MILESTONE!!! - She Did Not JUST Open Her Eyes!!!

[kpete]

For Giffords, 'a major leap forward'

In a news conference at University Medical Center in Tucson, the doctors said they were pleased that Giffords (D-Ariz.) opened her unbandaged left eye "spontaneously" Wednesday night in response to the presence of friends from Congress, and they said they were glad that President Obama disclosed the development in his speech shortly afterward at a memorial service for the victims of Saturday's shootings at a Giffords constituent event.

Doctors call eye opening, responses a 'milestone'

Neurosurgeon say lawmaker can sit on the edge of her bed and dangle her legs over the side, move both of her arms and legs and open both her eyes.

G. Michael Lemole Jr., the hospital's chief neurosurgeon, and Peter Rhee, the head of emergency care, said Giffords since then also has been able to sit on the edge of her bed and dangle her legs over the side, move both of her arms and legs and open both of her eyes.

MORE:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/13/AR2011011300952.html?hpid=topnews

[JuniperLea]

1. Joy!

I'm literally choked up... tears of joy...

[PBS Poll-435]

10. !!!

Me too. Amazing.


:cry:


:woohoo:

[JNelson6563]

51. Yes, great joy!

:hug:

Julie

[SalmonChantedEvening]

58. Joy indeed.

:loveya:

[Crankie Avalon]

2. Great news! Maybe miracles do really happen! nt

[OHdem10]

20. Even her Doctors(this am) when someone mentioned miracles:

Her Doctors said we must not discount miracles,--"sure
we would like to think things are all the result of
what we (Doctors) do--things happen that are more.
They do not discount the miraculous. Earlier in
the week one of her Doctors said she has no right
to be doing as well as she is.

[bdamomma]

3. they are talking about starting physical therapy too.

Keep on keeping on Rep. Giffords!!!

[norske]

81. Miracles?

"Not the God of religious fanatic wishes, but a caring God, working in miraculous ways."

Where was this caring "God" while the gunman was killing the other 6 people?

The US really is much like living in the dark ages.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" Epicurious


It is great news though.

[glowing]

100. I think it has more to do with the idea of free will.

[ooglymoogly]

112. Indeed. Give credit where credit is due, not to some hokey

voodoo miracle; but to the medics who made some quick decisions, who prepped her for the ambulance ride and the care inside the ambulance and the quick delivery to emergency and the excellent decisions and precision work of the surgeons; to say nothing of the fighting strength of this woman doing the herculean task of staying alive under these daunting circumstances. Kudos to them all. They are the miracles. If miracles exist, they exist in just this way. Depending on the supernatural is why we are in the mess we are in and is the reason these kinds of deadly messes have happened down through history destroying entire civilizations.

[xchrom]

4. please be well, ms giffords. nt

[Tippy]

5. Thank you God for answering our prayers.....

[bluestate10]

54. I have doubted before, but there is a God.

Not the God of religious fanatic wishes, but a caring God, working in miraculous ways.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

56. Tell that to...

Ah, what's the use? You know what comes after.

[Cal33]

61. Einstein came from a non-practicing Jewish family. While growing

up, religion played a small - if any - role in his life. But as an adult he came to his
own conclusions. He wrote that he could not imagine such order existing throughout
the universe without there being some Supreme Intelligence also present to sustain it.

[ooglymoogly]

114. But Einstein's imaginings of a supreme intelligence is one that did not have access

to comic book bolts of lightning to toss at errant earthlings, or "miracles" to intervene in the misfortunes of the "good angels" for that matter. We have to realize that, by our very existence, there is intelligence far beyond our reach at our stage of development. Einstein et al, are just faint glimmers of that intelligence that can create universes, perhaps the size of a gazillionth of a pin head, or of the size that we perceive our universe to be and without limit. Relativity was his glimpse and is ours, into that astonishing fact; the clue he left us, that may save us from self destruction.

[Cal33]

120. I agree. Religious doctrines to a large extent seem to have been man-made.

Some time ago I had a new neighbor who asked me if I would be interested in
visiting her church. I was, and did. It turned out to be a church with
150 members. I asked her how many churches there were throughout the whole
country. She said this was the only one -- it was a new sect founded ten years
previously. She was of the opinion that Christians who did not agree with
the way the founders of her sect interpreted the Bible, would end up...
you know where.

