Matt's Story

While I Still Have Breath….

It's kinda weird for me to open up about my life so much in this post, as I am not normally one to seek self promotion. However, after what I have been through over the last year, I believe I have a story to tell. 

And one that can hopefully encourage and provide some inspiration to others along the way. It's largely why I'm now doing this with Wildlive Music, and it also inspires me to hopefully be an encouragement to others through some of the stuff I am now writing.

Admittedly, it is quite a long read, so please stick with it, and I hope and pray you somehow find some inspiration through my story if you are finding it a little tough in life right now.

Matt :)

I do look reasonably healthy in the recent photo above, but that is more by the grace of God, the skills of the 
wonderful surgeons and staff at the Hospital I attended, a lot of luck (which probably goes more back to the 
Grace of God thing than anything), and the support and prayers of many friends and family around the world. 

Either way, I have had a remarkable second chance at life. And yes, I'm still here, and I am kicking new goals.

Cleaning My Teeth Leads To A Trip In An Ambulance

May 21st 2024 was pretty much like any other day. I had spent the day driving the usual bus runs for an exclusive girls' school here on the Gold Coast, and was spending the night at home with my daughter, relaxing for the evening over dinner and a bit of TV. My wife was away for a quick overnight business trip to Adelaide and would be returning in the morning.

It was an uneventful evening, so Jess (daughter) headed to bed about 8:45. She normally drifts off to a deep sleep pretty quickly. I watched a bit more TV, then headed to the bathroom to clean my teeth and get ready for bed. By this time, it was after 9pm, and Jess was well & truly fast asleep.

It's amazing how things can change in an instant. Suddenly, I was experiencing what I initially thought was a massive back spasm in the middle of my teeth cleaning routine. I have had a few small back issues in the past, so thought I would just have a bit of a stretch and hopefully work it out. Maybe I jarred it while cleaning my teeth. Needless to say, the stretching didn't work, and I began to realise this was more than just a case of muscle tension around the spine. I was in agony, and beginning to swear like a trooper.

I paced around the room, letting out weird kind of groans (and more than a fair share of expletives!), hoping the pain would subside. I eventually ended up laying on the bed to try and find a position that would relax what was happening. I couldn't understand. Heart attack? Dunno. I didn't have any other symptoms other than the back pain. Pulse seemed normal. Was it a really severe back spasm after all? I just couldn't shake the pain. Should I call for an ambulance?

I didn't know - I was alone with a wife in Adelaide and a daughter fast asleep. No one to call out to. Just me in a new and painful world. It was starting to get a little scary.

Then things started changing. For the worse. The pain in my back was transferring to my left leg. It was like the most intense nerve pain, running down the whole leg from my left hip to the tips of my toes. Aching through the bones. And I was losing all feeling in that leg. This was definitely more than just a back spasm.

My first call to 000 was at 9:41pm, trying to describe the symptoms and hopefully get a quick transport to hospital to try and figure out what was becoming a pretty drastic situation. I had lost all functionality in my leg. Even though it was massively in pain, I couldn't move it from the hip, bend at the knee or even wiggle my toes. 

I couldn't even feel anything when I touched it. Completely numb.. The only way I could move my left leg was by physically lifting it with my arms or levering it with my other leg to change any sort of position. I couldn't feel the touch, and it was pretty much like lifting a dead log. It was surreal. It was dead. You could probably take a chainsaw to it and I would never have known. It was a whole new level of scary.

The ambulance took ages. I rang them again at 10:27pm, as by this time I was kinda getting desperate for some help. I had been in this scary agony for over an hour. Within another 10 minutes or so, they finally turned up, but couldn't get into the apartment. Somehow, I managed to stagger to the front door from the other end of the apartment (visions of Quasimodo dragging his leg behind, staggering up the hallway) and let them in.

Things moved pretty quickly from there. They loaded me on the stretcher, I had some pain killers, and they set about transferring me to the local private hospital (the advantage of private health insurance). The leg was still dead, but I was about to be battered and bruised.

Through all this, Jess had blissfully been in la la land. Unfortunately, it was about to be a rude awakening for her. I was calling out from the stretcher whilst the paramedics also tried to wake her gently before we had to head off in the ambulance. She finally opened her eyes - to a fully uniformed paramedic standing over her bed, and me on a stretcher in the hallway. Stuff of nightmares for someone with an anxious demeanour in the first place.

Cath - comfortably in bed in Adelaide - also had no idea all this was going on, as she had switched her phone to sleep mode, and wouldn't be aware of the situation for another 6 hours or so. Another rude awakening yet to be realised.

This Actually Was Kinda Serious

The ambulance ride to the private hospital was uneventful. Checked me in and they went about trying to find out exactly what was going on. Blood tests and a major CT scan first up to determine what was actually happening.

