Former Geelong champion Mark Bairstow was on life support for nearly two weeks following a major lung infection
Enduring friendships forged in blue-and-white hoops have helped a former Geelong Cats champion endure after spending nearly a fortnight on life support.
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Lifelong friendships forged in blue-and-white hoops have helped a former Geelong Cats captain recover from nearly a fortnight on life support.
Three-time All Australian midfielder Mark Bairstow has thanked his old teammates, from Billy Brownless to Andrew Bews, for their unwavering support after a recent health crisis affecting his heart and lungs that almost claimed his life.
Bairstow, 60, played 146 games for the Cats, including the famous 1989 VFL grand final slugfest against Hawthorn, after crossing from South Fremantle two years earlier.
In the most brutal of grand finals, Hawthorn’s John Platten was concussed and teammate Robert DiPierdomenico hospitalised with broken ribs and a punctured lung.
However, Bairstow, now a successful horse trainer back in his native Western Australia, has endured a far tougher, recent battle – fighting for his life.
Not long home at the Larkhill Training Complex after a month-long spell in hospital, Bairstow tells the Geelong Advertiser he is lucky to be telling his story after a six-year heart condition nearly turned fatal just a few weeks ago.
Bairstow was placed on life support at St John of God after his worsening heart issues, combined with a major lung infection, resulted in high carbon dioxide levels and his organs “flooded”.
A few weeks into his recovery, whichhas included learning to walk again, the Cats champion said it had been touch and go at one stage.
“They had to make a decision whether to keep going or pull the pin,” Bairstow said.
“I’m glad they made the right decision.”
Bairstow said his heart had routinely missed a beat for years.
“My heartbeat goes along normal and then all of a sudden it just misses,” Bairstow said.
“It became more often (over time), and that put my heart under pressure to pump at the normal level.
“I’d probably put on a bit too much weight over the years, which probably doesn’t help as well.”
About a month ago, Bairstow was feeling increasingly ill and went to see a heart specialist – not long afterwards, he was in intensive care and on life support.
“(My heart) started slowing down,” Bairstow said.
“My heart slowed up to a rate that was almost stopping.
“I got a build-up of carbon dioxide because my heart wasn’t pumping fast enough … my body was full of carbon dioxide.
“You go a bit delirious, really, you’re dreaming of all bloody sorts of things, and you slur your words.
“I got pneumonia in the lungs, which made it twice as bad.
“Once my lungs were infected, then I couldn’t breathe. My lungs were getting flooded.”
Bairstow would later spend close to a fortnight on life support.
“They had to put the life support pipe down my throat, I was in a bit of bother there for a while,” he said.
“I spent 14 days laying on my back, trying to kill the infection in my lungs.”
Heavily medicated, Bairstow said he went through a “pretty rough time”.
“I was dreaming about things that happened years ago,” he said.
“It was a really bad period for me … mentally it was draining as well.”
Fortunately, Bairstow is now starting to turn the corner and is back on his feet, albeit with the help of a mobility aid.
“I’ve come out of it pretty bloody well, really, I don’t seem to have any brain damage, no more than I did before,” he said with a laugh.
“I’m starting to move pretty well now.
“I’m just so happy I’ve come out the other side.”
Bairstow’s son Toby said the situation had been “severe” but his father was now on his “rehabilitation journey”.
“He’s got a long road ahead with his mobility,” he said.
“It’s now about all focusing on his health, he’s got a lot of work to do.”
Bairstow now wears a face mask while sleeping following his issues with carbon dioxide and battles the “pretty ordinary” side effects of medication.
“I’m doing a pre-season basically,” Bairstow said of his recovery.
“I had to learn to walk again because when you’re lying on your back for a month all your muscles waste away
“But there’s people a lot worse off than me. You’ve got to think about that.
“There’s a few ailments, but it’s all heading in the right direction.
“It’s just a matter of getting some power back in my legs.”
In important little steps towards recovery, Bairstow has been able to get down to his stables and oversee things.
“My son said I’m starting to give some orders so I must be improving,” he said with a laugh.
“We booted home a winner last week, so that all helps.”
Bairstow said he had been overwhelmed with support from former Geelong teammates, including Billy Brownless, Barry Stoneham, Sean Simpson, Andrew Bews and Paul Brown.
“They never stopped ringing and asking about my welfare, they’ve been fantastic,” he said.
“I had a lot of wellwishers.
“I certainly appreciate the support I was getting.
“I was oblivious to it all, but once I found out later it was a really good kick along.”
He said the near-death experience had allowed him look back fondly on his time at the Cats and how football can bring people together: “(They’re) lifelong friends even though you might not have heard from them in a while, in the hard times they always come to the fore.”
Toby said those ex-players had been integral to his recovery.
“He isn’t in contact with those past players as much as what he probably would like,” he said.
“Everyone loves him but he’s also a little bit insular I guess.
“But when he catches up with those blokes, it’s always a good time.
“They get along like it was 30 years ago.”
Bairstow is still unsure what has been the root cause of his health battles.
“Whether it was connected with Covid, nobody’s certain,” he said.
“Some of the heart surgeons believe it’s an after effect of Covid … nobody seems to know for sure.
“It certainly knocked sh-- out of me.”
Bairstow had an important message for others – if you’ve got any problems, don’t ignore them.
“I ignored that I was out of breath and was struggling for air, I just continued to put it to the side,” he said.
He feels a degree of “pigheadedness” was a factor in him not seeking help earlier.
“A lot of footballers are quite pig-headed because they’ve got to be,” he said.
“You’ve got to go through pain to try and get some glory, especially at league level.
“You train very hard and consequently it can put your heart under stress.
“And if you heart gets under stress at some stage eventually it comes back to haunt you.”
Toby said his father’s health had been fine until about six years ago.
“It could even be a thing called ‘athlete’s heart’,” he said.
“Because he’s never had a heart attack or anything.
“They’re actually linking it to how hard he trained (during his career).
“I talk to all the old boys and they reckon he was stupid, he was ridiculous. And pretty tough.
“He’s told me stories about running 1km with tonsillitis and passing out while he was running.
“He had an unbelievable capacity to put himself through pain thresholds.”
Whatever the cause, Bairstow said he was looking to the future with growing confidence.
“I’m not out of the woods completely,” he said.
“I’ve got a bit of a road ahead of me, but I’m on the right side of the road at the moment, that’s the most important thing.”
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