As promised...

Somewhere along the lines my brother must've gotten a hold of a computer.....up until this point he had been checking this blog via cell phone and I was shocked when he asked me why I always post douchebag pictures of him. I had no idea that every picture I posted was in fact.....douchery. They all seemed so normal to me, but then again, I guess a sister never really loses that vision of the 'younger brother'... So, as promised to him, here's our favorite picture......see, I guess he is somewhat normal.....

That being said, our family would like to thank everyone who has thought of Corey, sent emails, posts, chats and so on. It means the world to us to know that there are so many people keeping him in their thoughts.

Let's hope we can get this show on the road soon!

The Situation is.....it's time for a Double Lung Transplant

Hey Hey Hey friends, family, and blog followers.....
First and foremost, apologies on the delay in updating the blog. In our case, no news was just that...no news. Until now.

As some of you know, Corey recently got out of the hospital after a bout with pneumonia. And to quote him..."I never felt bad, I just couldn't breathe" (well, with an o2 level of 85, I can see why!). Pneumonia is not uncommon for him around this time of year, but in this case, it came as a blessing in disguise. If you have followed along, you know that the original plan was to remove his left lung, which is heavily diseased and non-functioning. Five days before his long awaited surgery, it was cancelled due to a lapse in his insurance. After fighting for his insurance and a way for him to get the surgery, it was decided by his doctors that he was no longer able to work in his field of construction any longer and he had to file for Disability and Medicaid. Obviously this was met with some resistance...as a young guy, with a lot of life to live, just hearing the word 'disability' was a hard pill to swallow. To look at Corey you would never see him as 'disabled'...and physically, he is strong and mobile. His problem, is that the bronchiectasis has taken such a toll on his body that if he were to continue to work, his chances of long term hospitalization were increased. Pneumonia is something he is very susceptible to and was becoming a recurrent theme in his life...and with only one functioning lung, he couldn't afford to put himself in an environment that would increase those chances.

Fast forward to now....
After his most recent stay at University Hospital in Cincinnati, his team of doctors became very interested in his case. They even questioned his original diagnosis. It's rare that a person with Bronchiectasis would have the majority of the disease in one lung vs. both lungs. Right now, his left lung is completely shot, and his right lung is showing traces of disease. According to the doctors, this is something they typically see in patients who have undergone radiation in the past. Corey has not had radiation. Chemotherapy, yes....but not radiation. Through a close examination of his medical history, his team became quite interested in him as a patient. We've been working on getting his disability approved, but thankfully, the growing interest in him prompted them to put him in touch with a social worker who is confident that he is 100% qualified for disability and she is doing everything in her power to put him on the fast track to final approval. His team of doctors decided that once the disability is final, and his Medicaid is approved, he will start all necessary testing to get him ready for.....'drumroll'...A Double Lung Transplant.

Before you start to feel sorry for him, remember this. This is a GOOD thing! It's a major thing...but it's a good thing. Removing the old lungs will rid him of his disease. Getting new lungs will pose an obstacle course of challenges, but in the long run, it will give him a quality of life that he hasn't known in such a long time.

Once everything is approved and moving forward, he will move to the Cleveland area. It's necessary for him to be within 3 hours of The Cleveland Clinic when he gets the call to surgery.

By clicking on the link above, you can read all about what he will be going through as he prepares, and later recovers from his transplant surgery. I have no doubt that once this surgery is complete, Corey will go on to live a life that he hasn't known in so long.

He has battled Bronchiectasis since his diagnosis at age 22. We watched, with our hands tied behind our back, unable to do much of anything to help him, and not at all knowing what he was going through.

I've always believed that my brother was born to do something great...I know that with each diagnosis he receives, each phase of bad luck, and each punch in the face he gets just when things start to be going well he must think to himself 'WHAT IN THE F**K'! But he keeps fighting, and he keeps smiling, and he hasn't once let anything get him down. This latest news is proof to me that he is here for a purpose....and I believe that purporse is to pay it forward...to touch someone's life. I have no doubt in my mind, that once this surgery is complete, we will see him as an advocate for patients...as someone spreading the word of the importance of organ donation, of keeping a strong mind and a sense of humor. I see him as being a mentor to someone in need of a friend who has been there done that. I see him as a medical case, that may help answer questions for future treatments on patients such as him.

