Gabriele Giffords Condition Unchanged

[LongTomH]

Source: ABC News

Doctors treating Rep. Gabrielle Giffords were "slightly more optimistic" today about the recovery of the Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head this weekend.

"We're not out of the woods yet," said Dr. G. Michael Lemole Jr., Giffords' neurosurgeon and chief of neurosurgery at Arizona's University Medical Center. "At this phase in the game no change is good, and we have no change."

A recent CAT scan showed that the swelling in Giffords' brain has not increased, and he said that "swelling typically peaks around the third day."

Lemole said there may be "a collective sigh of relief around the third or fourth day. We're getting close."

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/gabrielle-giffords-condition-unchanged-brain-swelling-monitored-neurosurgeon/story?id=12582222

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The title for the article is: "Gabrielle Giffords Doctors Are 'Slightly More Optimistic' About Her Recovery" But, at the top of my browser page, it reads: "Gabrielle Giffords Condition Unchanged. Brain Swelling Monitored, Neurosurgeon Says."

The grim fact is: This is a brain injury, with injury to the frontal lobes. There's going to be a long road ahead with Gaby and her family.

Say a prayer for them all!

[Barack_America]

1. Excellent news.

Seriously, that her brain isn't swelling further is a fantastic sign.

[TygrBright]

2. This is good. Minimizing swelling is key to recovery.

And I have seen some truly remarkable recoveries from traumatic brain injury. (Although not from bullets.)

It is possible to recover quite a lot of function even with tissue loss or major trauma-- the brain is incredibly plastic and inventive in creating new pathways to perform lost functions.

But yeah, it's a LONG and agonizing recovery road. My heartfelt best wishes to Rep. Giffords and her family, and fervent hopes that they get to walk that road together.

hopefully,
Bright

[theyne]

3. great blog in response to Arizona shooting

Check out the blog that Josh Horwitz authored regarding the
right and a the history of insurrectionist rhetoric that led
to the horrific Tucson shooting.
:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-horwitz/tucson-shows-the-true-fac_b_806594.html#comments

[DFW]

4. Hers is such a wonderful mind

It will be devastating to me to meet her again and not hear the bright, upbeat, intelligent, quick
voice I know so well, but I'll be happy to see her survive this at all, and then work on whatever
recovery medical science can wring from her. Hers is a strong spirit and it will not be easily trampled.

[delightfulstar]

5. One thing that may help her in her recovery is...

That only one side of her brain was affected. Had the trajectory been across the brain, it would have been tougher for her to even survive. However, the left side controls many important functions, such as communication, memory, and analysis, and as well as nervous function on the right side of the body. The fact that she is responsive is a very good sign, indeed, though she will probably need to have a fair amount of PT and OT to regain as much function as possible. It sounds, at this point, like she has a chance at a fairly full recovery, but it will be a long road indeed. She's a strong person, and a fighter, and if anyone can make it, it will be Gabby Giffords. My thoughts are with her and her family as they begin this journey.