Posted on 01/13/2011 9:03:21 AM PST by toma29
In one of the most memorable moments of the memorial last night in Tucson, Barack Obama told the pep rally audience that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had opened her eyes for the first time on Wednesday night.
It was very emotional moment:
But, unfortunately it was not true. The Sonoran Chronicle reported that Rep. Giffords could open her eyes on Sunday. (The Sonoron has since pulled the article.)
The bullet “traveled the entire length of the brain on the left side,” said Dr. Rhee, Chief Trauma Surgeon at the University Medical Center, at a press conference on Sunday. In terms of being shot in the head, this is “about as good as it’s going to get,” said Rhee.
Giffords can open her eyes, but because she is on a ventilator she can’t speak, said Rhee.
The surgery took about two hours, said Rhee.
Rhee attributed Giffords’ surviving the gunshot wound to a variety of factors, including a fast response by paramedics, proper care by the hospital staff, and luck. The bullet did not cross from one hemisphere of the brain to the other, nor did it go through the geometric center of the brain.
Would someone please tell me this was not planned?
From the Hospitals OWN website.........Jan. 9, 2011, 12:45 p.m.
Contact Office of Public Affairs, (520) 694-6000, pager 7332
The highly skilled, passionate response of the entire University Medical Center staff are credited for the life-saving care of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other patients who are hospitalized at the Trauma Center at UMC following the shooting tragedy that occurred on Jan. 8.
Rainer Gruessner, MD, head of the University of Arizona Department of Surgery, praised the great work of the trauma team at University Medical Center and the University of Arizona in Tucson for the rapid efforts that preserved as much life as possible
Peter Rhee, MD, MPH, medical director of University Medical Center’s Trauma and Critical Care and professor of surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Department of Surgery, said the team dealt rapidly with a mass-casualty scenario. Today Rep. Giffords remains in critical condition and is continuing to recover and is still on a ventilator.
G. Michael Lemole Jr., MD, a leading authority on skull base surgery and section chief of neurosurgery at the UA Department of Surgery, performed surgery on Rep. Giffords with Martin Weinand, MD, professor of surgery in the neurosurgery section.
Dr. Lemole described the sequence of events that helped create the circumstances that resulted in the “cautiously optimistic” outlook of UMC physicians. Rep. Giffords was shot in the left side of her head, was responsive to voice commands and was in the operating room within 38 minutes. The medical team was able to control her breathing and remove pressure in the brain.
“Gabrielle Giffords can follow simple commands this morning, but we know that brain swelling can take a turn, so we remain cautiously optimistic,” said Dr. Lemole. He described simple commands as: “can you open your eyes” or “can you raise two fingers.” While these seem like simple tasks, these tell doctors much about her condition.
The power of Zero compels you—come out of this woman, white devil .....
I wouldn’t lean to heavily on this. When a doctor says that someone can open their eyes, I believe that is a statement that they have motor control. It doesn’t mean that the patient has and because of other factors, like sedation, they may have not.
I couldn’t stand to watch the Obama pep rally, but I heard he said he was in the room when she opened her eyes. I hope this isn’t true.
The Tuscon Sentinel had the story;
Giffords critical after ‘devastating’ wound, doctors ‘cautiously optimistic’
Posted Jan 9, 2011, 12:40 pm
B. Poole TucsonSentinel.com
The bullet that plowed through the left side of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ skull from back to front Saturday morning left the congresswoman responsive but still in critical condition Sunday.
The surgeon who operated on Giffords for two hours Saturday, UMC neurosurgery chief G. Michael Lemole, Jr., M.D., called the gunshot wound “very devastating” and warned that there is no way to predict how fully Giffords will recover. But he remains optimistic.
“We’re all very happy at this stage,” he said during a 10 a.m. news conference Sunday.
Giffords was able to respond to simple commands when she came to the emergency room shortly after 10:30 a.m. but couldn’t speak and remains unable to.
“She did not say any words,” said University Medical Center trauma chief Peter Rhee, M.D.
Giffords is in a drug-induced coma in intensive care. Doctors frequently awaken her to check her responsiveness, and she could open her eyes and respond to simple commands Sunday - an encouraging sign, said Rhee said.
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/010911_giffords_condition
I also read where some on the Trauma team had served in Iraq/Afghanistan. Not to take anything away from the other doctors but the docs that work in combat zones deal with horrifying injuries on a daily basis and learn to preform miracles. Bless them.
Obamar and his idiots looked so phony. It clearly sounded like a political speech the way he was “projecting” his voice. michelle looked phony too.
My guess is that Mr. Giffords had to feel a little sick to his stomach watching his family sitiuation being exploited.
Slick Willie Clinton got a huge bounce after the Oklahoma City bombing. He used it to “feel your pain.” Obama tried to use this situation for his political gain too but I don’t believe it came across so well because obama doesn’t come across as genuine.
” I don’t believe it came across so well because obama doesn’t come across as genuine.”
He needs a lesson in biting his lower lip and looking sad from Bubba.
Watch for polls telling us how big a “bounce” Obama got from the tragedy of others.
The Memory Hole has been busy lately!
"Some on the internet have suggested that the president’s — and the congresswomen’s — account is inaccurate. They point to an article in a local Tucson paper that on Sunday reported Giffords had opened her eyes. That article has since been removed, but a cached version exists. Still, there are other articles that hint at an earlier “eye-opening” event (here and here).
The Blaze has reviewed the news conference referenced by the now-removed article, and from what we can tell, the doctor did not blatantly say that Giffords had opened her eyes. Therefore, it could be the news article was removed for accuracy reasons. From what we can tell, then, reports that Obama fibbed may not be accurate."
Patients may start to open their eyes within 15 minutes when sedation is turned down. We do neuro exams and then turn the medicine back up to levels to put them back under and they do not open their eyes.
No miracles here.
She did not open her eyes for the first time since the incident after Obama's visit.
I wish her a complete recovery. Obama is an opportunist. His announcement to the crowd is misleading at best.
“From what we can tell, then, reports that Obama fibbed may not be accurate.”
Signed, Bull Shitter, Director of the Ministry of Truth
Drudge had this story up earlier this morning, with a link to the newspaper story (not the Sonoran). Then the link quit working, and he removed it.
I sent Drudge the link to the Hospitals website, we will see if he puts that up.
Jan. 9, 2011, 12:45 p.m.
Contact Office of Public Affairs, (520) 694-6000, pager 7332
I have a healthly distrust of the media, so I will apply it to the Sonoran article and move on from this non-issue.
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