When Matt Lewis first experienced an unusual episode of dizziness and confusion while driving down the highway, he had no idea it was the beginning of a life-altering health battle. What followed was a harrowing year-long journey filled with unanswered questions, medical interventions, and an incredible fight for survival.
The First Signs: A Warning on the Road
On January 22, 2023, Lewis was driving from Chicago to Champaign, Illinois, when he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of confusion and disorientation. His hands and legs went numb, and he momentarily lost his sense of direction.
“I started feeling really dizzy and extremely confused. I was on the interstate at night, and for some reason, I had no idea where I was going or what was happening,” Lewis recalls.
Pulling over to the side of the road, he waited for the feeling to subside before continuing his drive. Concerned, he later shared the experience with his parents and coworkers, who urged him to see a doctor.
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Initially unfamiliar with regular doctor visits due to a history of good health, Lewis found a physician who referred him to a neurologist. Multiple MRIs and CT scans later, doctors discovered lesions on his brain, raising suspicions of multiple sclerosis (MS) or another neurological disease. Despite rigorous testing, the root cause of his symptoms remained a mystery for months.
“I had multiple MRIs done and was seeing a neurologist regularly…I was getting IV infusions and spinal taps. At that point, they still didn’t have a clear explanation for what happened when I was on the interstate that day. Nobody really had any idea what caused it, so it was just kind of a toss-up… After about a month or so, nothing much had changed,” Lewis adds.
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A Turn for the Worse
By late May, Lewis’ condition deteriorated further. He struggled to eat and grew progressively weaker. On May 22, 2023, he could barely walk from his bedroom to the living room without nearly collapsing.
Urged by his mother, he visited urgent care, where a CT scan prompted an immediate referral to the emergency room.
“They looked at the results and told me, ‘You need to go to the emergency room.’ I asked what was going on, and they said they couldn’t tell me there but that I needed to get to the ER. They didn’t think it was serious enough to call an ambulance, but I still needed to go. So I took another Uber from the clinic to the hospital,” Lewis shares.
Hours later, doctors delivered shocking news: congestive heart failure.
Unfamiliar with the condition, Lewis was in disbelief.
“I had no idea what that meant and was in complete shock. I thought they were talking about something else. They explained that it meant my heart wasn’t functioning properly,” Lewis says.
Doctors tried different medications while Lewis was in the hospital for a day or two, but they didn’t seem to help.
“I was still having trouble eating and couldn’t keep anything down. I was also experiencing headaches and just felt horrible—my voice was going away,” he recalls.
A Stroke and a Race Against Time
Doctors recommended transferring Lewis to a major medical center in Chicago or St. Louis. Unfortunately, bed shortages delayed his transfer, forcing him to wait in limbo. On May 27, he was briefly discharged from the hospital with a wearable heart monitor. Hours later, he collapsed at home, hitting his head and suffering a stroke.
Rushed back to the hospital, Lewis faced a terrifying reality—he was now partially paralyzed and struggling to speak.
“They didn’t tell me I had a stroke until about an hour or two after I got there. I was having trouble talking and couldn’t walk. I was really struggling,” Lewis shares. “I woke up the next morning, May 28th, and had no idea what had happened the night before. I was just thinking, ‘What a crazy day.’”
With his condition critical, his family pushed for a transfer to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. On his birthday, June 7, 2023, Lewis received the best gift he could ask for—a bed in a specialized cardiac care unit.
A Life-Saving Surgery
At Barnes-Jewish, doctors confirmed the severity of Lewis’ heart condition. They introduced him to the HeartMate 3, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that would help his heart pump blood effectively. Initially, his family was hesitant, but with no other viable options, they agreed to the surgery.
On June 30, 2023, Lewis underwent life-saving surgery to implant the device. The road to recovery was daunting—he had lost the ability to walk and eat independently.
“The doctors didn’t think I was ever going to walk again. They told me, ‘You’re not walking. This is not going to happen.’ They said I might be wheelchair-bound for a long time, which was devastating to hear,” he shares.
However, determined to regain his life, he committed to intense physical and occupational therapy.
Defying the Odds
Despite doctors’ initial skepticism about his ability to walk again, Lewis made remarkable progress. By mid-July, he noticed small improvements. On July 28, he stood up and walked for the first time since his stroke, shocking his medical team. Three days later, he was discharged from the hospital, officially marking a new chapter in his journey.
Over the next few months, Lewis dedicated himself to rehabilitation. By September, he was back in his apartment, living independently. In October 2023, just two months after leaving the hospital, he returned to work full-time.
“I have a full-time job, and I returned to work on October 1st, 2023. It was insane to think about because that was only two months after I left the hospital following surgery. Going back to my routine after everything that happened was crazy, but I had support. I have a great manager who was incredibly supportive through all of it,” Lewis notes.
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A Renewed Perspective on Life
Reflecting on his experience, Lewis is grateful for his parents’ unwavering support. They took turns staying by his side throughout his hospital stays, providing motivation and encouragement. His father pushed him to stay focused on recovery, while his mother, a nurse of over 40 years, helped him navigate his medical challenges.
“Having them there was incredible. I couldn’t have asked for better parents. They were just so supportive the entire time,” he says.
Now, Lewis is embracing life to the fullest. He has resumed traveling, hiking, and attending concerts. Soon, he will attend his best friend’s wedding, an event he never imagined he would live to see.
A Message for Others: Prioritize Your Health
Lewis’ biggest takeaway from his journey is the importance of early medical intervention.
“I’ll say, despite how you may feel, seeing a doctor regularly really does help in the long run. I was just naive, thinking I didn’t really need to see one. I thought, ‘I’ll go when I absolutely need to.’ But when you wait too long, things just get worse,” he concludes. “It’s like having a car with the check engine light on, and you think, ‘Well, it’s probably fine,’ but then you let it go until it gets worse, and now you have triple the issues you would have had if you had just taken care of it right away. So, if something feels off, get checked out. Don’t just brush it off thinking it’s a bad day. You never know, and a lot of these diseases don’t discriminate by age.”
