Gayle Plummer

Gayle Plummer is a mother, a dog mom, and newly married. She enjoys the great outdoors, specifically traveling to Tahoe and going sailing. One afternoon, while rushing to get ready to celebrate her fiancé’s birthday, she fell when one of her dogs got tangled beneath her feet. She fell onto hard flooring and immediately knew something was wrong.

Unable to get up, Gayle began yelling for her fiancé. She could move her lower extremities, but her right hip quickly swelled. Her fiancé called for the paramedics who took her to Community Hospital. An x-ray determined Gayle fractured her hip and needed surgery. After a couple of hours and some additional hardware, Dr. Abu completed a successful surgery.

Looking to the future, Gayle’s physicians knew she would need intensive rehabilitation. Her fiancé heard of San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation Hospital and its wonderful reputation in the area. He requested she transfer there, and Gayle is so thankful that he did.

When Gayle first arrived, she needed a wheelchair. After hard work and some proper coaching, she advanced to a walker. This was just the first of her many accomplishments. “Sometimes I need to be pushed, and I was pushed there; it really helped. Some days you are in pain, and you are not at home, and Dr. Cha just makes you feel great,” she shared.

Gayle had a goal to walk again without the assistance of any aid. Her wedding day was fast approaching, and she wanted to be able to at least walk down the aisle. There were days therapy was trying and painful, but she pushed through.

After achieving great progress, Gayle left the inpatient facility and continued her recovery at San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation’s outpatient facility in Fresno. There, she learned to walk long distances with a walker and prepared for her big day by practicing walking through the grass.