Rep. Gabrielle Giffords begins therapy program

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Arizona congresswoman is transferred from a Houston hospital to a rehab facility, and doctors say they continue to see improvement.

By Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times
January 26, 2011, 5:47 p.m.


Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose condition was upgraded from serious to good this week, has begun an intense regimen of full-time rehabilitation after a successful move between Houston medical facilities.

Although she faces a long recovery, doctors said, she has progressed at "lightning speed" given the severity of her injuries. In Houston, she has been interacting with hospital staff and following commands.

Giffords began physical, occupational and speech therapy in her room Wednesday afternoon. For now the focus is to improve her conditioning, strength and range of motion, said chief medical officer Gerard Francisco. As the therapy progresses, she should be able to sit and stand on her own, he said.

During President Obama's State of the Union address before Congress on Tuesday, Giffords' seat was left empty. Republicans and Democrats abandoned their usual seating configuration and sat side by side in response to calls for more civil political discourse in the wake of the shootings, and most lawmakers wore black-and-white ribbons in honor of Giffords and the other Tucson victims.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-0127-giffords-medical-20110127,0,3244474.story

[Sonoman]

1. By the way....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x279507

Sonoman

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2. Thank you so much for sharing.

I am so glad she is at TIRR.

And thank you for your story of amazing recovery.