Houston
The days and weeks to come, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords recovery 'from the gun shot from a marathon, not a sprint, doctors say.
Nearly three weeks after his brain injury is more acute medical problems to worry, according to doctors not involved in her care.
It can take months - or more - for her to get back to where it was before the bullet ripped through his brain.
An immediate concern is an infection in his brain, said Dr. Greg Zorman, chief of neurosurgery at Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida.
"With gunshot wounds to the head, an infection can still happen, even this late," said Zorman.
The second concern is the construction of fluid in the brain. Gifford had hydrocephalus after she was shot, a condition where an excess of cerebrospinal fluid puts pressure on the brain.
Arizona surgeons implanted a drain to remove liquids, and Monday, kidnapped Dr. Dong Kim, Gifford neurosurgeon in Houston, drain, said she no longer needed.
Zorman said that doctors carefully monitor to ensure Gifford excess fluid does not return.
Giffords on Wednesday moved to intensive care 's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (Tirri), Memorial Hermann in Houston, where he will undergo physical, occupational disease, and speech therapy to try to get the brain back to where it once was.
The doctors are optimistic.
"This is just a few weeks ago it happened, and she was tolerating our program of aggressive therapy," Dr. Gerard Francisco, the chief medical officer at Memorial Hermann TIRR, told CNN " American Morning. "
This program began immediately after the Giffords arrived in Houston moved to Tucson, Arizona University Medical Center, he said, and has been updated.
The team of neurosurgeons Gifford describe the status of brain fluid as "stable," said Francisco, "but we want to follow."
"Recovery is a neurological hurry up and wait situation," Zorman said. "Recovering from that injury just takes time."
One of the first things that doctors do is try to get back to your regular schedule Giffords, said Dr. Alan Novick, medical director of the rehabilitation of Memorial Health System. "In the intensive care unit, patients receive daily confused."
Rehab doctors give Giffords series of tests to assess cognitive and physical abilities, "he said.
For example, require him to make a clock.
"It sounds simple, but sometimes they put the wrong numbers, or put all the numbers on the right," he said. "That 's what he shows us a part of the brain problems."
Another area of Medical Examiners called "executive function" or the ability to integrate many different ideas all at the same time.
"In our daily lives, there are fragments of the news coming all at once, and we can integrate several things happening at the same time," said Dr. Ross Zafonte, chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine Harvard.
"Obviously, it was very good at it, and I hope it will again," he said.
After a brain injury, the action may be reduced depending on which area of the brain has been damaged, said Francisco. Physicians consider the activities Giffords' up close and to change his treatment plan "to deal with injuries and weaknesses," he said.
However, Francisco said he continues to be amazed at the speed of recovery Gifford. "When I see her every day has something new," he said. It was a challenge to his medical team, but they can challenge so well, "he said.
Trying to become the person you were, can be very stressful, doctors said.
"Emotionally, this type of recovery will be very difficult," Zafonte said. "Rates of depression in this situation is far above 50%."
Some brain damage affects not only the emotional state of a patient, but their basic personality.
"They may have a different way," Novick said. "The spouses and other family members must be accompanied by a person who is not necessarily the same person they knew before the injury."
All this requires the patience of patients and their families.
"People like (Gifford) often have a rocky road," Zafonte said. "But they are often in places that surprise us and surprise them."
The days and weeks to come, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords recovery 'from the gun shot from a marathon, not a sprint, doctors say.
Nearly three weeks after his brain injury is more acute medical problems to worry, according to doctors not involved in her care.
It can take months - or more - for her to get back to where it was before the bullet ripped through his brain.
An immediate concern is an infection in his brain, said Dr. Greg Zorman, chief of neurosurgery at Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida.
"With gunshot wounds to the head, an infection can still happen, even this late," said Zorman.
The second concern is the construction of fluid in the brain. Gifford had hydrocephalus after she was shot, a condition where an excess of cerebrospinal fluid puts pressure on the brain.
Arizona surgeons implanted a drain to remove liquids, and Monday, kidnapped Dr. Dong Kim, Gifford neurosurgeon in Houston, drain, said she no longer needed.
Zorman said that doctors carefully monitor to ensure Gifford excess fluid does not return.
Giffords on Wednesday moved to intensive care 's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (Tirri), Memorial Hermann in Houston, where he will undergo physical, occupational disease, and speech therapy to try to get the brain back to where it once was.
The doctors are optimistic.
"This is just a few weeks ago it happened, and she was tolerating our program of aggressive therapy," Dr. Gerard Francisco, the chief medical officer at Memorial Hermann TIRR, told CNN " American Morning. "
This program began immediately after the Giffords arrived in Houston moved to Tucson, Arizona University Medical Center, he said, and has been updated.
The team of neurosurgeons Gifford describe the status of brain fluid as "stable," said Francisco, "but we want to follow."
"Recovery is a neurological hurry up and wait situation," Zorman said. "Recovering from that injury just takes time."
One of the first things that doctors do is try to get back to your regular schedule Giffords, said Dr. Alan Novick, medical director of the rehabilitation of Memorial Health System. "In the intensive care unit, patients receive daily confused."
Rehab doctors give Giffords series of tests to assess cognitive and physical abilities, "he said.
For example, require him to make a clock.
"It sounds simple, but sometimes they put the wrong numbers, or put all the numbers on the right," he said. "That 's what he shows us a part of the brain problems."
Another area of Medical Examiners called "executive function" or the ability to integrate many different ideas all at the same time.
"In our daily lives, there are fragments of the news coming all at once, and we can integrate several things happening at the same time," said Dr. Ross Zafonte, chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine Harvard.
"Obviously, it was very good at it, and I hope it will again," he said.
After a brain injury, the action may be reduced depending on which area of the brain has been damaged, said Francisco. Physicians consider the activities Giffords' up close and to change his treatment plan "to deal with injuries and weaknesses," he said.
However, Francisco said he continues to be amazed at the speed of recovery Gifford. "When I see her every day has something new," he said. It was a challenge to his medical team, but they can challenge so well, "he said.
Trying to become the person you were, can be very stressful, doctors said.
"Emotionally, this type of recovery will be very difficult," Zafonte said. "Rates of depression in this situation is far above 50%."
Some brain damage affects not only the emotional state of a patient, but their basic personality.
"They may have a different way," Novick said. "The spouses and other family members must be accompanied by a person who is not necessarily the same person they knew before the injury."
All this requires the patience of patients and their families.
"People like (Gifford) often have a rocky road," Zafonte said. "But they are often in places that surprise us and surprise them."