Jill Kellogg likes to stay active. She’s always doing something — whether it’s hosting spaghetti night for her kids and grandkids or riding her Harley-Davidson trike motorcycle.
For the past several years, however, severe pain in her shoulders and other joints made enjoying life difficult.
Wanting a solution for her pain, Jill sought care with John Richmond, MD, orthopaedic surgeon with Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers.
Dr. Richmond performed a pair of reverse shoulder replacement surgeries on Jill. They replaced her right shoulder in October 2023 and her left shoulder in November 2024.
Since her surgeries, Jill is pain-free and enjoying life again.
“It’s just so completely different,” says Jill, 67, of Slippery Rock, Pa. “I have better posture because I’m not in pain. I can do anything I want to do. There aren’t any limitations, really, now.”
Severe Shoulder Pain
Jill began experiencing pain in her shoulders several years ago, but the pain worsened after she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma in 2021. She underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, which put her into remission.
“After I started feeling better (after cancer treatment), I started noticing really serious joint issues,” she says.
The pain affected everything. She struggled to get dressed and wash her hair. Lifting a pot to drain pasta or make pumpkin bread with her grandson became difficult.
Riding her trike was also painful because of the strain on her shoulders while making turns.
“Even walking, your shoulders hurt, if they’re really arthritic like mine were,” she says.
Jill found ways around the pain. She adopted a shorter haircut, wore button-up shirts instead of pullovers, and used a long shoehorn to put on her shoes.
“I guess they call it pain resilience,” Jill says. “You just go through it. You just do it.
“I took a lot of ibuprofen and Tylenol around the clock because sleeping was very difficult. A lot of times, I’d be up at 3 in the morning because I would wake up in pain.”
Seeking Care at UPMC
Having gone through a joint replacement with her left hip, Jill knew she likely needed her shoulders replaced. However, she felt concerned about the amount of time it would take to recover. It was especially concerning because she knew she’d have to get her right shoulder replaced first.
“You wonder how you’re going to get by daily with one arm,” she says.
The pain eventually became severe enough that Jill sought care. Though she had undergone her left hip replacement in Pittsburgh a few years earlier, she chose to go to the Tri Rivers Slippery Rock office this time because of its proximity to her home.
Dr. Richmond’s demeanor helped to put Jill at ease very quickly.
“He’s just relaxed and pretty matter-of-fact,” she says. “He doesn’t sugarcoat it. He’s very easy to work with. He’s calm, reassuring, and confident.”
Dr. Richmond told Jill she was a candidate for a reverse total shoulder replacement.
A traditional shoulder replacement uses replacement parts to replicate the shoulder’s natural anatomy. A reverse shoulder replacement reverses the anatomy.
“Reverse shoulder replacement is necessary when the rotator cuff muscles are deficient or if a patient has significant shoulder deformity,” Dr. Richmond says.
“Jill had advanced arthritis of both shoulders. The significant degree of degeneration in her shoulders caused her ball-and-socket joint to erode abnormally. Since her joint was so deformed, reverse components were necessary to provide a stable joint.”
Dr. Richmond scheduled Jill’s first surgery for October 2023, and the procedure was successful.
Rapid Recovery
To aid her recovery, Jill did her homework before her surgery. She watched YouTube videos about how to sleep, put on clothes, and do other tasks after shoulder replacement.
She bought a recliner to sleep in — even though she’d previously sworn she would never have one — and a shower bench. And she used toiletries with pump lids.
The preparation helped Jill have a smooth recovery. She wore a sling with a cushion for the first six weeks before progressing to a sling without a cushion.
“As time goes on, you learn that you can actually use your hand while it’s in that (cushioned) sling down low to open jars and things,” she says. “You take your arm out of that once in a while to stretch out your elbow and things like that.” Jill says she actually drove herself to her first post-op appointment with Dr. Richmond, and six weeks after surgery, she began physical therapy.
“By the time you go in for therapy with the shoulder, there’s just really no pain,” she says. “You’re just gradually noticing as the surgical pain wears off that the arthritis pain is gone. And then with therapy, you just start working on your range of motion and strength.”
Gradually, Jill regained her strength and range of motion.
A Second Shoulder Surgery
With her right shoulder taken care of, Jill needed her left shoulder replaced. However, first, she received right hip and right knee replacements with orthopaedic surgeon D. Kelly Agnew, MD, also with Tri Rivers Musculoskeletal Centers. Her hip replacement took place in January 2024, followed by her knee replacement in April 2024.
By the time fall 2024 rolled around, Jill was ready for her next surgery with Dr. Richmond.
“I didn’t even consider anyone else,” she says. “It was that good of an experience. It was just obvious I’d get him to do the other one.”
The second shoulder replacement, which took place in November 2024, again went smoothly. This time, she had an even quicker recovery, having learned lessons from the first surgery.
“Despite having multiple degenerative joints, Jill always maintained a positive attitude,” Dr. Richmond says. “She understood that undergoing each surgery was going to be challenging, but she was committed to having a great outcome. She followed the postoperative restrictions and then worked hard in therapy to regain her motion and strength.”
A Full, Happy Life
Over a year removed from her second shoulder replacement, Jill is once again active and happy. She spends a lot of time with her family, including her six grandchildren, ages 7 to 13.
Before her surgeries, she struggled to maneuver booster seats into cars. Jill lives near a safari wilderness park, and she buys membership passes for her family every year.
“I was never going out there (before) because it was too painful,” she says. “And I’ve been out there at least five times (in 2025) with the grandkids, and they can’t keep up with me.”
She says she experiences left shoulder soreness at times, typically after lifting weights. But otherwise, her shoulders and other joints don’t affect her. She can get on the ground to do yoga and Pilates, and she can do chores around her house as normal.
“When I was driving my Harley this summer, I was like, ‘OK, this is the way it’s supposed to feel,’” she says. “I’d forgotten — it had been so long.”
Dr. Richmond says he’s happy to see a patient like Jill have success after surgery.
“Having the ability to help patients like Jill is why I became a physician and surgeon,” he says. “It is incredibly fulfilling to play a role in improving someone’s quality of life.”
Jill says she recommends anyone with shoulder pain to learn about shoulder replacement. In fact, she’s already referred people to Dr. Richmond.
“You don’t have to make the decision about shoulder replacement right away, but you don’t have to live with that pain, either,” she says. “It’s worth it to get it done. It’s not nearly as bad as you think it would be.”