The positive outcome of this and the possibilities for him are endless. He may be getting new lungs, and it may be a difficult road....but he's also getting a new lease on life. His life is only just beginning and we, as a family, thank each and everyone of you who are supporting him, thinking of him, and praying for him. We hope you will continue to support him by enjoying every moment you have to the best of your ability..laugh in the face of uncertainty, and stand up to the challenges that come your way. We don't know what our futures hold, and we only really know for sure that we have one chance on this earth...so when you feel yourself spiraling down a path that you feel you can't get out of, remember, that as long as you can take control, and feel your strength from within, you can do anything, conquer anything and you can do it with a smile and a sense of well being.

I recently came across a set of journals that had a pre-printed quote inside. I'm not sure who the author is, but I wish I could thank them for their words to live by. So, I will end this blog now, with the following quote, that speak volumes:

EMBRACE THE MOMENT

to embrace the moment is to realize how precious life is and that each day is a gift. when you

embrace each moment you agree to live in the 'now', taking in all that surrounds you. it is

about awareness.

there is a certain calm you will know when you embrace the moment

when you embrace the moment you quickly build a new habit. it becomes easier to trust the process and be in gratitude

slow down just a bit. breathe life in and

embrace the moment

it is addicting

Playing the Waiting Game

It's been awhile since we've updated this blog....not because we've given up, but more because we are in limbo right now. If you've been in town, you've seen that Corey is home and among friends and family. Living his life and having a good time. In my personal opinion, this is the best medicine for him right now.

In the time that he's been home, his spirits have been lifted and I've seen a general overall sense of calm and happiness come over him. When facing such an extreme surgery and life changing event, a good state of mind is most important. I am thankful everyday that his surgery didn't happen in Michigan. They say that everything happens for a reason, and I am positive that someone 'upstairs' worked some magic to make sure that he was home near a strong support network during this time. Have faith in whatever you have faith in.....someone is lookin' out for ya!

So right now, we have the disability papers submitted and now we are just waiting on the approval. This could take anywhere from 2 months to 2 years, but in his case, he should have no trouble getting approved. Most people get approved for disability when their lung function is at 40%.

His is at 25%.

This means that he only has half of a working lung.

To look at him, you'd never know.

(However, I have to try hard not to be so hilarious around him because when he laughs really hard he goes into an all out asthma attack...and it scares me to death...note to self: stop being hilarous around little brother)

Once this disability is approved, and he gets some stable insurance (he has none right now), we will proceed with additional testing and get a second opinion from his Cincinnati Dr's. With his lung function where it's at right now, they are thinking more along the lines of a Double Lung Transplant, BUT.......this is a HUGE life changing event.....and will take a lot of support from all of his friends and family once it's done. We're ready though. We're ready. In order for us to make that decision, more expansive and EXPENSIVE testing needs to be done....and that's where the waiting game comes in........gotta wait for the approval on disability and medicare/medicaid...it's all so confusing right now.

At some point, I may end up throwing a rocking fundraiser party...who knows.

My brother is one of the toughest people I know. He's not all sunshine and rainbows to be around, but that's just him.....and hey! that's what I'm for, right? He teaches me to be an asshole, and I teach him to count to 10 and smile. It's a good balance. :) But together, with the support of our family and friends, we are gonna get through this thing.

He's Home, He's Single, May go for the Double Lung Transplant AND HE'S ON FACEBOOK!!!!

So, as most of you know Corey is back at home now and for me...this is a HUGE blessing....

And for you single ladies........this is good for you too. Don't think for one second that these broken lungs are gonna stop him, he's been taking great care of my kids all summer, and.....hold on to your hats....COOKING for us.

I'm not kidding you guys, this guy can COOK. I barely even eat and I will EAT like I've never eaten before when he cooks. I don't talk, I don't look up from my plate, I can barely even speak the words "this is so good".......

He claims it's from watching Food Network...I don't know. My mind is blown. I had no idea he was so talented in the kitchen.

So listen girls. He's single. He can cook. He's great with kids. Just keep that in mind......Also keep in mind, that I am screening all potential prospects. This family is a fun loving bunch, we are edgy but loving..and we love love love our family. We love love love everything, but don't cross us...I tend to look at everything through rose colored glasses....so, I'll be the one that's easiest to fool. It's my little sisters you gotta watch out for. Shealyn can see right through you....She knows what's up, do not think for even the slightest moment that you can fool her with your phoney ways.....she is 17 years old and she gets it. Josie doesn't speak much, but she has lasers for eyes. No joke.

That being said......have at him! He's home, single and up for grabs!

......getting back on track......

