BILLINGS — On Tuesday morning, cardiac arrest and heart attack survivor Kevin Witherspoon finished phase two of his cardiac rehab treatment plan.
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Witherspoon's heart journey began on a typically exciting day.
It was July 3, 2023, his youngest daughter's birthday and the day before the Fourth of July. After preparing for his daughter's birthday and the big celebration in Laurel, Witherspoon noticed he wasn't feeling well.
Witherspoon told MTN Tuesday he had a heart attack that day, experiencing fatigue, disorientation and nausea.
On the ambulance ride to the hospital, Witherspoon was resuscitated 11 times.
"I don't remember coding. I think I fell asleep somewhere five or 10 minutes before I got there, and I think that's when I coded the first time. I remember waking up the first time they shocked me thinking, 'Wow, that really hurt,'" he said.
Following his heart attack, Witherspoon entered the Intermountain Health Cardiac Rehab Treatment Program.
The program consists of three phases. Phase one is about educating the patient on their health and any physical therapy. Phase two takes place in the basement of the Yellowstone Medical Center, where patients will exercise in an individualized workout plan that slowly progresses over time. Phase two takes about one to three months to complete. The last phase is the transition between the treatment and full recovery.
It was August 2024 when Witherspoon's heart troubles returned. He was in the midst of phase two, when he realized he was gaining weight and becoming more fatigued.
One night, Witherspoon woke up experiencing an unusual heart rhythm, before eventually having open-heart surgery.
"I could notice I was experiencing a lot of fatigue. Workouts became a little harder to sustain... Just days before (my follow-up appointment), my heart started beating really fast, and I was going through atrial flutter," he said.
After his surgery, Witherspoon then had to start the entire Cardiac Rehab Treatment Program over.
Throughout his 18 months recovering, Witherspoon grew close with staff at Intermountain Health, including Cardiology Nurse Practitioner Brittney Silvers.
"(Seeing him come back a second time), it was surprising and unusual... He's such a great patient, you know. He really put his effort into it," Silvers said Tuesday.
Silvers said it was shocking to see Witherspoon come back a second time, for his age. During his first heart attack, Witherspoon was only 47.
Tuesday officially marked Witherspoon's last day of phase two. He will now be moving on to phase three along with other graduates he's met along the way.
"This time was great. People were wonderful. I've had some great relationships, and I'll see them in phase three afterwards," he said.
One healthcare professional who's been intensely working with Witherspoon for the past 18 months is the program's coordinator, Mandy Frickel.
"He's climbed a mountain, really. When he first came in, I was really surprised. First of all, that he had to come back. That was one patient who I knew would stick with his program," Frickel said Tuesday.
Frickel helped choose the exercise and diet plan that Witherspoon followed during his recovery. She says to start low and slow when beginning to exercise. Frickel says walking is a simple and effective strategy when starting out.
"By the time he's had 36 sessions today, he's able to do everything I throw at him and probably more," Frickel said.
Now that Witherspoon is in his last stage of heart recovery, he attributes help to his family, friends, and healthcare professionals.
Witherspoon said his faith, wife, and children were his biggest motivation throughout his journey.
"I always think about all the things I want to do and see in their lives, all the weddings, the graduations, all the moments, you know. I want to be around for all of it," he said.
Although Witherspoon's case is rare, Frickel says it's a great learning opportunity to learn about your family's health history and to take care of your health.
"I think that's the main thing with heart disease is it impacts everybody. It doesn't take age into consideration," she said.
