Husband thinking about cancelling appointment what to do???

My husband has these strange flare ups of some sort- we don't know what they are, why they are here, where t hey come from or what to do about them.

They come at strange times- they are always met with amazingly painful stomach cramps- very low abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that just won't quit. He usually has 20 painful bouts of diarrhea within a seveeral hour span when this happens.

Sometimes, it lasts for a day, sometimes for 2 days, and this last time, it lasted for 8 days.

Then, it's gone!

This time, it was bad enough and he was so exhausted that he went to the doctor.

He has had this problem for almost 20 years- and each year, he has more flare ups- then the year before. He is now 51.

When he was at his appt they discovered he had lost 11 pounds since his last visit to the doctor 8 months ago- despite a fairly normal eating pattern. Possibly from all the days of diarrhea? We're nt sure.

But, he is still 17 pounds lighter then he was last year at this time.

The thing is, this tiem they did blood work, and he had some mildly elevated results.. slight elevation of the white blood count, and low mean platelets, with mildly high normal platelets.

The doctor said it could indicate an inflammation somewhere in the body- he was sure it was something more then just ibs... so he sent him to a GI specialist- of which they got him on a cancellationlist and he goes in for his consult on Wednesday.

Here's the problem.... he thinks because he is feeling so well, he is not going to keep his appointment. He is not taking meds of any sort- nor did the doctor give him any- but he's back to his normal self, no stomach pains or cramps (until the next time).

He thinks that if it is something more serious such as crohn's or colitis, it would still be acting up, but since it is not.. he thinks that it is no big deal to cancel the appointment and wait it out.

What do we do here?

He has been fine for about two weeks now.

I say keep it too. I have personal experience from wishing I hadn't cancelled a Flex-sig appt. I pushed it off by 3 weeks and have paid for it ever since. I cancelled because of a snowstorm. Because my kids had school cancelled and I didn't want my husband to deal with a third and sixth grader in the doctor's office, while I was being examined, when originally he was going to be able to work that day. For convenience sake, I cancelled. Stupid plan! 3 weeks later I had the rescheduled Flex-sig and my 1 inch tumor was diagnosed as malignant.

I will always wonder if those 3 extra weeks would have changed my ultimate outcome. I might have just had the simple dilation/scoop the tumor out type surgery, 1 day hospital stay, chemo/radiation for 4 weeks and then not have to deal with what I go thru now - severe IBS symptoms. By waiting 3 more weeks, my tumor was about to penetrate the third bowel wall tissue (there are 5 layers) so it was thought that my tumor was too large and imbedded too deep to do a simple procedure. I had a major resection, 5 hour surgery, etc., temp ostomy, the whole 9 yards. And have paid for it ever since.

Don't cancel! (not that my outcome will be your husband's, but when in doubt, keep the appt. if for nothing else but peace of mind, which is PRICELESS!)