaching old age as any other member of the general public.
As far as the Crohn's getting worse, that's not at all inevitable. In fact, some folks have their worst flare up when they are first diagnosed, then find that afterwards future flare-ups are better controlled and not quite so bad. The key to keeping Crohn's under control is to find a med, or combination of meds, which work and do not stop taking it. Some people also tinker with their diet to reduce symptoms.
Most folks with Crohn's live a normal life, in that they work, have a family, play sport, etc. There can be a miserable, debilitating side to this disease, but in between there can also be years, occasionally even decades, of remission.
Dunno if that helps at all... :-/
EDIT: Wow, I was really slow with that reply. Maybe I'm too used to the snail pace of the NHS, but I didn't see anything drastically amiss about
waiting until Monday to see the doctor :/ ... If you've had bleeding for 2 years, though, then yeah: that should've been a red flag for a colonoscoy much, much earlier, tbh. No matter, it's over with now and you have the diagnosis.
Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 2/9/2012 4:41:19 PM (GMT-7)