Pottsville councilman says he's lucky to be alive after sudden illness

POTTSVILLE — Andy Wollyung said he’s lucky to be alive.

The 40-year-old first-term city councilman is still rehabbing at home more than two months after, in a matter of days, he went from healthy to kidney failure and three weeks of hospitalization, part of which was spent in a coma.

“It’s crazy to think about this journey I was on,” he said from his city home on Tuesday.

Wollyung, an HVAC technician with his family’s plumbing business, Rosenberger Plumbing & Heating, and a volunteer firefighter, can walk but has difficulty with inclines. He can return to driving, but chooses not to for now.

Monday will be his first time at a city council meeting since he initially went to Geisinger St. Luke’s, Orwigsburg, on Feb. 23.

Low blood pressure

Wollyung describes himself as a “go-getter.”

“I push myself hard,” he said.

But after some trouble urinating — “there was no other sign of anything” otherwise, he said — he went for blood work and other tests at GSL.

His blood pressure was 60/30 that day.

“You got a lot of weird things going on,” Wollyung recalled the doctor telling him about 45 minutes into the visit.

The concerning numbers led doctors to send him for more advanced care, and he was flown to St. Luke’s in Allentown.

Wollyung remembers the flight, but not “one minute” of what would be three weeks spent there.

Wollyung would learn later that his kidneys shut down, dropping his blood pressure and sending his liver into shock. His lungs filled with fluid.

He was given slow dialysis over a period of two days, but his family was told he wasn’t expected to survive.

“It was obviously very scary,” said his wife, Jennifer. “We were devastated.”

She and Wollyung’s father, Joseph, also of Pottsville, were at the hospital eight hours a day.

“It was a struggle,” Jennifer said.

The Wollyungs praised the care Andy received.

“The nurses were constantly in the room,” Jennifer said. “They were wonderful.”

“They saved my life,” Andy said.

No long-term damage

Wollyung still doesn’t know why his kidneys malfunctioned, but he has no long-term damage from the illness.

Following his March 29 discharge from the hospital, he spent about 10 days at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, Allentown.

“That’s when I first stood up,” he said, and he does remember his time at Good Shepherd.

He then spent about three week at Stine Inpatient Rehabilitation-Schuylkill, Pottsville.

He was discharged from Stine on April 17 and continues daily home therapy that includes leg and step exercises. In about two weeks, he will go to outpatient therapy to continue to monitor his progress.

Kim Walacavage, an occupational therapist, and Megan Coulbourne, a physical therapist at Stine, remember Wollyung.

“He was highly motivated,” Walacavage said.

The goal was to get him strong enough to be able to function at home.

He had a combination of physical and occupational therapy three hours a day, five days a week, a typical amount.

Physical therapy included leg stretches, walking and getting out of bed. Occupational therapy included upper body strengthening and help with daily living skills.

Stine personnel did a check with Wollyung at his home prior to his discharge.

A miracle

The Wollyungs, who each have children from previous relationships, are thankful for his survival. Jennifer calls it a miracle.

“We’re just so happy to have him here,” she said.

Andy Wollyung said he is appreciative of everyone who had a role in his recovery.

“It was a humbling experience,” he said.