Conditions + Treatments
Shoulder Injury/Condition
Total Shoulder Replacement
I grew up on the edge of Tennessee, right near the Alabama state line — a little place called Bonnertown. It wasn’t much of a town, really — more of a community. But that small patch of land raised me right. We didn’t have much growing up, but we had ponies, bicycles, and dirt roads that taught me the meaning of hard work and staying active. I guess that stuck with me all my life.
I wasn’t on the high school basketball team, but I played ball with the guys who were. I learned a lot from them, and I always stayed physically active. That drive to move and to keep going stayed with me as I've gotten older and arthritis started to settle in my joints like an unwanted tenant.
By the time I hit 60 years old, I was struggling. I was working out in a heated saltwater pool with a bunch of older ladies over in Sheffield, AL — trying to keep the pain from swallowing me whole. That’s when an old friend from church, now a coach and former bodybuilder, invited me to try CrossFit at his gym. I’d never heard of it before. But I said, “Sure, I’ll give it a go.”
That was 10 years ago. I'm now 70 years old — and I've never stopped. But life still had one more mountain for me to climb.
The arthritis finally caught up with my shoulder. Years of repetitive work and wear and tear left it completely worn out. Two knee replacements were already behind me, and now the shoulder was screaming for help. I visited a orthopedic surgeon in Huntsville who told me I’d needed a reverse shoulder replacement.
I made the decision to get a second opinion. That’s when my primary care doctor said the words that changed everything: “Why don’t you go to Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham?”
I hadn’t heard of Andrews Sports Medicine before. But after a referral and a quick call, they got me in almost immediately to see Dr. Christopher Garrett. I’ll never forget my first appointment. Dr. Garrett walked into the exam room, shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and said: “Mr. Yarber, we’re going to take care of you.” That was all I needed to hear.
Dr. Garrett told me he’d do his best to do an anatomic shoulder replacement — also known as a total shoulder arthroplasty — something better suited to someone like me who wasn’t ready to slow down. He wouldn’t know for sure if he would perform a total shoulder or reverse shoulder replacement surgery until I was on the operating table and he intra-operatively viewed my shoulder anatomy.
My surgery was scheduled for December 11, 2024 at St. Vincent's Birmingham.
When I woke up, Dr. Garrett came into my post-op room and said, “We did it. We went with the anatomic.”
The very next day—December 12—I was back on the gym bike doing 2,500 meters. Not because I was told to, but because I could. I had a goal of hitting 500 visits at my gym, and I wasn’t going to let surgery stand in the way. With caution, of course, but with fire in my gut.
Dr. Garrett told me it was my level of fitness that allowed me to bounce back so quickly. In fact, he’d used my shoulder as a case study during a meeting with his colleagues. He compared it with another 70-year-old’s shoulder, and they all agreed—if this was their patient, they’d go with the anatomic too.
In the few months since my surgery, I’ve built my strength back up. I’m pressing 30-pound dumbbells again. I’m riding five miles on the bike three to four times a week, doing kettlebell swings with 35 pounds, and pushing sleds across the gym floor like I’m trying to move a mountain.
I’ve been chopping tree roots and cleaning land again. I’m doing more now than I did 15 years ago. Dr. Christopher Garrett didn’t just fix my shoulder — he gave me my life back!
When my wife was struggling with hip pain, I brought her with me to a post-op appointment. Dr. Garrett didn’t hesitate. Since he had some availability that afternoon, she completed some paperwork in the office and saw her that afternoon.
After a physical exam and viewing her x-rays, he stated her problem wasn’t her hip — it was her lower back. Now she’s on a better path too, because he took the time to listen. That’s not something you find every day.
So yeah, I’m 70 years old, but I’ve never felt stronger, more capable, or more driven. I’m working on the body I want, doing what I can, and staying committed to the path forward. I may never look like my coach at the gym — but you better believe I’m going to try my best!
