Just Diagnosed with Crohn's or Colitis?

The first months are terrifying. We know. The founder was diagnosed in 2020 and remembers every sleepless night. Here's what we wish someone had told us. With Flarity comes clarity.

What You're Probably Feeling

This is all normal. It gets better. Not the disease - but your ability to live with it.

The Biggest Mistake Newly Diagnosed Patients Make

Not tracking from the beginning.

A year from now, your GI will ask: "When did you first notice symptoms?" "How often were you flaring those first months?" "What was your baseline before we started treatment?"

Most patients can't answer. They were too overwhelmed to track anything - and now that data is gone.

Flarity fixes this. Start now, and you'll have a complete history from day one.

What Flarity Does for Newly Diagnosed Patients

1. Establishes Your Baseline

Before you can predict flares, you need to know what "normal" looks like for you. Flarity learns your heart rate, sleep, and activity patterns so it can detect when something changes.

2. Builds Your Health History

Every symptom, every flare, every medication - logged and ready for your GI. No more reconstructing from memory.

3. Prepares You for Appointments

Your first appointments are overwhelming. Flarity generates reports with your data AND suggests questions to ask based on your patterns.

4. Predicts Before You Feel It

After 2-3 weeks, Flarity starts detecting early warning signs. You'll get a heads-up days or weeks before a flare hits.

What We Wish Someone Had Told Us

When you're newly diagnosed, you're drowning in medical terms and scary Google results. Here's what actually matters - explained like a friend would.

Crohn's vs. Ulcerative Colitis: What's the Difference?

Ulcerative Colitis (UC): Only affects your colon (large intestine). Inflammation is continuous - it starts at the rectum and works up. If they remove your colon, UC is technically "cured."

Crohn's: Can affect anywhere from mouth to anus, but usually the small intestine and/or colon. Inflammation is "patchy" - healthy areas between inflamed areas. Surgery helps but doesn't cure it because it can come back anywhere.

Why it matters: Treatment approaches differ. Some medications only work for one type. Your GI should be clear about which you have - ask if you're unsure.

What's a "Flare" Anyway?

A flare is when your IBD becomes active - inflammation increases and symptoms return or worsen.

Common flare symptoms:

What triggers flares? Often unclear. Sometimes stress, infections, missed medications, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), or nothing identifiable at all.

The frustrating truth: Flares can happen even when you're doing everything right. That's not your fault.

Remission ≠ Cured

When your symptoms go away and inflammation calms down, you're in "remission." This is great news - but it doesn't mean you're cured.

Types of remission:

Why it matters: You can feel fine but still have inflammation (which causes long-term damage). That's why your GI might want scopes or labs even when you feel great.

The goal: Stay in remission as long as possible. Flarity helps by warning you when patterns suggest a flare is coming.

Biologics Aren't "Last Resort"

Many newly diagnosed patients resist biologics (Humira, Remicade, Stelara, Entyvio, etc.) because they sound scary or they want to "save" them for when things get really bad.

Here's the thing: Starting biologics earlier often leads to better outcomes. The older approach ("step-up therapy") meant trying milder drugs first and escalating. Many GIs now prefer "top-down" - hitting the disease hard early before it causes permanent damage.

The outdated fear:

"Once I start biologics, I can never go back."

The reality:

Biologics aren't a one-way door. They can be incredibly effective, and some patients eventually reduce or stop them. But waiting too long can mean more damage, more surgeries, more complications.

Ask your GI: "Why are you recommending this treatment? What are the risks of waiting?"

You Can Have Inflammation Without Symptoms (and Vice Versa)

This one surprises people.

Silent inflammation: Your gut can be inflamed even when you feel okay. This is why your GI checks labs (CRP, calprotectin) and does scopes - to see what's happening inside, not just how you feel.

Symptoms without inflammation: Sometimes you have IBS-like symptoms (cramping, diarrhea) even when your IBD is controlled. This is frustrating but doesn't necessarily mean you need stronger medication.

Why it matters: Don't assume feeling good means everything's fine. And don't assume feeling bad means your IBD is out of control. Labs and scopes tell the real story.

