Stomach Pain, anemia, inflammation--Crohn's?

[Concerned867]

My spouse has had recurring abdominal pain once every month or two for the past 10 months.  The pain is in the center of her abdomen, it comes on slowly, and then comes in waves, is accompanied by nausea, and lasts several hours. She's sore afterwards (and has a tender spot in her right mid-abdomen) and has constipation during the attack.  She doesn't have diarhea with it--though the first attack followed an upset stomach.  She saw a GP after the first attack who thought it might be her gallbladder.  He did a CBC and found she was a little anemic.  She's a vegetarian so she stated taking an iron supplement.  After the second or third attack she went back to the doctor, had an ultrasound (found nothing) and a HIDA scan (showed a 27% emptying rate).  She was refered to a GI specialist after the fourth attack (which was milder than the first couple).  He assumed her gallbladder was bad but ordered more blood work.  This time the test showed anemia (we didn't get the numbers, but the doctor seemed troubled by it) and inflammation based on a CRP test. (No celiac disease signs and no liver problems.).  The specialist scheduled her for a endoscopy and colonoscopy this week (he seemed ike he wanted to hurry).
But here's my question--my wife is freaked out about this and is convinced she has colon cancer.  From what research I've done on line, it seems like she has IBD symptoms.  Her grandma had Crohn's and her mother has diverticular disease.  BUt I'm terribly worried as well--particularly about he anemia.  I know we will probably have some answers soon from the tests, but any advice, thoughts, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[coughting]

Good luck to your wife.  She may also have chrons.  The dr can do a genetic test that will prove if it is chrons or not.  This could be the cause of the tumor.  I have chrons and my small intestine was so wadded up that a polyp formed and it was cancer.  Because of my chrons and the trouble I was having (fistula) the operated to do a bowel resection.  They tested what was removed and found the cancer.  It was early enough that I did not have to have chemo etc.  However, i have been visiting the oncologist every 3 months since July 2007 and will now go on 4 month intervals.  I will see the oncologist for the rest of my life to keep a check on it.  I also had another colonoscopy recently and no polyps and it only showed mild chrons.  

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[oo1]

i got a operation 10 months ago for crohns and i still go to the loo 10 to 15 times a day i have tried everything i am so sick can never go any where i always feel weak and faint i need something new to try

[Concerned867]

One of the things I've noticed about these forums is you often don't hear the end of the story.  I hope this isn't the end, but I did want to give a final update to this thread before moving over to the colon cancer forum.
My wife has colon cancer.  The stricture is apparently a tumer.  They're calling it invasive but we don't know how big it is or if it has spread.  She has a ct scan tomorrow and surgery next week.  Then we are probably looking at chemo.  We're trying to stay positive.  
Thanks.

[Concerned867]

We just got back from the hospital.  My wife's colonoscopy showed a stricture.  Her intestine was inflamed, bleeding, but not fully closed off.  The doctor said he suspected Crohn's but they took several biopsies.  He did say that given her age and the fact that her SED rate was hight (?) that cancer was less likely.  It will be a day or two before we know if she's looking at cancer.  I find it odd that I am praying for Crohn's.  Does this--stricture in upper right colon, inflamation, bleeding, etc.--sound familiar to anyone?

[Concerned867]

No diarhea though she has five or six bowel movements a day--most of them she calls "normal looking." (I told her the other day that it's nice after nearly 20 years of marriage we can talk openly about our bowels).  I figured that was normal since I'm about the same, but who knows.
Thanks for the response and good luck with your bios.

[JP40]

of course I'm no doctor but if she's not having diarhea I don't think it's colon cancer.  I have diarhea about 10 x a day blood in stool nausea most of the day and down to 92 lbs - Dr having me go in for bios for cancer hoping this week - sounds like gallbadder to me-   I had a few of those attacks and I thought I was going to die it was so bad