I'm glad that you now know what was wrong, have a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Must be a big relief! Just learn everything you can about
your new diagnosis, the various treatment options and so forth. As many of us find we need to advocate for what we need to be well, and find a great deal of trial-and-error when our UC is treated. Often, we're partners with our doctors in determining our treatment path, as doctors do not have all of the answers, and are going through trial-and-error themselves in treating us (no doctor-dictators allowed haha). So know your treatment options, what's appropriate for your conditions and suggest things at your appointments! And we all do say no to our doctors at times and disagree with an approach, it's part of it. No harm in delaying and making sure that something like prednisone is absolutely necessary before trying it. As sometimes we can avoid the dreaded-pred.
Health anxieties are a tough one, and something that we all deal with to some degree (worse when we're flaring badly and a lot better when we're doing well). There's absolutely no easy button in coping. Unfortunately, uncertainty about
the future and health are just part of this whole chronic illness gig. It's very rough at first, from being healthy and young to now wrapping your noggin around the idea of a lifetime illness requiring daily medications. It does get easier over time when there's less unknowns (you get to know your enemy, what UC throws at you, early signs of flares and how to react, etc.). In the end, you got to put your pants on one leg at a time, put on a smile and go to work, school, and so on each day like everyone does. Life goes on and many face challenges within their life, and we're not the only invisible-illness sufferers out there.
There's no knowing our exact prognosis in advance. Some of us have an easy and mild-mannered case of UC that responds to the mildest anti-inflammatory meds like your Mezavant and Salofalk for decades with little trouble. Others have a difficult case needing strong immunosuppressing medications (like mine). And about
20 percent of us need surgery as nothing else works. We have posters in all of those stages and who are doing well, so no matter which course your UC ultimately takes, there is a solution out there for your that will give you a decent quality of life.
I'd say don't worry unless there is a cause to worry. Try to not focus on your health worries/anxieties 24/7 as that'd make even the very strongest of us sanity-challenged. You need distractions and to invest in things that you enjoy, hobbies, music, and find things that relax you like mindfulness, yoga, and meditation (ohm haha).
Here's some stuff that may help with the health anxieties:
Tips for coping with stress and anxieties:
www.stress-relief-exercises.comwww.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/73076/34334/breathing-lessonswww.healthyplace.comThree Minute Mindfulness Meditation Video
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDflnqo0TQs/www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2_UfFIszkY