Hi back again dllfo.

After reading your reply, I thought I'd give you more information about the viral infection I mentioned above so you can eliminate it if your symptoms don't fit.

Bornholm Disease is an acute infectious illness caused by the Coxsackie B Virus. It causes fever, and flu type symptoms, as well as severe pain in the chest...usually on one side. That pain can be stabbing, or 'grip-like', and spasmodic... lasting for 15 to 30 minutes at a time. Coughing, sneezing and sudden movements intensify the pain.

Maybe I've confused matters by bringing it up because I didn't know about the antics of your rather large dog until now, and injury from Tolly trying to wake you up is certainly a possibility. Maybe you have some nasty internal bruising.

I read that you'd had XRays and even a CT, but I've had broken bones myself that didn't show up on XRay, and CT wouldn't pick them up. It wasn't until I had bone scans done that they were able to confirm what I already suspected. I also broke 4 ribs in a fall a few years ago, and from what I remember about the rib pain I had with Bornholm Disease, that pain was similar to the broken rib pain.... the pain from these fractures being worse though.

An elevated CRP definitely indicates infection somewhere, and antibiotics should help with that..... unless of course you have a virus, in which case they probably won't do much at all.

Good luck with your next round of tests, and I do hope your PSA has stabalized or decreased, and you don't have to have that biopsy.