OMG! You're certainly not having a good start to the year. I too would be very worried about the high BP. I get the impression that it can be quite hard to control to a good level, and even just measuring it reliably isn't that simple. I guess the most worrying aspect is the apparently rapid onset. I hope you get good news from the renal ultrasound - but I have no idea what that good news would be. I suppose you want to find an easily reversible, non-serious cause of the high BP, whatever that is. I'll be thinking of you.