Jerry Hooker saw triple-fellowship trained and board-certified Blessing Health neurosurgeon Ryan Brennan twice in his life.
Those would turn out to be among the most important doctor appointments Jerry has ever had.
“My wife and I believe Dr. Brennan saved my life,” he said.
In six months, Jerry went from a healthy, physically fit 61-year-old who exercised on a regular basis and followed a good diet, to a man whose blood pressure skyrocketed, body swelled to the point where acquaintances no longer recognized him, his spine was crumbling, strength was drained and he needed to use a walker.
Jerry Hooker was dying.
Jerry’s story
A May 2024 annual physical showed Jerry experiencing high blood pressure for the first time in his life. His primary care provider put Jerry on high blood pressure medicine, but his condition continued to worsen.
By late summer, Jerry noticed his feet and ankles were swelling, too, and he was constantly tired. His doctor increased Jerry’s blood pressure medicine.
“I was on all kinds of diuretics and blood pressure medicine and it wasn’t working,” he said.
In September, Jerry went to see Dr. Brennan to check on an unrelated, old back injury. Armed with a recent MRI of his spine, Dr. Brennan told Jerry the back injury had healed and that, “You have the spine of a 40-year-old,” Jerry recalled.
However, the deterioration of his overall physical condition continued mysteriously. By Veteran’s Day, Jerry was experiencing what he described as “horrible” back pain, a new health challenge since May.
His wife of 31 years, Debbie, took him to the Blessing Hospital Emergency Center where another MRI was done of Jerry’s spine, showing fractures in several vertebrae that were not there eight weeks earlier.
“They asked me if I had fallen off of something or been hit,” Jerry recalled. He had not. “It (the fractures) just happened, apparently.”
At this point, Jerry began needing a walker and assistance getting into and out of bed. His face, neck and abdomen – as well as feet and ankles - also swelled. To friends and family, Jerry’s physical appearance had changed so drastically and rapidly he looked almost unrecognizable from the physically fit, resilient, and strong man he was known to be his entire life.
Fearful of the rapid progression of his condition, Jerry turned again to Blessing Health for help, returning to see Dr. Brennan in search of answers he could not find elsewhere.
“The diagnosis was being missed,” said Dr. Brennan. “It was clear that Jerry was being treated for symptoms, but his underlying diagnosis was being missed.”
Thankfully, Dr. Brennan, a Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard trained neurosurgeon was able to solve the mystery when no one else could.
At their second appointment, Dr. Brennan shared with Jerry three conditions that were most likely the cause of his symptoms, something no other doctor had done. One condition checked all the boxes – Cushing’s disease. It is a rare disease, only 10-15 cases per million people each year are diagnosed, and it can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms mimic those of other conditions.
Caused by a non-cancerous tumor in the pituitary gland at the base of the brain and behind the nose, Cushing’s disease is a hormonal disorder that leads the body to generate too much of the hormone Cortisol.
Cortisol plays a crucial role in the body's response to stress. But when too much Cortisol is produced, it can poison the body.
“Most primary care doctors don’t see this very uncommon condition often. To no fault of their own, it is very hard to pick up, and put the whole picture together unless you have seen it before,” Dr. Brennan continued. “It is like a complex medical puzzle with sometimes very small and hard to see pieces. The changes are slow and subtle and mimic so many other conditions.”
Jerry needed answers, and he needed them fast. Dr. Brennan made calls and pushed hard to get Jerry the tests he needed as soon as possible.
“I want my patients to feel like they are getting the care I would give my family. That matters to me greatly. I wouldn’t let my family wait for months to get answers. So, I wasn’t going to let Jerry wait either,” said Dr. Brennan. “If you trust me with your care, I’m going to ensure you get the care you need and deserve.”
Armed with the knowledge from Dr. Brennan, and the results of his preliminary tests, Jerry and Debbie urgently went to St. Louis and Barnes Hospital after an acute worsening of his condition. Barnes is known for treatment of Cushing’s disease and has a specialist who treats this disease as a primary focus of their practice.
Upon arrival, their experience was not what they expected. Debbie called Dr. Brennan who told them not to leave, that Jerry would not survive if they did. Dr. Brennan made phone calls to connect Jerry quickly with the doctors he needed at Barnes.
Dr. Brennan was once again right.
How bad was Jerry’s condition?
A normal Cortisol level is between 5 and 25. Jerry’s Cortisol level was 800.
Among the effects of too much Cortisol is depletion of calcium and Vitamin D in the body, leading to the crumbling of Jerry’s spine – 10 vertebrae fractures with no trauma that caused them. And, in addition to the spine problem and body swelling, Cushing’s disease led Jerry to develop high cholesterol, an irregular and rapid heartbeat and diabetes.
“The neurosurgeon at Barnes said that he had never seen a case to this extent,” stated Jerry’s son, Ben. “He said within 24-to-36 hours my dad would have been dead had he not been referred for care. Credit to Dr. Brennan for recognizing what was going on.”
“They sent my dad’s file to colleagues at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins who said they had never seen a case like this. His Cortisol level was so high, there was no reason he should have been alive,” Ben concluded.
The tumor in Jerry’s pituitary gland was removed on November 23. And while it seemed like the disease snuck up on Jerry, his recovery was going to be very different.
Discharged from the hospital on December 20, Jerry has been working on his recovery ever since, with the help of his family and physical and occupational therapists.
Jerry is making progress. His Cortisol level is back to normal and his strength is improving. He returned to work as a circuit judge in Mt. Sterling, Illinois on March 3, 2025, for the first time since early November 2024.
How much longer is Jerry’s road to recovery?
“They’re not sure with me, because they had never seen anyone with Cortisol levels as high as mine were,” Jerry said. “It has changed my life, that’s for sure. I’ve made some big strides, but there are a lot more to go.”
Two factors allowed Jerry to have a chance to travel the road to recovery from Cushing’s disease – his overall good health for most of his life, and those two appointments with Dr. Brennan.
“I would not be here today if it had not been for Dr Brennan,” Jerry concluded. “He cares about his patients and takes immediate action to make sure they get the medical help that is needed.”
For more information on the neurosurgical care available from Blessing Health, go to blessinghealth.org/neurosurgery.