Making the Right Side Right Again: Liz’s Story
For Liz Marshall, the road to recovery took a sharp turn in an instant. “One little slip on a wet surface was all it took,” she recalls.
That fall resulted in a serious shoulder injury requiring surgery and reshaped Liz’s immediate plans. A knee replacement she had long known she would need was suddenly put on hold, as her focus shifted entirely to healing her shoulder and rebuilding function one careful step at a time.
Recovering from two major surgeries in such close succession required more than physical effort—it demanded patience, trust, and resilience. Liz describes the early phase of her shoulder rehabilitation as challenging. “It was sometimes frustrating for me,” she admits, “but Kate kept reassuring me that patience was required, given the nature of the repairs.”
Rather than rushing the process, the focus remained on healing well. “The tendons needed a lot of time to knit,” Liz explains, “and keeping my arm stabilized was essential to successful healing.” Over time, small gains added up. “Little by little, thanks to her guidance, I was able to increase my range of motion and strength.”
From Kate’s perspective, Liz’s mindset stood out early on.
“If you’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know Liz, you understand that she’s not afraid to put the work in and get things done,” Kate says. “At the same time, she knew when to slow things down to allow for proper recovery as tissues were healing. That balance isn’t easy—especially when all you want to do is push forward—but Liz was flexible and able to roll with whatever the day or week brought.”
Just weeks after completing shoulder rehab, Liz returned—this time to begin recovery from her knee replacement. The work was demanding, and progress didn’t always come easily. “This process was painful at times,” Liz says, “but accompanied by continuous encouragement.”
Liz’s recovery was further shaped by a long-standing history with her right hip, which had been replaced, infected, and revised decades earlier. “My right leg was crooked all the years of my life,” Liz explains. When her knee was replaced, her right leg was finally straightened to match her left. Rehab required more than strengthening a knee—it meant retraining movement patterns that had been altered for years. “My knee recovery involved not just the muscles around my knee,” she says, “but a reawakening of the muscles in my hip as well.”
It was this added layer of complexity that made Liz’s consistency and perseverance stand out. Kate saw her show up even on the hardest days.
“Liz is gritty,” she says. “Even on those hard days when things weren’t progressing well or life’s other circumstances had her feeling distracted, she would do her very best to get her reps in and keep working toward her long-term goals of getting back to the activities that she loves.”
Today, the results speak for themselves. “After many months of recovery, I am now able to walk comfortably, row my single, and lift it over my head,” Liz says. Looking ahead, she’s excited about what’s next. “I am looking forward to cross-country skiing once again this coming winter.”
Looking back on the past year, Liz sums it up simply: “I have Kate to thank for making my right side right again!”