More recently I read that there are at present about 20,000 Christian
sects in this country alone. Can you imagine their leaders debating
each other?

Einstein followed no religion, but he believed in a God because it made
sense to him.

[GillesDeleuze]

116. Einstein's god is Spinoza's god.

Pantheist and atheist are one and the same.

[Cal33]

121. Would you also include "Deist" with "Pantheist and Atheist?"

[CLANG]

97. Very good restraint. It's like, what's the point anyway?

[Name removed]

64. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mzmolly]

6. OOps I hit unrec in error. Sorry. Someone please make up for

my error.

Great news!

[PBS Poll-435]

11. Done

[Mika]

12. Done. n/t

[pnorman]

17. GLADLY!

I've occasionally done that in the past, and have made just the same appeal!

[FourScore]

24. got it. n/t

[tavalon]

50. recced and I'm not the only one.

[wryter2000]

69. Also done

This is amazing!

[pengillian101]

89. Done!

[CLANG]

99. You're covered!

[MrMickeysMom]

102. Will do

:-)

[elleng]

7. This is FABULOUS!!!!!

:bounce:
:applause:
:woohoo:

[Mika]

8. This is incredible!

So soon after an induced coma? Amazing. She must have been in great overall health for progress like this. :applause:

---

[Broderick]

9. WOW

That is just so encouraging and wonderful news to hear!!!!!!!

[Warren DeMontague]

13. Good for her!

The lady is tough! :applause:

[Fleshdancer]

14. I am so facinated by her recovery

I'm in awe of her doctors and I look forward to hearing the daily updates. They're great at explaining what's going on and why various things are important. I cried when I read she opened her eyes last night. What an amazing experience for everyone who was in the room with her when it happened.

I want to be a brain surgeon in my next life! :D

[bluestate10]

57. "I want to be a brain surgeon in my next life!"

You and more importantly, many young children that are witnessing what could very well turn out to be the one miracle that I have witnessed in my life.

[Vehl]

15. Wow this is great news!

I wish her a speedy and full recovery!!

[negativenihil]

Fantastic news!

Wishing for as speedy a recovery as possible for Rep. Giffords.

[barbtries]

16. miraculous.

such wonderful news.

[Blue Owl]

18. Hooray!

Wonderful news.

[Old and In the Way]

19. I don't believe in miracles, but if there was a divine watcher,

he/she must have said, "not this time". Bravo, Gabby! You are an inspiration.

[Botany]

21. You Go Gabby!

BTW I think I got something in my eyes :cry:

[Little Star]

22. This is wonderful. You go girl!!

[Mad_Dem_X]

23. Incredible! What wonderful news! n/t

[Warpy]

25. Severely brain damaged people open their eyes all the time

Think Terri Schiavo. She had waking periods with her eyes open. She just lacked the brain structures to see and interpret anything.

Apparently this is not the case with Rep. Giffords. She's opening her eyes to stimuli and she's tracking people and objects around her.

She's got a long road to recovery, still. Intensive rehab is where you see the real miracles.

[CTyankee]

36. I just hope she gets her speech and mobility back...

TBIs are rough...a friend got hit by a car, too much brain injury, surgery, rehab, then nursing home...never came home, he died of an infection that the family decided not to treat as each treatment of infections (from lying down so much) left him weaker and weaker...he slipped away 3 1/2 years after his accident...so sad...

[Warpy]

43. It doesn't sound like mobility will be her main problem so far

Since they've been able to assist her to a sitting position and she's spontaneously moved all her extremities.

Memory will likely be a problem, as will speech.

Neurology is where you see the miracles, though. Intensive rehab can take someone with tubes and tracheostomy to walking and talking within a matter of months. The process is remarkable to watch.

[CTyankee]

115. Neurosurgeons are terrific, IMO. Hubby had to have one fix his rather

complicated and severe spinal stenosis causing acute pain. His doc was fabulous as was the rehab team. I can't rave enough about them...

[glinda]

37. Wonder if she will be able to speak.

[trud]

40. speak

I wonder that too, but she can obviously understand, that's the important thing. She can always write instead, although maybe not with her right hand. But physical therapy can do amazing things to make other parts of the brain learn how to do things.

