COVID-19 survivor 'cut some deals with the Big Guy'

Today, as Scott Walck recovers from COVID-19 at his home in Lake Ariel, he’s thinking about donating his blood plasma to other victims. Researchers say the antibodies in his plasma may benefit other patients.

But first, Walck, 52, has to get himself back to normal. He’s not there yet.

Walck was hospitalized twice at Wayne Memorial for COVID-19, nine days the first time and briefly the second time. But viral pneumonia has left its mark. He has pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the lungs that causes chest pain, especially when breathing. The good news is that it usually resolves on its own without treatment. Meanwhile, he is still coughing and can walk only short distances.

It all began at work on Friday, March 13. Walck prefers not to publicize his workplace but says it employs many people who travel. Still, he doesn’t recall being exposed to anyone with the virus or to someone who had been to an affected area.

That Friday, he didn’t feel well but kept working. By Saturday, he could barely move.

“I was pinned to the wall with a crushing sensation in my chest," he said.

Walck stayed put in his home -- his wife was away -- until Monday, when his flu-like symptoms, including sweating and a fever, prompted him to visit Highland Family Physicians in Honesdale, a Wayne Memorial Community Health Center. He tested negative for influenza, and the doctor gave him Zofran, a drug for nausea and vomiting.

“I couldn’t really eat. I lost 13 pounds,” said Walck, recalling the early days.

On March 20, his wife insisted he go to the Emergency Department, where he tested positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to Wayne Memorial Hospital’s containment unit built specifically for novel coronavirus patients.

“At one point they wanted to put me on a ventilator, but I resisted,” said Walck, “and they said ‘Well you don’t have a lot of time,’ meaning I needed more oxygen right then and there.”

Walck knew a ventilator required intubation, an invasive procedure he wanted to avoid. So, instead of the ventilator, Walck was put on an optiflow machine, a non-invasive device which delivers warm, humidified air/oxygen through a patient’s nose.

'17 different medications'

Walck survived his pneumonia, and on March 29 was discharged with “17 different medications.” He hoped for the best but he felt “still shaky.” His only underlying issue was high blood pressure.

Within a few days he had that “sledgehammer” feeling again. His blood pressure spiked to 188/117. According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure should be under 140/90. He was re-admitted to Wayne Memorial Hospital.

“The team at Wayne Memorial — Dr. McVeigh, the hospitalists and the nurses — they were phenomenal,” says Walck. "They helped me recover from this with all they had.”

Walck said his wife and 17-year-old son both also tested positive for COVID-19, but neither had serious symptoms.

During his illness, he thought he might not make it.

“I definitely cut some deals with the ‘Big Guy’ while I was in the hospital, and now it’s pay-back time," said Walck.

Pulmonologist Sean McVeigh, MD, said Walck is one of the many survivors of this virus.

"While we certainly cannot discount the many people who have lost their lives, by far we have seen more survivors at Wayne Memorial Hospital, and his outlook is good," McVeigh said.

“It was really a life-changing event for me,” Walck said. "And maybe with my plasma donation, I can help someone else.”