ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Now that the first wave of patients in Michigan are starting to recover from the COVID-19 virus, we’re getting to hear their stories. Eric Goedge, a Lakeview native who lives on the east side of the state, is one of those patients. He began experiencing symptoms a few weeks ago, but was advised to quarantine at home.
“Couple days later I was at the point where I couldn’t get out of bed without a very painful hacking cough and it would take several minutes to regain my breath once I did that,” said Goedge. “I was hoping it would pass but for me it never really did on its own.”
Eventually, Goedge was hospitalized. For nine days, he sat isolated with no interaction outside of the nurses and doctors who came to treat him.
“There were moments where I was wondering if I was going to make it,” he said. “At night when you’re trying to sleep and you can hear over the speakers in the halls of the hospital, emergency calls going out… when you hear those calls, you feel lucky that it’s not you.”
Eventually Goedge’s symptoms subsided and he was allowed to leave. He’s incredibly thankful to the healthcare workers who risked their own safety to treat him, and now has a unfortunately unique perspective on fighting the virus.
“It’s scary and I can see it and I can relate to a lot of the things they’re going through,” he said. “Where they get to those moments where they’re not sure if they’re going to make it. And I remember that those were pretty scary moments for me too.”
Goedge’s symptoms are all but gone now – no more cough, no more fever, no more shortness of breath, just some soreness and fatigue. He’s asking everyone remember the seriousness of this illness, and the importance of social distancing.
