WS Chronicle

By Patrick Flanary

At his peak, Henry Gray could bench-press 600 pounds without breaking a sweat. For decades, competitive lifting gave him purpose and strength. But by last year, Gray’s left shoulder was hurting so much it kept him up at night.

For a while he pushed through the discomfort, but the potential consequences gnawed at him. As chief deputy of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Gray realized that putting off medical attention not only put himself and his team at risk, but also jeopardized his 30-year career in law enforcement, which included overseeing drug and SWAT team operations.

“One morning, there was numbness, and I couldn’t move my arm up to a certain level; it actually scared me,” said Gray, 60. “I would hate to go up on a scene with my guys and not be able to give them 100%. I felt that would be hindering or hurting a situation, so I knew it was time for me to get my shoulder fixed.”

That was March 2023, when Gray met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Schweppe of Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine – Winston-Salem. He diagnosed Gray with advanced shoulder arthritis, a condition that usually affects joints in older patients when cartilage wears out and bones come into contact with one another, and recommended surgery.

“He walked me through the whole procedure and it was awesome – that’s the only word for it,” Gray said. Schweppe replaced Gray’s left shoulder last December with the help of a newer procedure meant to preserve bone and minimize pain.

Shoulder-replacement surgery has progressed in terms of technology and implants, said Schweppe.  In Gray’s case, he used a bone-preserving implant known as a stemless total shoulder replacement, a good fit for patients with arthritis-related pain and decreased range of motion. This surgery allows the patient to preserve more bone stock, one of the advantages of a stemless total shoulder replacement. Physical therapy typically follows within a week, and Gray pushed through the spring to regain the strength in his shoulder.

“The rehab team was awesome,” Gray said. “Everybody was on the same sheet of music, pushing me hard and not letting me settle for anything less. Rehab is what you put into it. And because I love being a public servant, I was going to do everything I could to get back to work.”

That happened in May, when Gray returned to the sheriff’s office, pain-free. With his competitive weightlifting days behind him, Gray has since requalified to carry his firearm and is looking forward to surgery on his right shoulder later this year.

Gray grew up in Winston-Salem and joined the Army after high school. Rather than burden his mother with college tuition, Gray instead threw himself into studying field artillery for four years while stationed in Germany. When he returned from overseas in 1988, Gray joined the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Earlier in 2024 he was promoted to chief deputy, a role requiring the management of day-to-day operations as the sheriff’s No. 2. But, as Gray points out, one cannot perform at the top of their game if they’re in pain.

“I lead by example,” he said. “I want my guys to view me as one of their own, and as a man who can be counted on.”