From Sleepless Nights to Strength Reclaimed

For years, 59-year-old Scott Skehan tossed and turned through sleepless nights, trying to find relief from unrelenting pain in his shoulders.

“You feel like an alligator all night, just rolling and rolling,” Scott said, “trying to find a comfortable position that’s not there. That’s what sleep was like.”

A longtime fitness enthusiast, Scott was used to powering through pain at the gym, but the sleep deprivation eventually wore him down. He knew he couldn’t ignore the pain any longer.

“It got to the point where it was bone on bone. I had scraped all the cartilage down; I could tell when I was working out. It was skipping, not gliding.” Scott said. 

He knew he needed surgery, but listening to others, he had growing fear and uncertainty about how surgery would affect his workouts, and delayed care for years.

“I put it off for five years because I had people telling me, ‘You’re not going to be able to do what you used to do,’ and I listened to them for too long,” he said. “But then I saw a video of a man who had the same surgery I was considering. He was older, doing pull-ups and bench presses, and that’s when I knew. If he could do it, I could too.”

Scott met with MaineGeneral Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Daniel Shubert, who listened carefully to his concerns and understood his active lifestyle. Together, they discussed options, and chose a stemless anatomic total shoulder replacement, a modern approach designed for active patients with intact rotator cuffs.

“This was the ideal surgery for someone like Scott,” Dr. Shubert explained. “His activity level, the extent of arthritis and the integrity of his rotator cuff made him a perfect candidate.”

Scott appreciated Dr. Shubert’s collaborative and respectful approach to his care.

“He didn’t dictate what was going to happen, he listened,” Scott said. “I told him, ‘I’m not your typical 50-something. I want to keep doing everything I do now.’ He completely understood and recommended the stemless approach.”

From his experience with Dr. Shubert, to other members of the orthopaedic team like Physician Assistant Brooke Heathco, to his physical therapist, Scott felt well taken care of.

“I felt like the most important patient at the hospital. You almost forget you’re there for surgery because everyone was so nice and caring. It was a wonderful experience.”

He had both shoulders replaced by Dr. Shubert, his right in 2022 and his left in January 2025. For both procedures, he went home the same day, with support from his wife, a nurse. But both Scott and Dr. Shubert are quick to emphasize that surgery is only part of the journey.

“What Dr. Shubert did was amazing, but the rest was up to me,” he said. “You have to put in the work. I did physical therapy for three months after surgery, and I was religious about it. Every morning before work, I did my PT exercises for over an hour. I wanted to heal and get back to what I love.”

Dr. Shubert credits Scott’s recovery to his commitment to physical therapy. “What I always tell patients is that the surgery is only 50 percent of the process. Once that’s done, the results often depend largely on the patient’s willingness to commit to the rehabilitation protocol,” says Dr. Shubert. “From that standpoint, he’s one of the best patients I’ve had. He was very dedicated and willing to do whatever the therapist asked of him.”

Now, six months after his second shoulder replacement, Scott is back to doing pull-ups, dips and weight training.

“You can still live actively, even more comfortably than before.” Scott says.

When asked if he’d do anything differently, Scott’s answer was clear.

“I would’ve done it sooner. I spent too long listening to people who hadn’t even been through it. I just kept suffering. If my story helps someone else stop putting it off, if it helps just one person sleep better, that would be amazing.”

For more information about shoulder replacement surgery or to explore your options, visit www.mainegeneral.org/ortho.