My Prediction---- Rep. Gabby Giffords will Speak at 2012 Dem. Convention

[louis c]

Book mark this post and thread. Mark my words. The ovation will rival Bobby Kennedy's at the 1964 Democratic Convention following his brother's assassination and there won't be a dry eye in the building this time, either.

link to 1964 DNC speech by RFK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weShWAFrPbM

[Politicub]

1. I hope you're right

That would be amazing!

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Depends on how fast she gets her speech back

That is one of the concerns, but given how fast she has recovered... so far... and that prognosis really relies on this early recovery... you got a good chance of being right.

They are concerned about her speech center (but women have a secondary one on the other side of the brain, which helps with recovery).

Ah the trivia one learns as a medic.

[nebenaube]

3. Likewise...

Has the damage been described?

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. That would violate hipa

but thanks to Sanjay Gupta and his nifty brain models... (He does good things from time to time) I was able to trace the possible route, given entry and exit.

IT is pretty damn close. I even told my hubby... I hope this thing did not graze the optic nerve either. They are still concerned about that too.

Again dang things one learns as a medic.

[The Doctor.]

11. Referring to Broca and Werneke's I take it.

They are at interesting locations that make a great deal of sense. It's not necessarily that 'women have them on both sides', as it is that the area which is centrally located is more evenly developed in women than in men, and not always in both areas.

I would LOVE to know the exact path of the bullet. That would tell myself, and anyone else vested really, just what sort of recovery we'd be able to expect within reason.

But, as pointed out, the dissemination of such information would be a direct violation of HIPAA.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Yes, and no I decided to not get really technical

and keep it at the folksy side.

Sanjay Gupta, using his models... gave us the closest we will get, I think...

Suffice it to say that the ballistics of the 9mm at close to muzzle may very well have saved her bacon. A slower round... increased cavitation and increased tumbling. I don't think the round had time to tumble... but that is a guess on my part, albeit a very well educated one.

I learned ballistics out of self preservation mostly.

[Statistical]

16. Also the shooter was using FMJ (essentially target practice ammo).

Premium JHP would have been able to decelerate as they opened increasing the likelihood of tumbling.

[The Doctor.]

18. I've been picturing *exactly* the same thing.

When I found out it was a 9mm, it all clicked. Super-clean entry/exit, no time for compounded concussive effects.

Standard round. No tumbling. Not enough mass/energy to create a repercussive effect just as demonstrated by Mythbuster's shooting into water tests. (Well, I surmised the reason- more mass created greater redisbursement of counteractive force to the round, hence why .50 caliber rounds lost all lethal force after traveling only 2 inches through water, while 9mm rounds took far longer... about 16"... to shed lethal inertia.) Muzzle velocity speed with relatively low mass didn't trip the repercussive effect in time to do the kind of damage we might otherwise have seen.

It's a weird dynamic, but it apparently translates.

Guessing; I'd say that based on the apparent angle he'd have been shooting from, the shot could have grazed just above the occipital lobe, stayed beneath nearly all motor function, just grazed speech centers, kept totally away from the hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, cortex, etc, and punched out just above and to the left of the left eye just injuring the pre-frontal cortex there. That would seem about right if he were right-handed and she was facing directly away from him. If I wanted someone to survive, I couldn't have picked the path better. I'm hoping that the worst she winds up with is difficulty with math or sentence structure as those are actuated in the affected region.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. And vision... pretty close to the optic nerve too

but yes, if you are going to get shot, this is like the best possible outcome.

I suspect the eyes we will not know until the swelling and repairs are fully done and they can test her vision fully. Best case, she just got some swelling and after it goes down... all goes back to normal.

My guess, when all said and done is that her new normal, best case, will be some limited problem with speech\math... but mostly all the way back. She should be able to function pretty dang well. But the next month or so will be the closest to hell any patient will come. The Occupational and Physical therapy will be very hard... as in extremely hard work. And there will be days when, like all patients. she will be just too tired.

[The Doctor.]

27. Yes, probably within 1cm. Didn't think of that.

That's not the most substantial bundle. The capillary pressure could have caused real damage. Usually, the way they fail, there would be bleeding all around the sheath. I'm hopeful that the damage didn't cause the nerve cluster to starve much at all.

I'd guess that function in the eye won't be so significantly reduced as to be beyond full recovery.

As for recovery... I've never been involved in this same injury in any similar capacity, but I know damn well that more sooner is better than anything later.

As I've said elsewhere; "She's up for the 'Baddest-ass tough-chick legislator of all time' badge", and I have little doubt she'll claim it one way or another.

[MrMickeysMom]

17. Gotta wait on that one, don't we?

Hey, her Limbic system is untouched.

[customerserviceguy]

21. Hmm, second speech center in women

That explains a lot...

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Yes, that is why women are better with verbal ability

for the most part.

:hi:

And yes I am keeping it very simple.

[customerserviceguy]

23. Yes, yes

that's exactly what I was referring to!

Really, I was not even thinking about the minutes my lady uses on our cell phone plan, when compared to the minutes I use!

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. You know what is funny, I am almost allergic to my cell phone

[customerserviceguy]

25. My lady will send you the antidote

She must have a 55 gallon drum of it somewhere in the garage...

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Just try to imagine that

Would that be something, or what........

[louis c]

6. Watch the link

That's what it would be like

[Swamp Rat]

7. Hope Springs Eternal

O8) O8) O8)

[slackmaster]

8. Her main pet issue has been border security, which she is in favor of beefing up

:hi:

[PBS Poll-435]

9. I hate to use language that might be considered inappropriate considering the stage in her recovery

But I think it would be an example of how some people's spirits are incapable of being extinguished early.


I look forward to Gabby's continued recovery and would love to see her speak at the convention.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. For who?

[louis c]

26. For All of Us (NT)

[delightfulstar]

12. I would love to see this happen!

I hope for her speedy and complete healing, so that she can do it. She is an absolute inspiration.

[opihimoimoi]

14. The GOPers would gag endlessly for a few years

[MrMickeysMom]

15. No problem there, louis c, I absolutely believe it..

You have looked forward nicely tonight.

Her message will be SO HEARD, regardless if she has a slow speech rhythm, partial facial palsy, or, as I believe it, just slower speech. I have a natural interest due to my field in following her recovery.

She will be there.

[riderinthestorm]

19. I cry when Frosty the Snowman melts at the end of the cartoon!

Seeing Giffords speak at the convention would be incredible. Wow. Great prediction....