Roger Ebert has some gizmo that turns his typing into speech. They are even working on using recordings of his voice to use that instead of generic computer speech at some point.

[tpsbmam]

76. Inaccurate.

If it turns out she can't speak it could be due to an expressive (a.k.a. Broca's) aphasia. In that case, she wouldn't be able to speak or write. It encompasses both. From press reports, the bullet went in on the left side of her head. I haven't seen anything specific enough to know things like more precise location on the left. Language is located in the left hemisphere for about 95% of right-handers. For lefties it's about 70%.

It seems that her upper extremity gross motor control is intact. We don't know about fine motor control, sequencing of fine motor actions and a ton of other skills at this point.

I just hope none of the above is true and all of those abilities are intact, or are impacted to a minimal to small degree.

[bluestate10]

59. Even is Giffords can;t speak again, as long as she can think and get

those thoughts out, she will influence billions of people around the world. What a truly beautiful event is unfolding as we follow every update.

[alfredo]

92. We'll know when they pull the breathing tube from her throat.

[Abq_Sarah]

90. She's also responding to commands

To move her arms and legs which is a very positive sign.

Giffords was extremely lucky, all things considered.

[NNN0LHI]

98. My father after a stroke could not sit up in bed without falling over

He had to relearn to eat, talk, walk and use his hands after that. And he did all that. He drove a car for years after his rehab. And he was in his 70's with severe diabetes when he did that. Gabby has youth on her side.

It can be done.

Don

[get the red out]

26. That is so wonderful

Beautiful news.

[Uncle Joe]

27. That is great news!

Thanks for the thread, kpete.:thumbsup:

[MinneapolisMatt]

28. OMG AMAZING!!!!

I'm so happy!

[femrap]

29. I had been thinking....

please let her move her legs. Next, please let her talk!!!

[librechik]

30. This is really good news. Sounds like she may have all her faculties

upon recovery.

[Very_Boring_Name]

52. The big thing is going to be speech, since thats the part of the brain that was hit

I heard the doctor on msnbc last night say they are going to take out the breathing tube in the next couple of days, so we'll know whether or not she can still talk then.

[librechik]

62. she can re-learn how to speak--that's one of the easiest hurdles

I'm so relieved.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

31. That is pretty amazing, and it seems to be happening so fast. nt

[Politicub]

32. WOW!! Great news! nt

[Hubert Flottz]

33. That's great.

Made my day!

[Marnie]

34. Fantastic

Hand tough Gabbe.

[AtomicKitten]

35. Her recovery is nothing short of miraculous. nt

[Dappleganger]

38. What a fighter!!

I'm so happy for her I could cry. :)

[Rhiannon12866]

39. WOW! K&R!

Thanks for passing on the great news, haven't even had the TV on yet today, but I know that I'll find out more just by calling up DU... :woohoo:

[Tx4obama]

41. THEY (nurses/doctors) sat her up and moved her legs over the side of the bed.

She is not able to do that yet on her own.
It's good news, but let's hold the celebration for when she is able to do it on her own.

[trud]

42. better than that

She can move her legs independently. I don't think I'd be doing much voluntary sitting up yet in her situation.

[bongbong]

44. Do you think?

Do you think this miraculous recovery will be paraded around by fundamentalists as proof that God wants Democrats to live and pass their agenda?

The moment that happens, an already cold little town in Michigan near Pickney will get even colder.

[sarge43]

45. Amazing.

You go girl. :loveya:

[davidwparker]

46. Wonderful news. Thank God.

[Duval]

47. Wonderful!! :) n/t

[tavalon]

48. Oh my, she's doing really, really well.

[DFW]

49. Typical

Gaby's spirit is too strong to be confined by the limits of the possible.

She radiates a warmth that could melt snow in the Siberian winter. Just listen to what her doctors say
is about the best possible outcome one could reasonably expect, and then expect Gaby to surpass it by
a country mile.

[martymar64]

73. The will to live is strong in this one

My hope is that she retains her personality, what made her, her.

[PBS Poll-435]

88. From all indications, She will.

Thanks for the warm thoughts.

