Patty,
Yahooo! I'm so grateful that the tests revealed something specific that can be treated.
Will keep you in my prayers... that the antibiotic treatment will be possible and that it will work.

As for doctors, I guess we live and learn. I recall waiting for years for an AS diagnosis. I recall arguing with my doctor "there is something seriously wrong, please send me to someone else, it isn't normal to wake up all night with muscle spasms" and her (practically yelling) response of "there is nothing wrong with you! I'm telling you. You have mechanical back pain, there is nothing wrong!". A week later I went for my next appointment with this same GP (who had many years of experience). When I arrived I was told the GP was sick but that a young intern was seeing patients for her. I met with the intern who immediately referred me to a rheumatologist. Once I met the rheumy, within a half hour he said he felt I had AS and later confirmed it via Catscan. Up until then, I thought doctors knew everything. That day I learned we are our own best doctors and we can trust what our bodies are telling us and we need to push as you say to get results from these busy doctors who I know mean well but are human and make mistakes just like we do.

cheers
Peggy