We are now looking at a possible double lung transplant. His last Dr's visit showed his lung function at 25%. At this point we don't know much until his appointment on July 15th where his doctor's from Cincinnati will have had time to review his testing from Michigan. We are VERY thankful that he didn't have his surgery back in Michigan being that if he would've went through with it his option to have a double lung transplant would've been gone. At least now that he is home he can get a second opinion and be comfortable with his choice. Luckily Bronchiectasis is a slow moving disease so we are not in a major rush. He can take his time to decide what to do and with the addition of his new bedtime buddy (his oxygen tank) he is feeling much better these days.

We'll keep you posted as things progress..in the meantime......find him on facebook.....the one thing he vowed he'd NEVER do. "I F'in HATE FACEBOOK"-Corey Hoover 2009

WonderTwin Powers Activate!

BIG changes.....

Not sure where we left off, nor do I think any of us are ready to delve into all the crazy details...but here's what's up.

I'M RUNNING THE SHOW NOW.

Corey is back home. FOR GOOD. This changes everything.

I'm the captain of the this ship and I'm taking charge. I'll let him be the co-captain.....and for good reason. Dude is losing a lung here soon, it's only natural for the stronger of the two to be captain. He's lucky I'm letting him be co-captain. But since this blog is 'technically' all about HIM....I guess I'll let him take a little bit of control.

Whatever.

Plus, I'm older.

Anyway, the boy is back home.

And we are going to be partners in crime with his healthcare.

I will be attending his Dr visits with him, his meetings regarding his insurance, any legal hearings......

Basically, I am going to be his wondertwin.

Because, two sets of ears are better than one.

And I am pretty freakin' awesome at this stuff.

Surgery will take place here in Cincinnati, as will his recovery, as will his life.

THIS IS HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. EVERYTHING HAS FALLEN INTO PLACE.....it doesn't matter how or why he is here. The past is in the past, that book is closed and a new one has begun.

So, WonderTwin Powers Activate:

Form of......Ice Cube! Water! What?

Surgery Postponed...OY OY OY

Believe it or not, it was my brother who had to calm ME down today..although from what I hear, when he got the news...he was also fit to be tied.

May 7th....this Friday was to be the original date of surgery, and after spending the day with my brother this past weekend, we all knew that this date could not come soon enough. I can honestly say, that until you have sat next to him on the couch, you really cannot even grasp the severity of the situation.

The only way I can describe it is by comparing the sound of his lungs to a large bubbling, gurgling, crackling aquarium....like the Newport Aquarium.

He has a hard time getting through a sentence without coughing and listening to him tell a story, you find yourself wanting to breathe for him....you can see his neck pulling in and out, you can almost feel his pain. As he talks...you look around the room, and you notice that his audience are all watching him, and without even knowing they are doing it, they all have their hands clutched to their chests.

They all feel it....

I'm not saying all this so you feel pity on him..that's the last thing he would want. I'm saying this b/c I'm so PISSED OFF that he's not getting this surgery this Friday.

And I'm also saying this because I'm in Shock and AWE at how STRONG he is.

Basically, what this is boiling down to is Insurance. .I don't know all the details..basically, there has been a lapse, and he has no insurance right now.

His hands are tied...they had to cancel the surgery, he will need to file for Medicaid..and once that is approved his surgery will be a go again, which HOPEFULLY will be sometime in JUNE.

So, he is positive..and upbeat.....and he is seeing this as a blessing in disguise. Right now, he is very weak and sick. And maybe...just MAYBE this is all happening for a reason. MAYBE, he needs this time to get stronger and get his body ready for this surgery.

That is what we are choosing to believe.

That is what we have to believe.

Keep the prayers and vibes coming......

Just another month to wait now...

Countdown is on!

We have less than two weeks til the big day....

And I want every one to picture this.

My brother.

In a tiny pair of running shorts.

Wristbands.

And a sweatband around his forehead.

Running marathons.

Well....maybe that's a pipe dream, but it creates a pretty funny mental image.

Either way...good stuff ahead. I just know it! Keep that positive energy flowin'.....

It's all good in the hood!

Testing 1,2,3...All systems a GO! Corey's getting pruned.

Corey has been going through many tests leading up to his surgery which as you know will happen on May 7th.

Most recently he underwent a VQ Scan. (Pulmonary Ventilation/Perfusion Scan) This test was done specifically to see if it was really necessary to get his lung removed. Basically, they wanted to see if his lung was really in as bad of shape as we all thought it was.

The results were an astounding YES....it was THAT BAD.

To give you some idea of what the test entails...Albumin is injected into the veins and the lungs are scanned to detect the location of the radioactive particles as blood flows through the lungs.