By this time it was probably closer to 1am. I still had a dead leg, and I was still trying to get onto Cath, without success. The doctors returned with the CT scan results and immediately indicated that I could not stay under their care as they could not treat me, and would be immediately be moved via ambulance (under doctor escort) to the nearby Gold Coast University Hospital.

It turns out I had suffered an aortic dissection, and would need intensive specialist care under the Vascular team at this major public facility.

What Exactly Is An Aortic Dissection?

In short, an aortic dissection is where the inner wall / layer of the aorta or artery splits.

If you think of an aorta (main artery) like a garden hose - it's like a superhighway for distributing your blood throughout your body to your veins and vessels, and is made up of an inner layer, the middle layer, and the outer layer. When you have a split that transcends all layers, that is actually an aneurysm, which will basically kill you with very little warning.

In my case, I had a dissection, where the inner layer of the aorta splits (as in the diagram), but thankfully the outer walls of the artery still hold. It is a very delicate, threatening situation to be in. 

A dissection is a reasonably uncommon condition, but when it happens, it can occur anywhere along the wall of the arteries with little prior indication. In this case, from close to my heart down to my left leg. 

Still, survival rates from dissections are not great.

When a dissection occurs, what can happen is that the pressure of blood flow can actually cause the tear itself to act like a valve, pushing outside the inner wall and causing it to act as a "flap" and partially or totally cut off blood circulation.

In my case, this is exactly what happened to my left leg, amongst other areas as I would later discover.

Save The Leg!

The immediate concern was for my left leg. The dissection had completely cut off any blood circulation. It was indeed technically dead at that point. 

The first of my 4 major operations was to save the leg, as I was rather quickly heading for the alternative option which would be a full amputation if it couldn't be saved. And that would have been likely from the hip or pretty close to it.

The immediate concern was to restore blood flow to the leg, which would be through the insertion of a stent into the point in the artery where circulation was cut off by the dissection. This was done by inserting the stent through a cut in the groin, and manipulating and positioning the stent to restore the flow.

Secondary to this, when blood flow that is cut off to any major area of the body is suddenly restored, the result can be "compartment syndrome", where the sudden pressure build up to muscles and other organs can result in an extremely painful and dangerous outcome, resulting in further complications.

To counteract this sudden rise in pressure to the leg, a fasciotomy (trigger warning - this link has some pretty confronting photos!) was also performed on my leg. A cut was made at the side of my calf muscle and left as an open wound as a way to relieve the sudden pressure of the restored blood flow. The result made my leg look like a piece of oversized lasagne.

After a few days, this wound was stitched and closed up (and with minimal anaesthetic mind you!), but has definitely left me with a nice scar and story to tell!

Needless to say, my leg was thankfully saved, but the experience has definitely left me with nerve and tissue damage which will likely remain with me for life. I definitely have a number of tingly areas, numb spots and aches left over, even after nearly 18 months.

You're Kidding. The Kidneys?

Funny thing about CT scans. They are great and quick for finding out what's going on in the body, but the contrast used through the body to highlight the problems also messes majorly with the kidneys. And I had had a few CT scans.…

Combined with this issue, the dissection also affected blood flow to the kidneys themselves, so a second operation was organised - once again to place a stent in the left kidney and open up the blood flow there and try and keep my kidney functionality going, as the stats were not showing healthy output. This time, they went through the right groin to once again insert and manipulate a stent into place. Hopefully we could keep the kidneys going!

One More Operation To Go!

I was recovering reasonably well. The stents were doing their trick, and the kidneys were kind of holding on (I think their functionality was holding at around 20-30% at that stage). I had catheters, cannulas, ECGs and all sorts of stuff attached, but things were somehow looking okay for a reasonably good recovery considering the circumstance.

I had one major operation to go, and that was to add more stents to the areas where my dissection had actually started to reinforce and repair the damage to my aorta, as well as some preventative stuff around my left shoulder. We were just waiting for me to recover and build strength from the initial ops before going in again and finishing off the process. Doctors were indicating that I probably needed about 4-5 stents in total to keep me going in reasonable condition.

The plan was to stent the aorta closer to the heart where the dissection had started, as well as one further up near the left shoulder to head off any future issues down the left arm (and up into the brain). Once again, they went in through the left groin, as well as creating a lovely new scar in the upper left arm.

I now had scars on my left groin, right groin, left upper leg (for a graft), left lower leg (fasciotomy) and upper left arm. I think I am up to 4 - 5 stent insertions at this point.

This operation went well, and I was back into intensive care before heading back to the ward a day or so later.

But Then…

By this time, I had been in hospital for a couple of weeks, after the initial 2 operations in the first few days, and now the last operation to resolve the issues where the dissection had initially occurred. And I was bummed that I had missed going to the For King And Country concert in Sydney and catching up with my old boss David Smallbone, but that's another side story.

I was under a regime of constant daily blood tests, ECGs, cannula's, dressing changes, oxygen supplements, ultra sounds and more. I had to stay on my back in bed due to the fasciotomy and other scars, and was beginning to experience the joys of bed sores as well.

I had been undergoing daily monitoring of my blood circulation and checking my pulse - particularly to my left leg - when doctors found that they were having trouble finding a pulse to my right leg. This was less that 24 hours since my “last” operation on June 5th. To me, I couldn't feel or notice any significant difference, but there was apparently an issue that raised serious concerns.

It was now the afternoon of the 6th of June. I was going in for yet another operation. This one was once again kind of an emergency to stave off further issues from the dissection and add further stents to my increasing tally. To be honest, by this stage, I am losing count of the stents. 

This involved further CT scans, and although the operation eventually turned out to be a success, my kidneys were now shot, as nearly was I. 

Cath had received calls from the doctors to prepare for the worst. I may lose my bowel, liver, and my kidneys were not functioning to the point I may be required to be on permanent dialysis. 

My worst case scenarios through this were not looking good at all, and the doctors were indicating some serious concerns. To be honest, I was nearly done at this point. 

Later the doctors would tell me that I was “so close to the ground”.

But somehow I pulled through with my bowel, liver and other major organs intact. But my kidney readings were now as low as 6% capacity, and my energy to recover mentally and physically was being severely challenged. I went through 2 dialysis sessions after this last op while still in intensive care, and another 2 sessions after moving to the general ward.

It was taking me a much longer time to recover from this operation. I had tubes up my nose, down my throat, coming out of my neck and arms, and was peeing through a tube. I looked like a sprinkler waiting to be plugged in.

I didn't eat or drink for about a week, and was relying on drips to keep me going.

Doctors were ever hopeful that my kidneys would restart and resume their functionality, so the dialysis sessions were stopped, and I was closely monitored for continued improvement in my kidney and renal system function.

However, kidneys also have a role in blood production and renewal, so I ended up having 3 or 4 (I lost count) blood transfusions in there as well to replenish blood as there was some serious degradation in some of my blood counts and quality.

The Results On My Life

The last blood transfusion was the morning I was released from hospital in late June 2024. They only removed the tubes about half an hour before I went home. By this time, I had been in for just about 5 weeks. I could hardly walk. I lost over 10kg in body weight. I had a groin wound that refused to heal from so many operations, and kidney function that left me fatigued and lethargic. But I was ready to go home. It had been a long, intense journey and I was done and ready to try and begin my long recovery.

My kidneys when I left hospital (on 25 June) were only sitting at around 20% functionality. But it was just enough to get through. Since that time they have slowly risen in functionality to the point where they are now achieving "baseline" functionality of around 37% as per my appointment on 17 September 2024 and subsequent testing. This level seems to be what I will live with from here on.

I was put on Lance Armstrong steroids (EPO based injections) for a number of months to assist with haemoglobin production and kidney functionality, but it sadly means that I wasn’t able to compete in professional sports for a while. Cath was a trooper in regularly shooting me up for a while there!

I hadn’t worked since 21 May 2024. I was hardly in a position to continue to drive a bus full of school kids, and not in the mental or physical capacity to undertake working tasks for hours on end.

So I found myself in a financial no mans land for about 6 months. I tried the social security (Centrelink) route, but in my situation government assistance is means tested, and we simply didn’t qualify to be able to jump through that hoop. So, I was not able to earn a single penny for quite a while during my recovery. 

It left quite a hole in my earning capacity, and I was getting quite frustrated with the slow progress back to full health.

…and 9 Months On

I still can’t quite fathom everything that happened. It’s all a bit surreal. I have had numerous appointments with the Renal team, the Vascular team and my new-found GP. The longer term affects are that I am now on a couple of daily medications for issues that remain that were possibly prevalent before this all happened, or are possibly a result of what happened. I don’t know, but I suspect maybe the former.

Anyhow, I was prescribed blood pressure meds late last year (2024), as my pressure remained stubbornly high, which, given my condition, was seen as a further risk to my heart and vascular system. They have worked with minimal side effects, which has been good! A few dizzy spells at times, but not anything overwhelming.

On one of my renal appointments back in January, their main concern was around Cholesterol which is also apparently a little up there. So I am on meds for that too now. No side affects with that either, which is a blessing!

Never been a smoker, never been a drinker which are 2 major causes of blood pressure & cholesterol (and aortic dissections for that matter!), so in some ways it's all a bit weird.

