For years, one patient lived with daily pain that limited how she moved, worked, and stayed active. After a decade of trying everything else, she met Dr. Huberty — and that connection changed her life.
At 39, she injured her shoulder during a fire response. Over the next two years, she underwent four surgeries with different providers, but none brought lasting relief. Her range of motion continued to decline, and chronic pain became a daily reality. Everyday tasks — reaching into a cabinet, swimming, lifting her arm — were no longer simple. They were frustrating and painful.
Eventually, the hardest decision came: she would need to step away from her work as a firefighter.
“I spent all of my 40s believing I would struggle the rest of my life with day-to-day activities, sleepless nights, and difficulty with many of my favorite forms of exercise,” she says. “I had given up hope that a full recovery was even possible.”
She adapted, as many do, by finding a new path in fire investigation — but the shoulder pain only grew worse. Nearly ten years after the initial injury, her condition reached a tipping point.
“It was becoming unbearable. Even the simplest movements were rapidly becoming impossible,” she recalls. “That’s when I went to Dr. Huberty, hoping for anything that would reduce my pain enough to let me keep working a little longer.”
After ordering an MRI, Dr. Huberty diagnosed severe joint damage caused by advanced shoulder arthritis. A reverse total shoulder replacement was the only real option.
Understandably, she had doubts. “I was initially skeptical — I had heard horror stories about joint replacement surgeries,” she says. “But Dr. Huberty’s calm and reassuring confidence made me feel safe. He rekindled a sense of hope that I thought I had lost years ago.”
The surgery went smoothly, and recovery exceeded expectations. Just over a year later, she regained nearly all of her range of motion. “I can swim, do shoulder presses, even put my arm around someone on my left side. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do those things again.”
While the shoulder replacement didn’t bring her back to firefighting, it gave her something equally important: the ability to live and move freely again. She now looks ahead with a renewed sense of possibility and control over her body.
“I only wish I had found Dr. Huberty sooner,” she says. “He’s an extraordinary surgeon who truly listens and delivers outstanding results. I can’t recommend him highly enough.”
At our practice, it’s not just about performing surgery — it’s about helping people reclaim the parts of life that matter most. If you’re living with chronic pain or limited movement, know that recovery is still possible. And we’re here to help you take the first step.
To learn more about if shoulder replacement surgery is right for you, schedule an appointment.
