How God Worked Through My Battle Against COVID

How God Worked Through My Battle Against COVID

By Dave DiNuzzo Sr.

How many of the people that you know, that contracted COVID, are grateful that they got it? I know of no one, other than myself. I contracted COVID-19 and went on an intense and crazy journey. Watch this video interview of my discussion with Drew and Katie Taylor to hear more details. 

All Alone

When I first felt symptoms, I knew I had it. I was working in my classroom (I teach middle and high school Theology at our small-but-mighty Catholic school) late one Friday night. My stomach churned, my body began to ache, and then I started to shiver uncontrollably. I knew it. “Now what?”, I thought to myself as I sat at my desk convulsing. It came out of nowhere. And I was all alone. Who could see me shaking, or feeling nauseous? Who was there to feel my ever-increasing body temperature? Who was going to validate my symptoms? No one… I was all alone.

Being all alone was one of the strangest sensations during my battle, something I am not used to. Once I was admitted to the hospital, I was all alone. My wife and children couldn’t visit because of COVID restrictions. The priest wasn’t allowed in. Of course there were nurses, doctors, therapists, and cleaning staff, but they weren’t there “with” me. Thankfully, I had video calling capabilities with my family, but I was so out of breath that most of the calls consisted of me just sitting in silence, staring at the screen. Occasionally, my kids would come look through the windows of my hospital room.

Battling

The choice for me was very clear. I could either fall into a fearful depression, throw my hands up, complain, and quit, or I could realize that I wasn’t alone after all. I chose the second option, and began to rely on the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the Immaculate Heart of His Most Holy Mother, Mary. Over and over I repeated “O, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!” I prayed this countless times. Every time I would pray this prayer (which, traditionally is prayed three times in a row), I would follow up with a “Hail, Mary”. This was how I battled.

I unrelentingly believe in God’s grace. I was (Praise God!) in the state of grace when I went into the hospital. Can you imagine the fear and gut wrenching feeling had I been in the state of mortal sin?! Phew! Lord, have mercy! The fact that I had been living in sacramental grace truly structured my battle-ready approach and ability to fight through everything. 

I found myself in a mental space, ready for death, and being okay with it. It was really peaceful. I certainly didn’t want to die, but I was ready if it was His Will. So, during my battle, what I feel most privileged about was the fact that I wasn’t in any pain. I couldn’t breathe, but I wasn’t in pain. Most people who struggled through a 33-day COVID battle (25 days in the ICU) had it much worse than I did. I prayed fervently for them, especially those who literally were all alone. At one point, the man across the hall from me, most likely in his 80’s, was in a medically induced coma. When he finally came out of it, although still intubated, he never received one phone call, a video message, and obviously he had no visitors. My heart hurt for him, and others like him.

How God Worked

So, through it all, God proved again and again that He had my back! I was eventually transferred (via “flight for life” – crazy, I know!) to a Catholic hospital, received an anointing, and Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist! (Thanks Fr. Ben!) God walked this journey with me and did so much to my heart that I am forever changed. I feel so united to Jesus’ Heart that I sincerely fear nothing. 

I was able to share my story, first through an unexpected Instagram Story that made its way all around the world (thank you to everyone who prayed for me!). Through this mini-viral clip, I heard from hundreds and hundreds of people that it positively impacted. They saw my faith during such an impossible time. I was blessed to be capable of demonstrating to them what trust and surrender really means. I take absolutely zero credit for this! God provided.

Wrap It Up, Dave!

As I continue to recover (I’m what they call a “COVID long-hauler and have a long road ahead), my life is pretty different. Physically, I’m different. I get extreme exhaustion, am consistently out of breath, have experienced weight gain and metabolic changes, and most of the time, I feel pretty lousy. None of that stops me. I can’t stop telling people about the most important thing in life… the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His Heart IS the Eucharist. His Heart IS life. His Heart IS the font of Divine Mercy. “O, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in Thee!”

This article is cross-posted from Catholic-Link. Please click to like, follow, and subscribe to their socials.

