TUCSON, Ariz. — U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was breathing on her own and moving both arms after being shot in the head, doctors said Tuesday.

Giffords still has a breathing tube to prevent infections such as pneumonia, said her neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Lemole.

"I'm happy to say that she's holding her own," he said.

Giffords, a three-time Democrat, remained in critical condition at Tucson's University Medical Center since Saturday when she was shot during a meeting with constituents outside a grocery store. The attack killed six and injured 14 others. Six remained hospitalized.

Giffords previously raised two fingers with her left hand and gave a thumbs-up when responding to doctors' verbal commands.

Although her condition has remained virtually unchanged the past few days, doctors were hopeful.

"She has a 101 percent chance of surviving," said trauma chief Dr. Peter Rhee said. "She will not die. She does not have that permission from me."

Doctors initially thought the bullet entered the back of the skull and exited the front, but after reviewing X-rays and brain scans, two outside physicians brought in by Giffords' medical team now believe that Giffords was likely shot in the front of her head.

Giffords was lucky the bullet did not cross into both sides, or hemispheres, of the brain, which can leave lasting damage, her doctors have said.

Also, Giffords is breathing on her own, said Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurosurgery at University Medical Center in Tucson.

Lemole said at a news conference that the congresswoman is still following simple commands, although she remains on a breathing tube to protect against complications such as pneumonia. She's alert and responding to doctors.

Earlier Tuesday Lemole told TODAY there were no significant changes in her condition overnight. "As frustrating as that may sound, that's a good thing," Lemole said.


When asked about swelling in her brain on the third day, Lemole said a CAT scan early Tuesday showed no increase in swelling, although he cautioned that it can sometimes take longer for the condition to peak. Nearly half of Giffords' skull was removed to alleviate any swelling.

She has given a thumbs-up sign and tried to grab at the breathing tube, an encouraging sign of the level of consciousness and her reaction to pain.

"The fact that she's able to register that discomfort and then react to it, again, it means the brain is working on a higher level," Lemole said.

Without speculating on the congresswoman's long-term prognosis, Lemole said she has the "full range" of recovery ahead of her.

"I've seen people in this scenario make very little improvement and require constant care, and I've seen other people ... who have made remarkable recoveries -- functional recoveries -- and gone back to work," Lemole said. People who suffer penetrating traumatic brain injuries often develop paralysis and cognitive problems.

Usually with a penetrating injury through the skull, survival and recovery is "abysmal," said Lemole at the news conference. "She has no right to look this good."

Giffords is expected to remain in the ICU for at least another week.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41018273/ns/health-health_care

I'm just waiting for the day she walks onto the house floor to a standing ovation.

X2

Im also going to very proud of her when she still votes to uphold the 2nd Ammendment rights!!

I wouldn't be so sure of that, a bullet to the head generally pisses people off.

Me too!

I know it is of no help to those who lost their life, but thankfully this shooter was an amateur.

An amature??...he did kill 4 people and shot 12 in total.

He killed 6 and shot a total of 20.

Thankfully the spring in his clip failed and he couldn't reload.

14 wounded and 6 dead.

You understand what I mean then.

He used the wrong ammunition.

He had the right ammo but it was a clip that had a faulty spring so the round wouldn't load.

Using the right ammo and the whole back of Giffords head would have exploded. No matter where the bullet entered. She would not have lived 1 sec.
Thankfully for her he was an amateur.

I see what you mean, glad it wasn't a .40 or bigger!

So you would have had him use a larger caliber of ammo??
Would a 50 Cal. do the job for ya??

Plus,
if he was a professional he could have cleared the weapon in less than 3 secs.
He also didn't tape the clips together to make reloading faster.

Sounds like you could have taught him a thing or two??

No! LOL

A different type round. Say hollow point.
A Steel jacket round, what he used, remains entact and passes completely through the body. It leaves less damage as it does.

You're country does not waste it's money when it comes to training it's grunts.
We are the world's finest trained Infantry.

Well, I will both agree with you and disagree with you.

A different round, yes, it would have killed her.

But I alsop believe that luck, or heaven forbid I mention "God" was watching out for her.