The first thing you notice about Bo Perry is his infectious smile. It is an expression of someone who is filled with hope, love and overflowing positivity.
When you shake his hand and say hello, Perry instantly pulls you into his space and welcomes you as a trusted friend.
An hour of delightful conversation flies by in what seems like minutes. But in that hour, you are on a ‘James Michener-esque’ travel tale that stretches from the Colorado mountains to the jungles of Vietnam, from the sands of the Caribbean back to the Western Slope.
“I was born in Illinois, but we moved to Leadville, Colorado when I was very young,” said Perry. “We lived near Twin Lakes and as long as I can remember, I had a flyrod in my hand. I’d go out and catch fish in the mornings, my grandfather would gather fresh eggs from the hen house, and that was our breakfast most days.”
Perry says his love for the outdoors came from that time spent with his grandfather.
“He came from northern Wisconsin and taught me how to be a man, how to appreciate and respect the outdoors. Most importantly, he taught me how to work hard.”
A circuitous route back home
Perry joined the Navy at 17 in 1974 and served toward the end of the Vietnam War. During a training exercise in officer candidate school, he suffered a serious injury that ended his service career.
“It was devastating. I wanted to be a career military man – I was a scuba diver, and had plans to join the Navy JAG Corps,” said Perry. “So, once I recovered, I made a new plan. I came back home and opened a dive shop and became a scuba instructor.”
After a few years of teaching and certifying Coloradans how to safely scuba dive, Perry sold the business, moved to Turks and Caicos and built a diving resort. But the mountains were always calling, and Perry soon returned to Colorado to start a family and build a home.
“We have a medium-sized ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It’s been in the family for over 100 years, and we’ve been the caretakers for the last four decades.”
Perry suffered ongoing pain from his injuries sustained in the service, along with general wear and tear on the body. Maintaining a ranch and rebuilding houses took its toll on Perry’s shoulder.
“There was a lot of work to do, and I took a lot of aspirin,” said Perry. “I’d work through the pain during the day and ice it down at night, all the things you do to manage pain and keep going. But as time went on, my range of motion and arm strength quickly declined.”
Last summer, Perry was working on building a cabin on the ranch but as he lifted logs into place, his shoulder just gave out.
“It sounded like a cellophane wrapper. That was it, I couldn’t lift my right arm above chest level,” Perry said. “I knew surgical intervention was coming at some point, so I had done my homework and connected with Dr. Kam prior to that final setback. He took over and did a wonderful job.”
Perry was looking specifically for a surgeon who could not only rebuild the shoulder but could get him back to those activities he needed to do – pulling fence, lifting hay bales, and home construction.
“Dr. Kam was friendly and open, listened to my concerns and goals, and gave me some great options for moving forward. Ultimately, we decided that surgery was the best option.”
Perry also discovered that he and Dr. Kam shared a unique bond of military service, travel, and the love of outdoors.
Shared passion for outdoors strengthens trust between surgeon and patient
Dr. Benjamin Kam is a 1991 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He earned both his M.D. and master’s degree in public health at Tulane University School of Medicine. He served in the Air Force for more than 23 years as a combat tested flight and orthopedic surgeon stationed around the world, including Japan and Alaska.
“He did tell me a number of stories being a flight surgeon,” said Perry. “But what really stood out was, as a veteran, he knew where I had been, what I was going through, and how it happened. I felt very comfortable in his hands and in his presence. We connected very easily and quickly.”
Kam also shares Perry’s love for outdoor activities, especially fishing.
“I grew up in Hawaii, and I had never seen snow until I came to Colorado Springs to enter the Air Force Academy,” Kam said.
Following his retirement from the Air Force, Kam opened a surgical practice in the Colorado Springs area. He was one of the first orthopedic surgeons in the region to perform orthopedic robotic surgery, and he remains invested in training and teaching on advanced robotic surgical and minimally invasive surgical techniques.
In 2023, Kam joined UCHealth Orthopedics Clinic – Park West. He also serves as a sports medicine specialist and team doctor for the Colorado State University Pueblo athletic program.
Kam is married and has three children. His oldest is serving on active duty in the Air Force. His middle son is a graduating senior cadet at the Air Force Academy, and his youngest is an elite figure skater and on the World Competition Team, a member of Team USA.
Kam performed resurfacing arthroplasty shoulder surgery on Perry, which involves placing a cap on the humerus (ball) bone and avoiding surgical work to the socket portion of the shoulder. This procedure preserves more of the natural bone structures and can help better maintain the stability of the shoulder joint, reducing the risk of future dislocation.
The result was a new humeral head for the shoulder and a new lease on life for Perry.
“He had to clean out a lot of scar tissue because over all these years, I’ve learned to keep this arm in place due to the pain. It was a little more extensive surgery than we originally planned,” Perry said.
Recovering from arthroplasty shoulder surgery
Following surgery, Perry adds that contending with the weight restriction was the most difficult aspect of recovery.
“I had chores to accomplish on the ranch and remodeling activities to complete. It was challenging to modify my lifestyle activities for the post-surgery recovery time. I’ve had to force myself to slow down and be respectful of recovery time.”
Rehabilitation is as much positive mental reinforcement as it is repetitive exercises. Perry says his recovery process has been very smooth, and he attributes that to preparation and a positive attitude.
“One, I was prepared for it. I’ve had shoulder problems for a long time, so I knew what to expect. Two, I started practicing with my left arm to do everything – and with being right-handed, that was difficult. Three, I knew that if I was patient enough with healing and therapy, I would be able to see improvements. I have nothing but gratitude and respect for my physical therapy team. They were great.”
Perry says he is working on gaining strength and movement, and that he is making a lot of progress. He is gearing up for ranching chores but says he going to take it easy this summer and take some time to enjoy the mountains.
“I tried to not let this injury keep me from doing my daily routine, but I love to fish, and I really had a difficult time casting,” said Perry. “That’s not something you can just switch hands to do. I’m really looking forward to getting back to the water and fishing on the Yampa River, 11 Mile, and Lake Pueblo.”
Perry offers this advice for others suffering from orthopedic injury and pain:
“You don’t have to live with pain, whether the injury is old or new. Stay active mentally and physically. You don’t have to sit around and worry about the pain. Be proactive and get it fixed.”
Perry hopes his journey inspires others facing similar challenges to persevere and find hope in the face of adversity. His love for the outdoors has been passed onto his children, who share the family passion for fishing, hiking and camping.
“I’ve had an amazing career being able to do the things I love and share those opportunities with the people I love. For me, faith, hope, and love are not just words on a page, they are words I live by.”