Deanne,
I saw rheumies who said I had no signs of AS even after a diagnosis. When they did a total spine mri they found most of the AS damage was in my thoracic and cervical regions showing the most nodules or tumors depending on your doctors way of explaining them. Xrays of the SI does not always show the damage. Sometimes your hips or other joints show signs before the SI does.
A lot of us go threw years of going to doctors and hear our pain is in our head before we get a diagnosis. I went almost ten years before they found mine and it was because the neurosurgeon who did two back surgeries suspected it and sent me to a rheumy. What they had though was a birth deffect in my spine was actually AS making the spinal canal smaller, or emtremely small according to the surgeons reports after surgery.
It sounds like they are heading in the right direction on yours already. As for the meds only your doctors will be able to tell you when and what they will try.
Brent