This test is done to measure how much blood and air flow the lungs are receiving.

And basically, his left lung, in a nutshell is receiving none. No air. No blood.

Without going into great detail, we can sum it up by saying his left lung is dead. A big giant dead collapsed lung that has no ability to hold air and receives no blood flow, yet his body, is trying desperately to keep this lung alive, thus taking all of his energy from him...and from his healthy right lung. Not only that, it's filled with fluid, and infection. He has walking pneumonia...and truth is, he has no idea what it feels like to NOT have walking pneumonia.

Solution. Get rid of it. Immediately if not sooner.

If you can think of it in terms of a rosebush. You prune a rosebush by cutting off the dead leaves and flowers so that the live flowers can flourish. If you don't do this, the bush will waste it's energy trying to keep the dead leaves and flowers alive, thus killing the entire bush in the end. If you get rid of the bad parts, the good parts will live a long, healthy and beautiful life. But they have to be well taken care of. It's the same concept with the human body...it's the same concept with Corey's two lungs.

Corey needs to be pruned.

(But, hey....chew on this......He also had a Stress Test, and even with everything his body has been through and all of the extra work his heart has had to do to keep his blood flowing, his heart is testing as a perfectly healthy 30 year old man! Imagine!!!!)

Pay It Forward!!!!

Most of you know that Corey developed Cancer (Non-Hodgekin's Lymphoma) at age 19. His cancer was discovered after he developed a lump the size of a softball on the side of his neck. It was found that it was not only in his neck, but in his spleen too. He had surgery to remove 90% of his lymph nodes in his neck, and a complete removal of his spleen, followed by 6 months of Chemotherapy.

Thankfully he beat cancer but his doctors now believe that the cancer is what exacerbated his already slow developing Bronchiectasis (hence his upcoming lung removal), which they are actually tying waaaayyyy back to his horrible bout with Chicken Pox as a young boy.

Where am I going with this you ask?

I wanted to give you his background on cancer, and his ability to beat it, because right now we have a chance to Pay it Forward.

A childhood friend of ours, Jared Fox, will be participating in the Team in Training 100 Mile Bike Ride for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Jared will be riding in honor of Parker Vernon who was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 1 has been fighting this battle for the past two years. Thankfully, he has been fighting it with some success, thanks to the support of his friends and family and events such as this. Please take the time to visit Jared's fundraiser page, and donate what you can. Every little bit helps.

Parker is probably too young to fully realize how much support he has, but he can feel it. I truly believe in strength in numbers, the power of the mind, healing vibes, positive thought and energy....if you are unable to donate to the cause, please send out a healing thought, say a prayer, or light a candle at your local church in honor of Parker. Trust me. It matters.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE IN HONOR OF PARKER

What's so Funny?

When faced with the harsh realities of life there are those that lay down and let the world tackle them to the ground.

And there are those that take what they are given...smile...make a joke, and come back swinging.

There is nothing funny about getting a lung removed. And if we went down the list of all the terrible news our family has been given throughout the years, there is nothing funny about that either.

So why are we always laughing?

Because, we have to. We have to find the good in everything. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone walked around feeling sorry for themselves when they received a dose of bad news?

We learned a long time ago to never say the words "Well, it could be worse..." upon hearing bad news because inevitably it DID get worse. We changed it up and started saying "It could be better!"

Eventually, we learned that if we can smile, and laugh at ourselves, that even in the toughest of times.....the scariest of times, the smiles and laughter that we share is what gets us through.

My Big Sister is My Hero...just ask her, she'll tell ya. That's why she posted this video. ;)

In all seriousness....

You'll notice that between my brother and I, we will tend to joke around a lot, but the truth of the matter is that this is a very serious situation.

A few months ago, Corey left work early with that all too familiar crushing pain in his chest. The next day he found himself in the hospital listening to the doctor give him the "Wow, you should've been dead yesterday" speech. With pneumonia and a collapsed lung, he was told at age 30, that it was time for him to look into getting disability and getting out of the Plumbing and Pipefitters trade altogether.

Not really something a young, energetic, vibrant 30 year old wants to hear, so he decided to look into vocational rehab and get trained in CAD. With his years of experience on the field and a certification in CAD, he was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A new opportunity.

During this process, he established himself with a new set of Dr's who wanted to give him a full examination to find out what was really going on with his lungs.

This is when they found that his left lung was 100% infected with essentially ZERO air pockets. Already collapsed. His right lung looked pretty good, only showing small signs of Bronchiectasis. It was decided at this time, that it was imperative to remove the Left lung in order to save his right from the possibility of the infection spreading.

