Updates...

I just realized that I never posted any updates about me or my dad after last week's crappiness.  Sorry about that!

Dad was released from the hospital late Friday, which is great considering how grave everything sounded on Thursday evening.  He also met with a cardiac surgeon this past Monday to discuss his heart.  From what I understand from Dad, a normal person's aorta is approximately 3 cm,  Dad's was at 4, and around 5.5-6cm is when they would need to do surgery.  They will continue to monitor the size of his aorta (although I'm not quite sure how often...yearly I think though) to see if it continues to grow.  There are two things that he can do to help keep it under control, and that is maintain a good blood pressure and QUIT SMOKING.  I'm glad that someone he truly respects told him that.  I know it's hard for him...I get it, but I hope hope hope, for Brianne and Izzy, that he quits.

And for me, GOOD NEWS!  I was able to get an appointment at The Cleveland Clinic on the Monday after Thanksgiving to see a nephrologist.  This is much quicker than I expected, and the timing is pretty great too.  It's still seems completely surreal to me that I'm at the point where it's necessary that I start hunting down doctors and traveling long distances to see if anyone can help me, but I guess that's where we are.  And maybe this can't come soon enough.  Since yesterday afternoon, my legs have been quite swollen, to the point where it's difficult to put on most of my shoes.  I thought it was just from sitting too long yesterday, but it wasn't any better this morning, and they're still huge right now.  My skin is very tight due to all of the water I'm retaining, and it's just plain uncomfortable.  I'm thankful that it's not painful, though!  My nephrologist prescribed a diuretic to try to rid me of this water, but I can't start taking it until tomorrow morning because apparently I'll start peeing all the time.  Yippee.  And I'd like ONE good night of sleep.