Medical Update - Rep Giffords

[tangent4ronpaul]

Medical update:

She's in pretty good shape. Bullet only effected the left hemisphere and the neurosurgeons had to remove very little gray matter.

Here is the hospital news conference from yesterday, today's is not up yet, but c-span said they would rebroadcast it.

http://c-span.org/Events/Congresswoman-Gabrielle-Giffords-D-AZ-in-Critical-Condition-After-Shooting/10737418797-1/

-t

[QueenB4Liberty]

I'm glad she pulled through.

[Bruno]

I'm glad she pulled through.

+ 1

Wish they all would have made it.

[teacherone]

+ 1

Wish they all would have made it.

+1

best wishes to all the victims

[tangent4ronpaul]

CNN just posted about 10 seconds of a 15 minute briefing. Their selected excerpts were rather biased to make things sound more dire than they most likely are. The full briefing was much more upbeat. Expect the Lame Stream Media to be juising on this story for at least a week or two.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/09/arizona.shooting.head.wounds/

The full briefing was more upbeat, and a rebroadcast just came on c-span again right now. If you miss it, check their site for a stream.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

Giffords has experienced no change. That is incredibly good news! Normally, there would have been additional brain swelling which is a bad thing. It's absence is fantastic news for her recovery. They are not even bothering to measure CSF pressure as she's doing so well, it's a non-issue.

Looks like 2 have been discharged and all the rest of the victims have improved. There will be additional surgeries this week for some as well as some additional discharges this week.

-t

[MRoCkEd]

Great news!

[Brett85]

This is great news. Let's keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Giffords is doing better than expected and breathing on her own now. Looks like the ventilator was removed much sooner than expected. Something you don't hear that often is the words "thriving" and "critically ill" in the same statement, but that is what they said.

On consultation with military trauma surgeons, they now believe the bullet entered the front left of her head and exited in the rear left. That's the opposite of previous statements (left side is the same though).

No new news on other victims other than one is undergoing hip surgery today. Some family members of 2 of them did talk a bit, but nothing to update their condition.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

Good update with additional details, includes video

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41018273/ns/health-health_care/

[hazek]

I wonder if the close range was actually better for her since the bullet apparently had more energy and passed right through without causing too much damage. I imagine if it had been from a bigger distance the bullet might not have passed through and instead bounced of the skull inside which I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have survived.

[Bruno]

I wonder if the close range was actually better for her since the bullet apparently had more energy and passed right through without causing too much damage. I imagine if it had been from a bigger distance the bullet might not have passed through and instead bounced of the skull inside which I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have survived.

Yes, that was the initial report I heard, that she survived because it passed through.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Giffords is still listed as in critical condition, but breathing on her own (breathing tube still in), is opening eyes, moving arms and legs all bilaterally in response to stimulus and on request. Right eye and arm a little less than the rest of her body. She's off anesthesia completely. Is communicating with family members in a very basic way. Removing the breathing tube is the next and last big step, then concerns turn to medical as opposed to neuro. so it should be all downhill from here.

YEAH!

4 other patients left, one is due for an additional surgery and another is due to be discharged today.

Very upbeat report!

Yesterdays update was preempted by the resident attention whore at the capitol and the self serving dog and pony show.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/16/giffords-condition-upgraded/

Giffords' Condition Upgraded to Serious

TUCSON, Ariz -- In yet another sign of significant recovery during a remarkable week, the gravely wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was upgraded from critical to serious condition Sunday after a procedure to remove her from a ventilator was successful.

Doctors have been positive, and at time almost giddy, in describing her progress since she was shot point blank in the head Jan. 8.

Giffords responded from the moment she arrived at the emergency room, at first just squeezing a doctor's hand. Then she raised two fingers. She opened her unbandaged eye shortly after President Barack Obama's bedside visit Wednesday. Then, more milestones -- which doctors said were all indicative of higher cognitive function -- were achieved, all with her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, at her side.

Kelly asked her to give him a thumbs-up if she could hear him. She did more than that. She slowly raised her left arm. By the end of the week, she had moved her legs and arms.

...

Doctors decided to upgrade her condition because the tracheotomy done a day earlier was uneventful, hospital spokeswoman Katie Riley said. A feeding tube was also put in Saturday, and doctors speculated that they might soon know if she could speak.

...

[cindy25]

I'm glad she pulled through.

on a personal level I agree with you, and wish this had not happened. but I do not want VP Giffords. or President Giffords in 2016

[MRK]

on a personal level I agree with you, and wish this had not happened. but I do not want VP Giffords. or President Giffords in 2016

I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I don't think people would choose her over the opposition and the Democrats likely know that.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Giffords to be transferred to a rehab center in Houston on Friday. She's out of the woods! YEAH!

Loughner was indicted today (more coming). Get this:
Wound 13 people and the maximum sentence is 20 years.
Kill 4 civilians and the maximum sentence is life in prison.
Kill a federal judge and a congressional aid and the maximum sentence is the death penalty.

I guess some lives are worth more than others :rolleyes:

More info here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011906250.html

-t

[sailingaway]

Giffords to be transferred to a rehab center in Houston on Friday. She's out of the woods! YEAH!

Loughner was indicted today (more coming). Get this:
Wound 13 people and the maximum sentence is 20 years.
Kill 4 civilians and the maximum sentence is life in prison.
Kill a federal judge and a congressional aid and the maximum sentence is the death penalty.

I guess some lives are worth more than others :rolleyes:

More info here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011906250.html

-t

Yeah, I understand she was able to stand with help, even.

I'm glad.

I don't support her politics, but I definitely hope for a full recovery as far as her injuries are concerned.

[Daamien]

I'm happy she is recovering well. I hope she will be able to overcome her serious head wound and return to doing what she loves and interacting with her family.

[cindy25]

I'm happy she is recovering well. I hope she will be able to overcome her serious head wound and return to doing what she loves and interacting with her family.

return to her family-yes, of course

what she loves-passing more socialist laws? I don't think so.

I want Flake as senator , not Giffords; I want Paul-Nap, not Obama-Giffords

[NYgs23]

Kill 4 civilians and the maximum sentence is life in prison.
Kill a federal judge and a congressional aid and the maximum sentence is the death penalty.

I recall ancient Babylon had similar laws. How far we've come.

[tangent4ronpaul]

return to her family-yes, of course

what she loves-passing more socialist laws? I don't think so.

I want Flake as senator , not Giffords; I want Paul-Nap, not Obama-Giffords

Giffords is a moderate. IIRC, she votes with republicans 40% of the time. For a dem, I'd rather have her than a Pelosi clone.

-t

[sailingaway]

Giffords is a moderate. IIRC, she votes with republicans 40% of the time. For a dem, I'd rather have her than a Pelosi clone.

-t

With her specifically, I'd rather have her than Pelosi. But that idea of 'votes with GOP 40% of the time' or 'votes for Conservative legislation 70% of the time' is useless to me as a statistlic, because those statistics typically are discussing the sell out corporatist bills the special interests want, which aren't the ones we're rooting for. Someone who voted 'with the Republicans' most of the time but voted for TARP, the Stimulus and Obamacare (merely three bills) would not be someone I'd want in office. It has to do with having no 'this is going too far' principles to govern their behavior, and a ton of smaller bills won't make up the damage from those three.

The big thing is that AZ would never vote for Pelosi, and this is a gettable seat. But that is on a political level. On a human level, we want her to make a full recovery, obviously.

[tangent4ronpaul]

It would be interesting to see her complete voting record.

She is pro-second amendment.

-t