Ep16 – Suicide Prevention: Spirituality & Science

Dave is joined by his wife Catherine, a Licensed Professional Counselor to discuss suicide prevention. This episode is intended to help listeners gain information about helping their loved ones who might be suicidal, or if they themselves are struggling. Know that you are loved and are good! (This was recorded in 2014 in the wake of the suicide of Robin Williams, and remastered and edited for the podcast in light of recent public celebrity suicides.)

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Guest Post – It Only Takes One

In connection with an upcoming podcast, originally recorded with my wife Catherine for local Catholic radio in 2014, my wife mentioned this article.  The article is intended to help folks navigate the tough waters of suicide prevention in their loved ones.

By Catherine DiNuzzo of DiNuzzo Counseling

Imagine…it’s Christmas Day and your family is gathered around the dinner table. Everyone is talking and laughing. Everyone, that is, except for your sister. It has been a few months since you have seen her because she now goes to college out of state. You notice that she seems to be in her own world, disengaged from the family and disinterested in the discussion. She has cut her food into very small pieces but isn’t eating any of it, only pushing it around her plate. You also notice that she has lost a lot a weight since the last time you saw her.

Now imagine that you are out with your roommate. You realize that you haven’t seen her eat very much lately, but now that you are both out at dinner, she seems to be eating more than she normally would. Dinner is over, and as you wait for the bill, she seems anxious. She excuses herself to the bathroom, but is gone for a really long time. As you are about to get up to see if she is ok, she comes out, but refuses to look you in the eyes.

Maybe the scenario you’re imagining is your mother. She’s been distancing herself from the family. She’s alone a lot. You can’t remember the last time you heard her laugh. It feels like nothing makes her happy anymore, even the things that used to. She goes about her day doing all the things that need to be done, but she’s lost the joy that used to be so commonplace.

In all of these situations, and many others that might come to mind, there’s probably a feeling in your gut that something’s wrong. No matter how hard you try to wish it away, that interior nudge telling you that you need to say something just won’t go away. That ‘gut feeling’, or nudge, is there for a reason. So what do you do?

Unfortunately, we often do nothing. We are afraid of offending the person, afraid that it is not our place to say something. We are afraid we will say all the wrong things. So, we wait. We wait in hopeful anticipation, praying that someone else will say something. Or, we hope that maybe our loved-one will come to us and ask for help. As we fight these thoughts, the one we love and know is in need, is just waiting for one person who is not afraid to ask them…“Are you ok?”

In my counseling practice, I’m commonly approached with questions and phrases like… “I have a friend who needs counseling, but I don’t know how to approach them. Can you give me some advice on what to say?” It’s a very complicated question, with a multitude of answers. Every situation is very different. Keeping that in mind, I’d like to offer you six helpful hints that may help. (These can be adapted for different situations.) I must stress that the most dangerous thing is to say nothing at all. We cannot let our fear get in the way of reaching out to help someone in need.

