Posted on 01/09/2011 12:10:09 AM PST by FTJM
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords awoke briefly and recognized her husband before slipping back into unconsciousness Saturday after undergoing emergency surgery following an assassination attempt and shooting spree that killed 6 people and wounded 13 others, according to several media outlets.
The Twitter account of Fox 11 News Arizona said that a family friend told the station that Giffords "woke up from anesthesia & spoke to people in her room & recognized her husband Mark Kelly."
The website "Politico" reported that a source close to the family told them the same thing.
However, C.J. Karamargin, Giffords' communications director, said late Saturday that Giffords remained in critical condition, in intensive care and was not fully conscious.
He tells KTLA that he has heard the various media reports that Giffords had awakened after surgery.
"Based on what I saw, that doesn't seem likely."
Giffords was shot at point blank range by a man who opened fire during a meet-and-greet Saturday with constituents outside a shopping center.
Those killed include U.S. District Judge John Roll, 76 year old Dorthy Murray, 76 year old Dorwin Stoddard, 9 year Christina Greene, 79 year old Phyllis Scheck, and Giffords' staffer Gabe Zimmerman.
Nineteen people were shot in total, Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik said. Five died at the scene, one died later at a hospital.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
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Prayers for her recovery.
I can only imagine her reaction when she recovers enough to learn of the death of the 9 year old child and the Judge (the latter whom I assume was a friend).
This tragedy gets worse by the minute...
Here’s hoping that cerebral vasospasm or cerebral edema don’t claim her. Prayers up!
“Based on what I saw, that doesn’t seem likely.”
I hope what was posted on Twitter was the truth, and not this.
Prayers for her, her family, and the families of the injured and deceased.
My cousin was shot in the head, and the family was told he would be a vegetable. He’s a very viable member of society, now. The fact that his head shot was through and through, as in this case, gives me hope.
Unfortunately for this kind of injury the prognosis is grim even if she was awake for a short time. The problem being that the brain often swells shortly after this type of injury. Because it is encased in the skull then a compression occurs which cuts off blood flow to the brain and the brain can begin to die. I am not a medical professional, but this is what I have seen on the medical shows that were on discovery medical before Oprah took it over. One possible treatment is to actually remove part of the skull for awhile in order to give the brain space to swell without damaging it further. We can hope for the best.
I heard they had her in a drug enduced coma. Of course, we can pray for a miracle.
I am guessing they are keeping her in a coma for now to keep the swelling down. If they are optimistic it probably means that her skull is closed and they aren’t anticipating any major swelling or increase in ICP
I hope she doesn’t awake again until she is safe.
Just horrible.
I hope she recovers well and whole.
A piece of skull is often kept off the patient to allow for swelling; the skull might actually be buried under a flap of skin and fat tissue to keep the bone alive(saw it a quite a few times). Mannitol and steroids might be used to control swelling and nimodipine to avoid vascular spasm. Careful icp monitoring will be employed and measures taken to keep the intracranial pressure down. Pain control measures may include codeine IM or morphine IV...(not fentanyl as it can actually INCREASE intracranial pressure). Codeine is a good drug of choice as it is more “neuro motor response friendly” or it doesn’t intefere with neuro assessments other than obvious and expected drowsiness, while morphine is good if a more calmer “brain cooling” state is needed to be maintained. Propofol, versed, ativan and/or precedex IV drips may be employed to keep the patient calm while sedated.
There is a lot that can be done, and I suspect the congresswoman can do well, though it will take up to 6 months before we know what she functionality she’ll keep and what she’ll lose
I meant “calm while intubated”. Sheesh, I’m going to bed!
Three of her aides were killed as well
Poppycock. Due to the number of tubes in her mouth it is highly doubtful that she could speak at all. She could move her eyes, when asked to keep her eyes on a finger moved back and forth - hence the statement that she was ‘responsive’ - but that was very likely the only measure for responsiveness used.
Yes, but they can counteract that brain swelling by several methods. They said the shot entered her temple and came out her forehead...that is where the frontal lobe is. Remember what pre-frontal lobotomies were used for? They were used to tone down the mental processing of a hyper excited mental patient.
I was in college with a girl whose mother had one of these lobotomies...the mother was placid and unemotional but functioned.
I read about a head shot to one of our brave military. They took off the top of her skull and placed the bone inside her belly to keep it while the swelling went down, they later put it back and she’s alive and well today.
Wow,what a story.
there is a photo of a guy on a site with the 10 best mug shots who looked like half his brain was gone. One of the oddest looking heads of a Live person I have ever seen.
So what happens in Arizona if Giffords can’t do her job for at least two years as she recovers from this nightmare?
Do they hold it for her?
That’s an interesting question, I don’t know. I think it depends on what she wants. I know that other representatives have had major injuries and they just held their spots. I think we would probably do the same.
Our daughter had a brain aneurysm and had half her skull removed for three months. Had to wear a helmet when she went out. Doing fine now - that was six years ago.
Don’t you think that they probably have a ventricular drain in or something to monitor ICP? I don’t remember many of the specifics, but cerebral vasospasm was most concerning in similar situations.
I’m just praying for the best outcome for her and for the other victims.
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