What Those Labs Actually Mean

Your GI will order blood and stool tests. Here's what matters:

CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
A blood test measuring general inflammation in your body. Higher = more inflammation. But it's not specific to IBD - infections, injuries, and other conditions raise CRP too.
Fecal Calprotectin
A stool test that specifically measures gut inflammation. This is more useful than CRP for IBD because it tells you what's happening in your intestines. Higher numbers = more active disease.
Hemoglobin / Hematocrit
Checks for anemia (low red blood cells). Common in IBD due to blood loss and poor nutrient absorption.
Albumin
A protein that drops when you're malnourished or have significant inflammation. Low albumin can mean your IBD is affecting your nutrition.

Why it matters: These numbers help your GI see what's happening inside even when you feel fine (or explain why you feel awful when scopes look okay).

What's a Montreal Classification?

This describes WHERE your IBD is located and HOW it behaves. Most patients have one but don't know it.

For Crohn's:

  • Location: L1 (small intestine), L2 (colon), L3 (both), L4 (upper GI)
  • Behavior: B1 (inflammatory), B2 (stricturing/narrowing), B3 (penetrating/fistulas)
  • Perianal: +p if you have perianal disease (fissures, fistulas near the anus)

Example: "L3 B1" means Crohn's in both small intestine and colon, inflammatory behavior, no strictures or fistulas.

For UC:

  • E1 (Proctitis): Only the rectum
  • E2 (Left-sided): Rectum + left side of colon
  • E3 (Pancolitis): Entire colon

Why it matters: Your classification affects treatment options and prognosis. Ask your GI: "What's my Montreal Classification?"

Surgery Isn't Failure

Many patients fear surgery as the worst outcome. But for some people, surgery is genuinely the best path forward.

For UC: Removing the colon (colectomy) can eliminate the disease. Some people choose this over a lifetime of medications and flares.

For Crohn's: Surgery can remove damaged sections, fix strictures, or drain abscesses. It doesn't cure Crohn's (it can recur), but it can provide years of relief and improve quality of life dramatically.

The reframe: Surgery isn't giving up. It's one tool in the toolbox. Some of the happiest IBD patients are post-surgery.

Ask your GI: "At what point would you recommend surgery? What would the recovery look like?"

Diet Alone Won't Cure IBD (But It Matters)

You'll see a lot of claims: "I cured my Crohn's with [specific diet]!" Be skeptical.

The truth:

What actually helps:

The frustrating reality: You can eat perfectly and still flare. You can eat "badly" and feel fine. IBD isn't fair.

Stress Is Real (But Not How You Think)

You'll hear "stress causes flares." It's more complicated than that.

What research shows: Stress doesn't cause IBD. But chronic stress can worsen inflammation and may trigger flares in some people.

The chicken and egg: Did stress cause your flare, or did the anxiety of feeling a flare coming cause stress? Often impossible to know.

What helps: Managing stress is good for your overall health and may help your IBD. But don't blame yourself for flares - "I shouldn't have been stressed" isn't helpful or accurate.

Your Mental Health Matters

IBD and mental health are deeply connected:

This isn't weakness. It's biology and circumstance.

What helps: Therapy (especially IBD-informed), support groups, and sometimes medication. Your GI might be able to refer you.

You Can Still [Travel / Work / Have Kids / Live Your Life]

IBD changes your life. It doesn't end it.

Travel: Possible with planning. Know where bathrooms are. Carry medications. Consider travel insurance.

Work: Most people with IBD work full careers. You may need accommodations during flares. Know your rights.

Pregnancy: Absolutely possible. Most IBD medications are safe during pregnancy. Plan with your GI beforehand - controlled disease = healthier pregnancy.

Exercise: Generally good for you. Listen to your body. Some people run marathons with IBD.

The adjustment: Life looks different now. That's real and it's okay to grieve. But different doesn't mean over.

Finding the Right Doctor

Not all GIs are equal. An IBD specialist sees this every day; a general GI might see it once a month.

Questions to ask:

Red flags:

It's okay to switch. You'll be with your GI for years. The relationship matters.

Questions Every Newly Diagnosed Patient Should Ask

See all 57 questions to ask your GI →

"When I was diagnosed, my doctor recommended surgery. I wasn't ready - I wanted to try medications first. That disagreement started a years-long journey through Inflectra, then Entyvio, now Skyrizi.

I built Flarity because I was tired of guessing. I wanted warning before a flare hit. I wanted to walk into appointments with evidence.

This is the app I wish existed when I was diagnosed."

Rajan, Founder
Crohn's disease since 2020

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