via HuffPost - Giffords responding to commands

[Cassandra]

Made it through surgery.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/08/gabrielle-giffords-shot-c_n_806211.html#42_state-senator-giffords-through-surgery-responding-to-commands

[Dennis Donovan]

1. On this day of emotional rollercoasters, this would be VERY encouraging news!!!!

:bounce:

[Happyhippychick]

2. That's a great sign.

[xchrom]

3. Peace and strength be with her and her family right now. Nt

[Very_Boring_Name]

4. I'm very concerned about brain damage

This is a very good sign though.

[Cassandra]

6. She was able to speak on the way into surgery.

We'll see later where the damage was.

[backscatter712]

8. If she's responding to commands, she may pull through this.

Bear in mind that with shots to the head, the bullet may deflect off the skull, depending on the angle, or that it might destroy other parts of the head than the brain, or so on.

The fact that she seems to be responding suggests that maybe the shot missed the brain. It's hard to tell at the scene of the crime when there's blood all over the place and multiple other people shot, bleeding and dead...

[Very_Boring_Name]

9. According to the surgeon at the press conference, the bullet went through her brain

and came out the other side.

[backscatter712]

10. Could be...

Let's hope she pulls through and comes back to Congress swinging!

[Cassandra]

5. Third hand but...

MSNBC reports that Tucson's deputy city manager says that doctors expect Rep. Giffords to pull through.

HuffPost live feed on the story.

[Cassandra]

7. Doctor in press conference...

said she was shot in the head and the bullet went all the way through and out again (always good that they didn't have to dig the bullet out) but didn't specify which areas of the brain were damaged.