Coming down to common sense
I'm repeating myself a little. A few days after Gabrielle Giffords' shooting, the interwebz rumour mill decided to practice medicine without a licence. The annoucement was that Gabrielle Giffords had got out out of bed and was sitting in a chair.
Regular readers know I have a daughter in the neuro rehab line of work, who happened to be home during the start of all this, and that I have a few healthcare creds of my own. My kid confirmed my skepticism at once.
Now, some days after, we have credible people willing to define the reality of what Ms. Giffords faces. She may be able to conduct activities of daily living (read, sit, stand, eat, eliminate). She may be able to speak. She should be able to interact at some level with her family.
Will Giffords be able to sit in Congress? When you consider the intellect of some people currently in Congress, that seems more likely.
My daughter deals regularly with the disappointment of families who must adjust to the idea that these limited goals are successes, and the biggest successes their loved one may ever have. To suggest that victims of traumatic brain injury will be just as they ever were is the cruelest form of hypocrisy. They'll be the best they can be, nothing more or less.
I'll leave it there, and avoid HIPAA violations.
Regular readers know I have a daughter in the neuro rehab line of work, who happened to be home during the start of all this, and that I have a few healthcare creds of my own. My kid confirmed my skepticism at once.
Now, some days after, we have credible people willing to define the reality of what Ms. Giffords faces. She may be able to conduct activities of daily living (read, sit, stand, eat, eliminate). She may be able to speak. She should be able to interact at some level with her family.
Will Giffords be able to sit in Congress? When you consider the intellect of some people currently in Congress, that seems more likely.
My daughter deals regularly with the disappointment of families who must adjust to the idea that these limited goals are successes, and the biggest successes their loved one may ever have. To suggest that victims of traumatic brain injury will be just as they ever were is the cruelest form of hypocrisy. They'll be the best they can be, nothing more or less.
I'll leave it there, and avoid HIPAA violations.
Labels: Gabrielle Giffords, traumatic brain injury
posted by Uncle | 00:24
3 Comments:
Amen. Mine was less than a transient bullet, but going headfirst through a windshield was traumatic enough. My surgeon told me, likely numerous times after the event so that it took in my diminished state, that it would be a good five or more years before I had my language and math skills back. He cautioned that by then I would be a different person than before the trauma. Right-o.
And speaking of, have you seen Bella English's piece in this Sunday's Globe Magazine? It concerns her TBI whilst cycling, which was enough to make me count my blessings and the few inches that saved my skull in similar circumstances.
People who walk out of TBI rehab with more or less full faculties appear to be the best part of the rehabbers' job. Your success probably made someone very happy.
I did read every painful word of her piece. She truly got roughed up, with the pelvic fracture and such in addition.
She did surprise me though with her acceptance of self-limits. For example, she said she couldn't tie sneakers with one hand. Sure she can. I learned a lot of one-handed skills when I had to.
I did appreciate her punchline that she hasn't ruled out biking again.
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