From a dental/medical practitioner's point of view....

[PCIntern]

It's so incredibly complex, that a few brief statements from those in the know, so to speak, are wholly inadequate. It would be like describing the film Gone With The Wind by saying, "There's this war, and this woman loves a man but can't have him. She gets rich and nobody lives happily ever after."

Even with frigging TEETH and GUMS and BONE and the BITE, it's all so ridiculously complicated that after 4 years in school, eight years as a professor, and 30+ years of experience, it's hard to wrap one's head around the moderately complex stuff. When it comes to a severe neurological injury, it's just impossible. The outcome of this is UNKNOWN and CANNOT BE PREDICTED. By anyone. Even....Sanjay Gupta...imagine that!!

Sorry...had to vent a bit. I'm really upset.

[Horse with no Name]

1. Yeah I saw the resident dollar-doctor on MSNBC

can't recall her name saying that a through-and-through from right parietal to left parietal will always kill.
Yet, I took care of a school teacher once who put a gun to his temple, pulled the trigger. It was a clean through and through.
He didn't have surgery and he went home the next day with nothing except bandaids on his temples.

There is so much more to consider. The type of gun, the type of bullet, did it richochet, did it exit and a whole myriad of other circumstances to consider--every gunshot is different.

[Posteritatis]

2. I'm still amazed that survival is being discussed at all for an injury like that

The state of medicine boggles me pretty much continuously.

[Avalux]

3. Agree. There is no way of knowing her prognosis right now.

The fact that she was conscious and talking prior to surgery is a good sign. While she's in a med coma with a swollen brain, they can't assess outcome. Just have to wait.

[Kurovski]

4. One thing that is certain: science and skill are to be properly respected.

Thank you, PCI. I hope you calm down soon. Many things are triggered in the body when emotionally upset. :-) I should know.

:hug: