Brain Injury of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

Brain injury is, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood of tragedies that can happen to a person. Because everyone’s brain is different prior to the injury, everyone’s brain injury is specific to the individual.

Gabby Giffords and her family face a recovering period not knowing at the moment what was lost and needs to be once again made a part of her life — or, if it can be fully restored to its functioning capacity prior to Saturday’s shooting.

Memory loss is a common effect of brain injury. Some of those lost memories can affect cognitive functioning. Beth Jameson lost her math skills. Think about that for a moment and decide how you would make change or pay for something that costs thirty-eight cents. Like Beth, you would probably hand paper money to the cashier, not knowing if you received the correct amount of change.

Congresswoman Giffords is fortunate to have had a crack medical team who were able to begin treatment immediately. Time is of the essence when treating brain injury. (continued below)

The bullet that wounded Gabby Giffords exited her frontal lobe on the left side. The frontal lobe is a busy part of the brain, contributing to so many of the brain’s functions. An injury can cause it to slow down. Word-finding is another common problem. Remembering names and faces is another. Calming emotions is yet another. Many brain injury victims find themselves becoming angry quite quickly and spouting obcenities before their brain can react.

It is my hope that the medical team in Arizona was able to minimize some of the brain injury effects. As we cling to hope and offer prayers, it is important to remember Gabby’s family. They will become her primary caregivers. They will live with whatever it is that affects her. And, it will affect them, too.

This is a developing story. For now, we can only hold up the families of this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers.

More About Brain Injury

Karen of Alberta, Canada tells how the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords reminded her of the day her 17-year old son suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a portion of his skull removed. You can read her story by clicking this link: Brain Injury in the News.

Find a wealth of information at Brain Injury Information.

Read about Beth Jameson’s recovery at Brain Injury Survivor’s Guide.

Beth’s Brain Injury Blog is a favorite in the brain injury community. She writes about the good, the bad and the ugly of brain injury and how you must maintain a sense of humor to live successfully whether you are the victim or a caregiver.