Rep. Gabrielle Giffords taken off ventilator

Los Angeles times ^ | Jan 15 2011 | Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times

[NoLibZone]

Surgeons at Tucson's University Medical Center removed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords from a ventilator Saturday and inserted a tracheotomy tube into her neck to assist her breathing, according to the center.

Removing her from the ventilator, which means she is now breathing on her own, allows the medical team to assess her ability to speak and is another step toward stabilizing her condition so that she can leave the intensive care unit and be moved to a regular hospital room.

The tracheotomy tube in her throat provides a passageway for free movement of air and, if she begins to have trouble breathing, allows a simple way for doctors to insert a tube into her lungs to assist her breathing.

The team did not say anything about whether she was able to speak.

[Palladin]

I hope she has a guard at the door 24/7.

Things are not going according to plan.

[Palladin]

If I were Mr. Giffords, I would never leave her alone for a second.

[usconservative]

It strikes me as strange that the press virtually ignores the fine judge who died, or the wonderful little girl who died, and talks about nobody but their Democrat congresswoman.

It's not strange at all once you come to the conclusion that the elitist bastards in the lamestream media think they and the Democrat party are truly better than the rest of us.

(I made the same observation as you the other day btw... with the same statement above.)

[Boston Tea Party]

I wish the best for Ms. Giffords, but I wish that the Mediots were as concerned for the other victims of this maniac as they are for the politician. But politicians are ‘special’, aren’t they?

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

They are reversible, but,,, scar tissue can cause problems later in life. A very good friend of mine put a bullet through his temples. He was in ICU for almost a year, then in rehab for a year and a half. He’s fine, except for needing a brace on one ankle. Lately, he’s been having problems caused by the scar tissue. And that happened over 30 years ago. Gabby is doing wonderfully at this point in time!

[fortheDeclaration]

Amen!