[AZTheta]

Blondie93 has done a superb job of explaining the ramifications of a brain injury.

I do know this: it was a left hemisphere through-and-through shot, reportedly back to front, exiting above the left eye. Rep. Giffords is being kept in a medically induced coma. The neurosurgeon spoke at this morning's press conference and described her injury with enough medical precision that I, as another speech-language pathologist, could follow and I have an idea of the path the bullet took. It was, however, difficult for the media to understand, and he stopped himself from being specific or answering many detailed questions. A section of her left skull has been removed (and will be replaced when the time comes) in an effort to reduce the impact of the swelling. There are other medical procedures that can be implemented to reduce or minimize the impact of the brain swelling which has and will occur as a result of the insult the brain suffered. She is not out of any woods yet; the doctors outlined a very long recovery and rehabilitation period, which also leads me to believe that there was some significant brain injury incurred.

UMC is a Level One Trauma center and I am confident that Rep. Giffords received exceptional medical treatment. It was 38 minutes from the time she was shot until she entered the OR. The EMTs stabilized and transported her without doing any unnecessary procedures that could have negatively impacted the operation she underwent, according to the Trauma Surgeon and Neurosurgeon who spoke. However, those 38 minutes... no way to tell what the long term effects are going to be, just as Blondie93 stated.

Keep all the survivors in prayer; theirs is a long road ahead.