FERNDALE, MI - She won a long battle against COVID-19 only to discover the war with the virus was far from over. Now, this winner of multiple Detroit Music Awards is finally set to do what she loves, perform on a stage in front of fans.
Jill Jack spent most of January in her bed recovering from COVID. She was forced to cancel her annual birthday bash concert at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Vaccinated and boostered, Jack has been keeping fans in the loop of her battle on her Instagram page and now she’s speaking about her ordeal.
Jack thought her health issues were behind her after finally beating the virus. However, in early February after working out for the first time since being ill, she felt some pain she thought was simply from overdoing it.
“I actually sat in the parking lot of the gym and looked up ‘Signs of a heart attack,’” Jack said. “But then I thought, ‘Oh don’t be dramatic and I decided to go into the gym.’”
Jack says the pain became so extreme while swimming, she called her husband from the locker room who told her to have someone call 911.
She didn’t have a heart attack, according to doctors at Beaumont in Royal Oak, even through they say her symptoms were similar. Imaging revealed myocarditis, or inflammation of her heart muscle, due to COVID-19.
“The cardiologist said I went from zero, laying in bed, to 100 my first two days at the gym. He told me I was cardiac-healthy, but I had inflammation of the heart due to COVID,” added Jack. “My biggest takeaway was that when I went back to exercise, I pushed myself too hard. I didn’t realize my heart was inflamed. I just didn’t feel good. I knew something was off but tried to play off my symptoms thinking I just over did it. The doctors told me those symptoms were my body trying to tell me something was wrong.”
Jack isn’t alone in her battle with COVID-caused myocarditis. A study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that COVID-19 patients had nearly 16 times the risk of myocarditis compared to those who did not have COVID-19.
Symptoms of myocarditis include chest pain, shortness of breath or heart palpitations. It’s typically caused by a viral infection.
“The key is to listen to your body and consult a doctor, go to the emergency center or call 911 if you feel you might be having a heart issue,” said Beaumont cardiologist Dr. Monica Jiddou-Patros. “We’ve seen patients with myocarditis, blood clots or other issues post-COVID. We don’t want to make people overly nervous but want to educate them so if something doesn’t seem right, they go get it checked out.”
Jack is now set to perform her first post-COVID live concert on Saturday, May 28 outside at the Hotel Royal Oak at 6:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. The concert is free.
Jack says she’s both excited and nervous to perform again. She says she wanted to speak out about her health issues to make people aware to listen to their bodies, especially after a bout with COVID-19.
“Take it slow. Your heart is the engine of your body. The last thing you want to do is damage it. Recovery has felt slow, but I have learned so much about patience. And thanks to the doctors, nurses and physical therapists I can look forward to getting back on stage again with confidence and a strong heart—ready to rock!”
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