Recovering COVID ‘Long-Hauler’ Says Mercy Health Muskegon Got Him on His Feet Again

CraigKovalcik, 57, is no stranger to emergency medical situations. He was a member of a combat medic unit for 13 years.

But ignoring his own symptoms almost cost him his life.

“I probably got COVID-19 from my dad who was diagnosed with it last November. I had a 104-degree fever for more than a week before I went to the emergency department. I was stubborn; I didn’t realize I was running out of time,” he admitted.

Kovalcik got a COVID-19 test once his father was diagnosed, but it came back negative. Later he got another test, which came back positive, but he waited to seek care. By the time he drove himself to the Mercy Health Muskegon Emergency Department with his high fever, he was admitted with full-blown COVID-19.

“I was in the hospital on the Mercy Campus for nine days. My lungs were full of pneumonia,” he recalled. Unable to have his wife by his side and experiencing complications, he now knows that his entire family thought they were going to lose him.

He was in bad shape, not just because of COVID-19, but because of the 60 pounds he had gained during the pandemic.

Kovalcik explained how at one point while hospitalized, he was acutely aware that his situation was touch and go. That’s when he became determined to recover from COVID-19 and spend more time with family. By the grace of God, he was released to return home with oxygen therapy in tow the day before Thanksgiving.

In More Ways than One

Kovalcik’s appreciation for Mercy Health extends beyond the emergency department, inpatient care, and even outpatient rehabilitation. He attributes not only is physical recovery to Mercy Health, but also his emotional and spiritual recovery.

Before contending with COVID-19, he experienced a life-changing event. “A few years ago, I went to visit my three-year-old grandson, and when his mom tried to wake him, he didn’t respond. I tried to perform CPR on him, but he had died in his sleep.”

For two years following this tragedy, Kovalcik turned to Mercy Health Life Counselors.

“I almost had a breakdown,” he said, but feels that counseling has helped him to come to grips with both recent life-changing events: the loss of his grandson and being a COVID-19 long-hauler.

“I’ve been through the mill and back. Mercy Health patched me back up and got me going the right way. They got me on my feet again. I am a survivor.”

He Has Come a Long Way

A one-time marathon runner and triathlete, Kovalcik is forever grateful for the referral he received to begin rehab for his long-hauler symptoms: shortness of breath and cough (similar to COPD), leg cramping, headaches, dizziness, and no taste or smell for weeks. He is grateful Mercy Health has given him the tools to make lifestyle changes for his health.

“Thanks to Mercy Health, I was able to go to rehab for 24 sessions at the Mercy Health Heart Center, and now I have my strength back. Rehab helped me regain strength in my legs and my breathing. People struggling with COVID-19 — long haulers like me — should think about rehab. It is a golden opportunity for patients to have this great facility so close,” he said.

Kovalcik’s lifestyle changes have paid off. His strong motivation is inspirational. “I’ve already lost 40 pounds since I started rehab and because of some diet changes that my physician told me to make. Now our son has arranged for me to go to a local fitness chain to exercise once rehab is over.”

An advocate for the COVID-19 vaccine, which he got when it was available, Kovalcik understands the danger posed by the pandemic. He plans to be first in line for the booster shot.

“You know, I could get COVID-19 again, but with the vaccine, it most likely won’t put me in the hospital. For me, that’s a win!”