[DFW]

111. I hope so too

If she is already giving the thumbs-up sign, chances are she has retained plenty of who she is.

I even heard from Richard Viguerie. Politically, he's the Prince of Darkness to us, and even he
said he hopes to see her make a full recovery. He knows her, too, and even he was affected enough
by Gaby's upbeat positive nature to succumb to her magnetic personality. Richard is as far out in
right field as you can get, so he wouldn't take the trouble to say something like this if he didn't mean it.

[PBS Poll-435]

87. Thank You. nt

[bluestate10]

53. Giffords is one incredibly strong person. nt.

[X_Digger]

55. BIG K&R! n/t

[ClayZ]

60. Yay! K and R

I am so happy to read that post!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

63. THAT IS REMARKABLE!!!

K&R! :kick::kick::kick:

[Generic Other]

65. She's a fighter!!

This is wonderful news.

[Kermitt Gribble]

66. Wonderful news!! n/t

[MoonRiver]

67. Wonderful!

And truly amazing!! I really hope to see Gabby back in Congress someday! :hug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

68. Fantastic!

I think that it must take tremendous determination to get oneself elected to public office. Looks like that quality is working in her favor now.

[rasputin1952]

70. K&R!

Fantastic news!

:kick:

[onehandle]

71. I can't wait until she walks back into Congress. She will be a great symbol. nt

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DeSwiss]

74. K&R!!! n/t

[JackDragna]

75. A candle of light in the darkness.

I hope she gets better and takes the fight to the kind of bastards whose rhetoric made what happened to her all the more likely.

[Raksha]

77. Truly miraculous...I can't shake the feeling that divine providence...

God, or whatever you want to call it, is preserving her for some special and important role. What that might be, I guess we'll find out down the line.

[Plucketeer]

78. Superb news!

One tough lady!



GOP JOBS PLAN

[Oceansaway]

79. wooooohoooooo !!...nt

[WolverineDG]

80. That is a miracle!

and I don't care whose panties get tied up in knots by the "M" word. If the doctors (who should know what they're talking about) can't explain it any other way, her recovery *IS* a miracle!

dg

[norske]

82. Miracles redux..

A miracle would have been stopping the bullets in mid air thus saving the lives of 6 wonderful people. This happens all of the time but doesn't diminish the greatness of it. Attaching "miracle" to things that aren't (There are no miracles) does a disservice to physicians and others involved in assisting the wounded.

The US is backwards enough without fomenting a belief in silly myths and superstitions.

[PBS Poll-435]

86. Please go away

This shit is not needed or requested at this time.

[WolverineDG]

93. It is a miracle

considering her own physicians are calling it such, perhaps you should go lecture them. I'm sure you'll get just as a receptive audience there as here.

:eyes:

dg

[Balderdash]

113. I hear what you're saying

but it won't be appreciated by most even here at this bastion
of liberal thinking. I think it's a miracle too but I don't
relate it to a god. Gabby got so very lucky (at least so far),
so lucky that I have to call it something else now and miracle
works. So cool your jets and just enjoy the good news. :)

[aquart]

117. A miracle is what happens when you need it to because it doesn't have to.

[Gman]

83. Incredible

[Stumbler]

84. I hope this will lead to 2 ideas:

1) Guns, their users and their results aren't all that spectacular.
2) Modern medical science, however, frackin' rocks! ...so long as you are fortunate enough to benefit from it.

I'm not immediately concerned about any future weapons legislation. Instead I'm really hoping the Tea Party's anti-Medicare-for-all stance gets (pardon the improperly-used pun) shot in the foot. This whole situation is a calling that we need not only physical health-care for all, (not only for our Congress-critters) but psychological health-care for all (for the alleged shooter.)

I don't pray, but my meditative thoughts go out to Ms Giffords and every other victim in recovery. I hope your pain is the worst we have to endure....

[DRex]

85. Wahey! Awesome news! nt.

[alfredo]

91. That's great news.

[NNN0LHI]

94. Jeebuz. I was just terrified that they wouldn't get her off the breathing machine before she ...

... became dependent on that! She is well beyond that worry now. She must be one tough person. I sure admire her a lot.

Don

[CLANG]

95. I want nothing more than Gabrielle to shock the medical world!

But next to that, I want her to deprive the sicko fuck that tried to assassinate her of any measure of satisfaction.

