Shot US lawmaker responsive but still critical

[drmeow]

Source: Yahoo news

Gabrielle Giffords, 40, was in a medically-induced coma but could respond to basic verbal commands, said doctors at the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson, who were "cautiously optimistic" about her recovery chances.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/uscrimeshootingpolitics

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I saw another story that said she recognized her husband this am but I can't find the link.

[dtotire]

1. Docs Optimistic, but Giffords In for Long Recovery

Source: By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Published: January 9, 2011



Filed at 8:24 a.m. EST on January 10, 2011

-TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Recovering from a gunshot wound to the head depends on the bullet's path, and while doctors are optimistic about Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' odds, it can take weeks to months to tell the damage.

Doctors say the bullet traveled the length of the left side of the Arizona congresswoman's brain, entering the back of the skull and exiting the front.

Fortunately, it stayed on one side of her brain, not hitting the so-called "eloquent areas" in the brain's center where such wounds almost always prove fatal.

Importantly, Giffords was responding nonverbally Sunday to simple commands in the emergency room — things like "squeeze my hand."

That implies "a very high level of functioning in the brain," said Dr. Michael Lemole of Tucson's University Medical Center, Giffords' neurosurgeon.

Now, her biggest threat is brain swelling. Surgeons removed half of her skull to give the tissues room to expand without additional bruising, Lemole said.

That bone is being preserved and can be reimplanted once the swelling abates, a technique the military uses with war injuries, added his colleague and trauma surgeon Dr. Peter Rhee.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/01/09/health/AP-US-MED-Congresswoman-Brain-Injury.html?ref=aponline


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/01/09/health/AP-US-MED-Congresswoman-Brain-Injury.html?ref=aponline

[dipsydoodle]

2. Left side contains the centre of speech

so she might suffer from diphasia for a while with respect to her own natural language - she'll be able to see words but not say them. If she has a second language that should still be ok. Please don't ask me to explain why that is - I simply know that to be a fact from experience.

[ryan_cats]

7. Reminds me of Jan from Jan and Dean

Reminds me of Jan from Jan and Dean. After his accident, Jan had a bad case of aphasia where he knew the words he wanted to say but couldn't vocalize them.

My prayers go out to Congresswoman Giffords and her family as well as to all the other victims.

I'm still just sick over this.

[dipsydoodle]

8. My wife Morag

died 29th jan. 1990 when she was 45 - grade 4 astrocytoma tumour over her speech centre. English was her first language but she was fluent in Spanish too which is how I know that 2nd languages use another part of the brain. Yes - Morag said she could see the words about 6 inches in front of her eyes. She actually lost most of the common nouns and went over to describing things instead. Cups became what you drink from and watches what you told the time with. If you pointed to a clock and said "what's that" she'd point to her watch and say "a big one of those". Some stuff just got mixed up : goose pimples became poose gimples etc.

Hopefully when the swelling goes away Mrs Giffords will make a full recovery and my heart goes out to the other families too.

I've still got Jan and Dean on vinyl from the '60s but with nothing to play it on so I bought the same CD too last year.

:hi:

[Mika]

9. I am so sorry for your loss.

I lost my wife to brain trauma from a (seemingly minor) slip and fall accident, June 1991. I never got a chance to say goodbye. My heart goes out to all who've suffered extreme loss like this.
:hug:

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[Doctor_J]

3. If her replacement ends up being a teabagger,

it might be time for some semi-civil disobedience.

[kudzu22]

4. I hate to think about this, but

if she's unable to serve, what happens? Does the governor appoint a successor?

[regnaD kciN]

5. No, fortunately...

Arizona law currently requires a special election if there are more than six months remaining on the term. (If less than six months, the seat stays vacant until the regular election.)

Of course, Brewer could always try to get the law changed...

[defendandprotect]

6. Gave up "thumbs up" sign -- and there is some optimism --