6 HELPFUL HINTS

1. PRAY ABOUT IT: An important first step, because it reminds us that as we face our fears, we are not alone. The greatest fear that I hear is “I’m afraid that I’ll say all the wrong things and possibly somehow make things worse.” Whenever I speak to a client, I always start by saying a prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit to speak through me. This way, my words will be His words, and therefore, be the words that I need to say. Try it, trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide you.
2. KNOW YOUR MOTIVATION: When we reach out to a family member or friend in need, we are doing it out a love for them. This is your motivation; you are doing it because you want what is best for them, and you don’t want to see them hurting. As you talk to them about your concerns, say that you come to them with this concern out of love.
3. BE PREPARED: Before you talk to your loved-one, prepare yourself. Think about what it is that you want to say and what is it that you want them to understand. Sometimes we have so many concerns and emotions about a situation that the purpose of our conversation can get lost. I recommend picking one or two things that are your biggest concerns. Focus your effort on those areas. These should be things that are broad and should be able to include many of your smaller concerns inside the larger concern.
4. ANTICIPATE THEIR REACTION: After you voice your concern, there are a number of responses that may be involved. These responses could include, but are not limited to: denial, avoidance, fear, anger, and/or defensiveness. Some may try to change the subject, or may try to lighten the mood by using humor. The loved-one may believe that they have been hiding their feelings or actions so well that there may be an element of shock that their problem has been noticed. It is important to let them have these emotions, whatever they might be, and to not get into a debate with them. Say something like. “I understand that you feel this way. I care about you too much not to say something.” I know that it looks like you are hurting, and I want you to know that I am here to help, and that you are not alone.”
5. DON’T GIVE UP: It may take time for your loved-one to admit that they need help. Don’t give up on them. Sometimes the denial and fear is very strong, and it takes time for them to become open to help. However, don’t be discouraged. Know that even if they seem mad or are in great denial, at least now they know that someone cares and that they are not alone. They also have someone who they can talk to about their struggles. Leave the door open for them to come talk to you again, and don’t be afraid to bring it up again if you don’t see the behavior getting better or if your loved-one isn’t taking steps to change.
6. CONSULT WITH PROFESSIONALS: Sometimes situations are more than you can handle. If you have someone in your life who is suicidal (Click Here for Suicidal Warning Signs) or is in a life-threatening situation, it is important to contact a professional. If there is ever any doubt for someone’s safety, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number for help.

It only takes one. One person to step outside of their comfort zone. One moment, one question, one hand reached out to help. If you know a friend who needs help, don’t be afraid to be the one person who chooses to make a difference.

Imagine… it’s a Friday night at your local (and very busy) grocery store. There are cars going all different directions and the parking lot is crowded. The drivers seem lost in their own thoughts. As you go inside and reach for a cart, something catches your eye. It’s a little girl with her mother, standing right outside of the store on the sidewalk. With all the hustle and bustle, it’s obvious that no one else seems to have noticed this mother and daughter pair, but for some reason you stop to watch. As you watch them prepare to head to their car, you see the mother stop and look down into her purse to get her keys, and then you realize that the little girl has not stopped walking, but that she is heading straight for the busy parking lot. All alone, she walks ahead, not noticing the car coming right at her. What do you do? Without thinking, you run after the little girl and stop the traffic. You get the mom’s attention. You do whatever you need to do to save that little girl. No questions asked. It doesn’t matter what else is going on in that moment… you do whatever it takes to save her. Fast forward… now that little girl has an eating disorder, poor body image, no self- worth, a cutting problem, alcoholism and/or drug abuse, suicidal tendencies, or some other problem. Are you going to just sit there and watch, letting the traffic run into her or are you going to step in and do something to help save her?

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact me, or a local therapist in your area. My contact information is available on my website, www.DiNuzzoCounseling.com.

P.S. You are enough.

Ep.15 – How to Fight Lust

Dave discusses an article he recently read, suggesting that a person struggling with pornography should fight their anger – he disagrees. In this episode, he’ll give a better understanding of how to fight lust, or any other vice someone might struggle with. Dave also gives his parenting advice on the topic of teaching your kids expectations.

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TRUEMANHOOD PODCAST – EPISODE 14 – SUMMER PLANS

Dave has some special words for college, high school, and middle school students about how to dominate summer time! This episode is great for parents, too! Please share this information with any young person in your life. Be proactive, make a plan, set goals, and dominate! GO!

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TrueManhood Podcast – Episode 13 Fatherhood, Leadership, and Gender Roles

Dave discusses the topic of fatherhood, leadership, and the roles of men and women. If you’re a Catholic, a husband, or a father, this episode is for you.

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TrueManhood Podcast – Episode 12 Crazy Family Life, Parenting in Mass, and Being Prepared in the Home

Dave describes the recent craziness in the DiNuzzo household, with ridiculous schedules, kid’s sports, and work-related juggling-of-tasks. He also spends some time talking about a grandfather disciplining a grandchild in Mass, and how we as men can be ready for whatever comes our way in the home.

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