Typically a surgery like this would last around 2 hours. If you are interested in the details of this surgery the medical term is Pneumectomy. (click for details) .

In Corey's case, being that the lung is so badly damaged and collapsed....his heart and other organs have already shifted to the left side that this will be a more complicated surgery and it is more than likely going to be closer to a 5 hour surgery. I will be documenting and keeping you posted every step of the way. He will most likely spend about a week in the hospital and it will be about 6 to 8 weeks recovery time.

That being said, it is expected that once he has fully recovered, he could very well live a normal life.

As I learn more details I will keep you posted....and I do apologize for this very serious post....it can't be all fun and games all the time ya know! ;)

Corey will be learning the blogging ropes shortly and you will be hearing from him soon......

I will leave you with this quote from my favorite author...that we are learning to be more than true in our family....

There Are No Ordinary Moments....

-Dan Millman

Corey will bounce back like the AFRO NINJA

In the days ahead, we will get more into Corey's history, maybe share some funny stories, (you know we've got 'em!), but I'd like to jump ahead and just let you all know what we are facing right now.As most of you know, my little brother has faced many challenges in his life. Dating as far back as.....well..... as his birth! And we will get into that later, but what I want to let you know now is that my brother will be facing a very difficult challenge on May 7th, 2010. On that date, he will be getting his Left Lung removed. Completely. Not just a piece of it, the whole shabang.....I'm told that any organ you have two of, you can survive with one ....we hear so often about people getting their kidney's lobbed off, their ovaries, their testicles (and in this case...I think he's glad he gets to keep both of those. ;) )....but you don't often hear of one getting a lung removed!

This came as a shock to all of us, and him as well, we knew his condition was bad, but had no idea it was... "HEY, WE ARE GONNA GET THAT THING OUTTA THERE" bad. But as scary as it sounds.......I think you all know our family well enough to know that we don't let a little thing like an organ removal get us down. NO WAY!

THIS IS A NEW BEGINNING!!!!!! That crappy old lung has been doing nothing but weighing him down.....interrupting his conversations with a cough here, a cough there....mucous here...mucous there.....we are DONE with that!!!! We are ready to hear him get through a phone conversation without wheezing, coughing, gagging....yeahhhhhh...he may have a little shortness of breath with that solo lung thing and all, but that's okay.......he's not planning on running any marathons any time soon.

So any way, back to the medical jargon. Most of the negative people in the world like to respond with "Why is he getting his lung removed, SMOKING????". To which, I hope you give them a giant slap in the mouth and say "Heck no!....He's got Bronchiectasis!". (which is a big word for...'his lungs don't work'...but if you click on it, you'll get all kinds of interesting info..)

But here's the deal...DON'T GET SAD, don't forget, that this is the kid that BEAT CANCER when he was just 18 years old!!!!!! And don't feel sorry for him...because he is the strongest guy that I know. And he's gonna do just fine. And he's got an ARMY of family members that are going to drive him crazy with love and support, so much so, that he may just ban us from his house. This boy, has been fighting since day one. And if there is ANYTHING you can do for him right now, you can PRAY if you are the praying type, add him to your church prayer list...PRAY that he can finally get that spring in his step that he has been dreaming about since he first got word that he can get this lung out that has been cramping his style for so long. If you are the vibe sending type...by all means...send those healing vibes out........if you have a spare minute in your day...think of him. Just a quick healing thought.

Take a deep breath for him. A deep, cleansing breath....deep in your lungs and think of him. Because he is going to get to do that soon too, without coughing. HE WILL!!!!!! This surgery will do that for him!!!!!And lastly, VALUE your health! Take care of yourself. Don't take one breath for granted.And if there are any of those prayers, vibes and thoughts left....send 'em out to my mom. Because she is the glue that holds us all together, and she's got a lot on her plate right now. She's staying strong for all of us, and I know that's a hard thing to do. (Mom, I'm not deleting this....swallow your pride, and accept the prayers and vibes...they are silent, you'll never even know they are coming. :) )

(OH and one more thing. Corey made it very clear that HE HATES FACEBOOK. DO NOT POST THIS BLOG ON ANY FACEBOOK WALLS. DO NOT PRAY FOR HIM ON FACEBOOK WALLS. (PLEASE RESPECT HIS WISHES AND KEEP ANY CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS CONDITION WITHIN PRIVATE EMAILS AND THIS BLOG, BUT NOT ON FACEBOOK WALLS)