Doctors announced that they're "confident" in the progress made in the recovery of injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Dr. Michael Lemole, the neurosurgeon treating the Arizona lawmaker, said they "couldn't have hoped for any better improvement."

"We're confident she's making some progress now," Lemole said at a press briefing regarding the health of victims of the shooting in Tucson, Ariz.,. "She is beginning to carry out more complex sequences of events, of activities, in response to our commands -- or even spontaneously."

Lemole said that Giffords, who was shot in the head, is opening her eyes more frequently and moving on her own volition.

Doctors say she took a major step forward yesterday when she opened her eyes on her own. The 40-year-old Arizona politician also moved both legs and arms and is responding to friends and family, according to doctor Peter Rhee, head of trauma surgery at the University Medical Center at Tucson.

Rhee, on Friday, said that there would be no further press briefings unless there is a major change in patient conditions.

Also announced was the release of 65-year-old Ron Barber, an aide to the congresswoman, who was injured during the shooting.

Barber --who was shot in the leg, face and neck -- made headlines for directing intern Daniel Hernandez to stay with the congresswoman immediately after the shooting, which many have said helped save her life.

Barber's daughter, Jenny Douglas, told reporters Barber was able to take a few steps with his walker before leaving the hospital early Friday. He was unable to attend the press conference because he was at the funeral of U.S. District Judge John Roll, one of the six killed in the attack.

"There are so many people at UNC who have given us support … everyone of them has had a profound impact on the well being of myself and my family," Douglas --speaking for her father -- told the assembled crowds at Kiewit Auditorium in the hospital.

Giffords has pleased doctors with her speedy recovery since getting shot in the head last Saturday by crazed gunman Jared Loughner in a shooting that left six dead and 13 injured.


It's too early to tell the extent of damage Giffords suffered, but experts say it's rare for people with gunshot wounds to the head to regain all of their abilities.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/14/doctors-expected-good-news-giffords-recovery/#

This makes me happy! I am also glad to see her friends from Congress taking some time off to be there at the hospital helping out.

Also another plus is if she makes a full recovery, that will be the biggest punishment and blow to her attacker.

She is extremely lucky that bullet wasn't lower in the brain. i really hope she makes a full recovery with all her motor skills and faculties in tact.

I dont know how she got so lucky. I am amazed at the progress she is making. I hope she makes it through with a minimum amount of loss of function as possible.

I hope the guy who did this fries. This is as serious as an attempted assasination of a President or Vice President. They need to fry this guy to send a message that this type of crap under no circumstances will be tolerated.

Good news for sure.

It's gonna be even better news when she is fully recovered and the attacker is sentanced to fry.

The feds have first and they can call for the Dp in this case, then Arizona gets him and depending on his mental status he will get the DP here. If he isn't executed by the feds due to being insane and found the same here he goes to a mental hospital until he is deemed "normal" then he goes to prison.

I am hoping that they dont find him insane and he knew right from wrong. Based on the information that is out there, he knew what he was doing was wrong, and would either be arrested or killed. I think he will be found fit for trial.

I think the issue will be Holder being to much of a coward for the death penalty.

He didn't count on being caught, he was hoping to die and I think that is why he was so quiet...he knows he effed up!

Yup.

One day she will speak.

Are you prepared for what she will say?

I pray for her everyday.God bless that woman

Doctors Replace Giffords' Breathing Tube

TUCSON, Arizona – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords no longer needs a respirator after doctors replaced her breathing tube with a different one.

Hospital officials say that Giffords underwent surgery Saturday morning to have a tube inserted in her windpipe to protect her airways. She had been breathing on her own since she was shot in the head Jan. 8, but doctors had left the breathing tube in as a precaution.

Doctors also inserted a feeding tube. These procedures are not out of the ordinary for brain-injured patients.

Giffords, who was wounded in last weekend's attack that killed six people, remains in critical condition.

Her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, has remained by her bedside.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/15/doctors-replace-giffords-breathing-tube/#