What started out as an irritating toothache for 35-year-old Luke Woodhouse quickly turned into a battle for his life.
As his regular Thursday work shift stretched into the afternoon, the irritation was joined by a sudden wave of illness and a spiking fever.
Having never had any major medical issues, Luke assumed he could just sleep it off.
“I didn't think much of it,” he said.
“I assumed I was coming down with some sort of bug, or some viral illness.
“That night, I developed chills and was sweating so heavily that by morning, the bed was soaked.”
By Sunday, his chills had given way to an intense, persistent burning sensation in his head and a tight feeling in his chest.
Luke knew something was now seriously wrong.
His wife, Jennifer, rushed him to Redcliffe Hospital where he was admitted after doctors found inflammation around his heart.
“I remember being told that my blood was infected, and shortly afterwards the infectious diseases team told me that I had sepsis,” Luke said.
“What struck me was how little I understood about sepsis and trying to come to terms of the gravity of the situation.”
Sepsis is a medical emergency that affects more than 55,000 Australians and claims more than 8,700 lives each year.
Over 18,000 patients are treated for sepsis in Queensland public hospitals per year.
It occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own healthy tissues and organs.
If it is not treated in time it can lead to kidney failure, the need for life support, limb loss and even death.
For Luke, it caused infective endocarditis; a serious, life-threatening infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.
When doctors at The Prince Charles Hospital made this discovery, Luke was forced to confront a harsh reality he never saw coming.
“I was told that the infection had destroyed one of my heart valves, and without surgery, I wouldn’t live much longer,” he said
“It was made clear to me that something had to happen, and soon.
“That week I underwent open heart surgery to remove the infected valve and replace it with a mechanical one.”
Jennifer comforts Luke following his heart surgery
Luke’s wife, Jennifer, described it as an incredibly frightening time, clouded by uncertainty and fear.
“I remember reaching out to a few friends who are clinicians and asking whether he was going to come home and whether he was going to be okay,” Jennifer said
“The seriousness of the situation really set in when the medical team began carrying out scans and tests on his brain, kidneys and heart.”
Lying in a bed before undergoing open heart surgery, Luke hit what he recalls as his absolute lowest point.
“I had a weekend to come to terms that I was about to undergo open heart surgery,” he said.
I’ve never felt so vulnerable or so broken as a human being.
One year after his successful surgery, Luke was still adjusting to new, lifelong habits but said he deeply appreciated the smaller things like playing guitar and drawing.
Luke in recovery following his surgery
“I have something in my heart that needs to be looked after, and it will be like this for the rest of my life,” he said.
“But I’m incredibly grateful to all the people who have looked after me throughout this whole experience.
“I have the utmost respect for the nurses, doctors and allied health professionals who have supported me on this journey, along with the post-surgery teams who helped me with nutrition, cardiac rehabilitation and the education I needed.”
The Moreton Bay resident wants to spread the word that if sepsis can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
“You’re not invincible,” he said.
“Something can be seriously wrong even when you don’t realise it. Trust your instincts, don’t ignore the signs, and ask yourself the question: ‘could this be sepsis?’”
ASK YOURSELF: Could it be Sepsis?
There is no single symptom of sepsis. Signs you may have an infection and developing sepsis include:
- Fast breathing or breathlessness
- Fever and chills
- Low body temperature
- Low or no urine output
- Fast heartbeat
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- New fatigue, confusion, drowsiness or change in behaviour
- Pain or ‘feeling worse than ever’
Find out more about Sepsis here: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/condition/infections-and-parasites/infections/adult-sepsis