We have a plan!

Not a great one but a plan nonetheless.

Bloods showed a slight elevation in both CRP and ESR and taking into account that with ME, neither of these markers get as high as they do in most people - even with an acute infection - then something is going on.

CT showed a lot of interference from the ceramic ball of the prosthetic joint.  The metal wasn't as bad as I thought.  They stupidly printed 30 tiny images to one page so it was near impossible to see anything.  Just as well my surgeon ignores the radiologists report!  I found it in the envelope later and it's just complete rubbish!  I find it hard to believe this person has any medical training!!

Anyway the prosthesis is fine and sitting where it should.  As far as the Dr can tell there aren't any signs of infection on the scans but given all the other info and the fact that the scans aren't clear enough to say for certain, he has put me on a mega dose of strong oral antibiotics that are targeted at staph infections which this is most likely to be (if it's an infection).

If they help it means there IS an infection and the next step is to work out what to do.  Oral antibiotics wont kill it since it lives on the implant itself.  They will only keep it from multiplying and affecting the surrounding bone so I could just keep taking the antibiotics forever.  (ummmm...no thanks!!).

So I go back in 2 weeks after 4 back-to-back courses of the antibiotics (which the chemist didn't fill properly - that reminds me I need to got back tomorrow) and hope desperately this THIS is the reason and we can fix it.

Either way another op is probably a given but for now I'm going to enjoy the lovely prescription pain meds and mourn the most useless and unproductive WIP Week in history!