Giffords Woke, Recognized Husband

There is hope that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will recover from the bullet that passed through her head yesterday afternoon during the Arizona attack that left six people dead and 18 injured. She woke briefly yesterday and recognized her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. The head of trauma at the University of Arizona medical center, where Giffords underwent surgery, said he’s “very optimistic” about her chances. But her chances depend on where exactly she was shot and on how fast the bullet was traveling. According to Robert Granacher, Jr., a neuropsychiatrist at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, “There’s a distinct possibility that she will not be able to function as a congresswoman,” and her doctors won’t know for sure until six to 18 months after surgery.