[lonestarnot]

96. Fanfuckingtastic!

[Historic NY]

101. Thats more than progress....its outstanding.

[derby378]

103. WOW!!!

At Loughner's trial, I hope she's able to take a front-row seat so she can look Loughner right in the eye and make him piss himself.

[MrMickeysMom]

104. Probably, they're getting close to deciding whether to reconstruct ...

... I recall it's near the end of the window they were anticipating where swelling reduced enough. In my view, they would need to get to this point soon so that they can re-attach her skull, re-stabilize, then get of off the ventilator.

I've no doubt we'll really see some physical examples of what she can do after that. No doubt, she's getting the best care on the way to this. I'm so glad.

[ChazInAz]

105. There is a Yiddish term

...that describes how I feel:
"Kvell!"

[caseymoz]

106. That's a thousand percent better than I ever thought she'd do.

What luck! At least there's great news to come out of this.

[ailsagirl]

107. Correspondent Bob Woodruff suffered a brain injury in Iraq

four years ago. He appears to be completely healed. I know that there are many
factors in terms of what degree of recovery is achieved, but it made be hopeful
when I saw this story.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/bob-woodruff-gabrielle-giffords-recover-brain-injury/story?id=12578057

Go Gabby!! :patriot:

[Swamp Rat]

108. Great!!n eom

[Ladyhawk]

109. C'mon, people. I'm glad she's getting better, but it isn't a miracle.

God saved the congresswoman, but not the 9-year-old girl? That's fucked up.

And don't try that crap about it being for some "greater good"--that's just silly. People use religion to lie to themselves, to make themselves feel better. Guess what? Some things are just plain bad, OK? We have to learn to accept that.

Mr. Deity and the Planes

I've mostly stayed away from DU, but I've watched the fallout from the assassination attempt and, quite frankly, DU isn't strong on critical thinking. I've observed lots of emotion and groupthink. You blamed the irresponsible, nasty Republican talking points instead of the (probably) paranoid schizophrenic who pulled the trigger. Obviously, some blame may rest with the Republicans, but most of it belongs to the gunman and his mental illness.

Now you're talking about miracles.

Where is the reality-based community? It sure isn't on DU.

(BTW, once I got away from DU I was able to get rid of my tendency to believe in conspiracy theories. Try it. It works!)

[robinlynne]

110. she can not sit. the octors move her legs to give her exercise. She did however move her arm

as her husband asked her to, showing she can understand what is going on.
She is recovering amazingly, but either the poster or the article got confused in there somewhere. Sitting is something the doctors are looking forward to in the future.

[Drale]

118. Maybe soon she'll soon be able to walk on stage

and kick Sarah "You Betcha" Palin right in the ass.

[drlindaphd]

119. I am celebrating Rep Gifford's road to recovery!

I suffered a traumatic brain injury last June. I fell backward and fractured my skull. My brain was hemorrhaging in the frontal and temporal lobes. The doctors were preparing my family for my new, greatly reduced level of functioning. My new lifestyle, would be greatly diminished. My injuries were grave.

Before the fall, my life was good. I had just earned my PhD in health psychology and I had a thriving professional and personal life. I had great plans for the future.

Now seven months later, I am just about fully recovered. I still have some problems with numbers and time. My memory is not quite what it was, but the difference is minor. I am still in the post-concussion stage, so not fully recovered yet.

My recovery is astounding and not what the doctors, the finest in the area expected. They are among the "Best Docs in Philadelphia" according to Philadelphia Magazine.

I hope and [ray that Congresswoman Gifford's recovery is as good as mine. I attribute a great deal of my success to my own determination. It seems that she is the type of person to have that same determination. She is truly a hero!!!

[pengillian101]

122. My nephew had a severe head trauma.

Thank the Lord he is A-OK. He is a super smart - for real. Works in secret government stuff.

He is doing very well and now has a loving wife and family.

His brother, my other nephew, is just as dear to me. He's in the big money, I think just bxausse .
.


As is my one and only favorit eneice

[delightfulstar]

123. She is an inspiration.

Keep fighting Gabby, you will do it. And we'll be with you all the way. :)