So, constant monitoring, but the appointments are becoming further and further apart. Did have a CT scan in January, which kind of stressed me out a bit as I was concerned for the kidney health, but we got there. I mega hydrated myself before and after, so there was plenty of toilet trips that afternoon! Follow up appointment with the Vascular team didn’t happen for about a month after the scan, but doctors were very happy with the results and everything seems to be holding well. 

We did play a bit of “spot the stent” from the scan, as on our previous face to face appointment the Doctor couldn’t actually recall how many stents I had ended up with after that 4th operation. I know there was at least 4 or 5 after the first 3 ops. Any how, we searched through, and counted a total of 10 of the little buggers…. 

I also undertook a diet / lifestyle health coaching program which was offered by BUPA as a part of my private health membership. It’s a 6 month program to try and guide me to healthier lifestyle and dietary options to keep me going that bit longer. Great program that has been pointing out issues and changes that I need to think about and consider moving forward. We had a number of sessions (via phone calls), but the follow up has been very supportive. Hard to change habits though!

It has been a learning experience, and one where I had to make a few adjustments on the fly, but the dietary advice through BUPA has been invaluable. I actually ended up in hospital again in March during Cyclone Alfred, suffering acute pain in my abdomen which turned out to be contractions for a bouncing baby kidney stone! Missed the whole Alfred show, but it was another part of the learning experience in managing my body’s limitations and being the healthiest I can try and be. 

Adjusting to the new normal…. Learning to “eat the rainbow” and balance the diet rather that go whole hog into one particular “good” food that seems to slant things a little too much the other way in the wrong direction. Kidney stones. Not fun.

Transitioning Back To paid employment

I started working again in November 2024 - given that I had not worked for 6 months, I was actually starting to feel a bit restless and “itching” to do something. Worked out perfectly there, as I sent a quick text the office of the Coach company I was working for when this all happened and let them know I felt I was almost ready to come back in a limited capacity. Within 3 minutes I received a phone call, and they said funny you should contact us now, as the driver who was doing your run just advised us that they don’t want to do it any more, so could I start Monday? So I started back at work that following Monday. 

Making sure I am not working the long hours I was doing before this all happened, but it is working well so far. No weekends - just school runs and a few extras with excursions and sport, which suits me fine! 30-40 hours as opposed to the 50-60 hours previously. No stress, and most days are a split shift which has allowed me to get some rest in between. Perfect for my new normal - easy runs and little in the way of stress, and some income coming in!

…And Pivoting to Something New

I'm now well past my initial recovery phase, and I am as normal as I am probably ever going to be. Which, from the outside, looks pretty normal, as you can see in the photo. 

But I am different. My attitude on life is different. What I want to do with the time I have left is different. 

I figure that no one knows what time any of us have left, and if my story can inspire and help others on their journey, well, putting my time and effort into growing and nourishing my long-buried creativity is worth it. And it gives me a chance to make a mark, and hopefully inspire others on the way.

I have gifts and talents that I have buried for far too long in my life. Whether lazy, afraid of success or something else, I don't know. I have been writing “poetry” and creatively since primary school (I think I wrote something like 134 poems in year 5, but got competitively beaten out by my best friend Gary who just had to come out with more. But that's another story). 

Writing was always a gift or talent that I buried deep and never really shared with anyone. Working in the music industry in the early to mid 1980's sort of lit the fire for a while, but then I was seduced by a career in travel, and it all got well and truly buried for the next 35+ years. Even through all that, music and writing has always been my first love. If you listen to the lyrics in the song “Gotta Start Somewhere”, it kind of speaks of those thoughts and feelings coming back to the fore.

So, through all that thought processing, I started Wildlive Music as a songwriting project, and have now released my second, third and fourth albums, with the first album “Gotta Start Somewhere” being released only in July 2025. It’s a culmination of many years of those songs and lyrics that I have buried deep underground for the best part of 40+ years finally coming to the fore. 

My motivation to do this largely stems from the warnings contained in the parable of the talents as outlined in the books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible. I have held onto my gifts and talents for too many years without producing any fruit. And if nothing else, my experience has shown me that life holds no guarantees. 
And so, while I still have breath, I will write.

With the rise of technology and specifically AI tools, I can finally combine all those thoughts, lyrics and musical ideas with technology to release professionally produced tracks and albums. Although I play guitar (and a bit of cajon), I am not an up front performer or professional singer, so as a songwriting project these tools have been an absolutely invaluable partnership to enable my creativity. And I am loving the outlet and creative freedom that the process finally gives me! 

Either way, it has been a way to light a fire under my creativity and give me fulfilment on this new journey I have found myself on. And I am grateful for whatever each new day brings. 

Thank you so much for your support along the journey!

Matt. xx