SBL Heart Center Patient Stories

Beating the Odds

SBL Cardiology helps Martinsville Man get on the road again.

Kirk Fessenbeck’s passion is traveling. While growing up in Martinsville, he and his family trekked across the country. They visited relatives who lived as far away as Oregon, so road trips were formative experiences.

“I always loved the road trips we took when I was younger,” he said. “In general, I love visiting new places and taking long trips.” And while Kirk saw a fair share of the 48 contiguous states while working as a truck driver, the desire to travel remains.

In March 2023, Kirk was preparing for a trip to Louisiana when he narrowly escaped death. He said he experienced shortness of breath, difficulty walking even a few yards and “every time I laid down, it felt like someone was sitting on my chest.”

He knew he needed to seek medical attention, so he drove from Evansville, IN where he was staying with a friend, to Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Emergency Department (ED). “There were hospitals I could have gone to in Evansville, but I wanted to go to Sarah Bush Lincoln,” he said.

The ED staff discovered that Kirk’s troponin level was high. Because troponin is a protein that at high levels indicates heart damage, the doctors consulted with SBL Cardiologist Michael LaMonto, DO, who immediately scheduled a heart catheterization. While performing the procedure, SBL Interventional Cardiologist Dean Katsamakis, DO, discovered that Kirk had a 95 percent blockage in his LAD (widowmaker) artery. “After the stent was inserted, it was almost night and day. I could breathe again,” Kirk explained.

"Being that close to death makes you want to achieve goals and to make a difference with the time you have left. ” —Kirk Fessenbeck

A few months later, Kirk moved from Indiana to Westfield and began the Monitored Exercise Testing Services (METS) program at The SBL Heart Center. METS is a cardiac rehab program that combines exercise and education to help people recover from cardiac issues. Under the guidance of Exercise Physiologist Kristina Bushue, Kirk recovered and committed to following a healthy lifestyle.

He lost more than 50 pounds, began exercising every day at the SBL Center for Healthy Living and now has his sights set on the open roads. He’s grateful to everyone at SBL who helped him during his cardiac emergency because it reinvigorated his drive to see the country. “I strive to accomplish things that I thought were out of reach,” Kirk said. “Being that close to death makes you want to achieve goals and to make a difference with the time you have left.”

After having trouble walking a few yards two years ago, Kirk can complete a five-mile hike. He’s planning to take a month-long road trip in the next couple years. “I want to travel a lot in the future, and I’m able to do that now, thanks to the help I got at Sarah Bush Lincoln,” Kirk said.

For more information about The Heart Center at Sarah Bush Lincoln or Cardiac Rehabilitation classes offered through METS, please call 217 238-4960.