my congresswoman was shot today

[lunacycles]

we all know how much was horribly wrong about this tragedy. Here's something that was miraculously right, and gives me some hope:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7230296n

[badgercat]

I just watched a live press conference from University Medical Center on local TV. 8 victims are still hospitalized there: 2 in good or fair condition, 5 in serious condition, and one in critical condition (Congresswoman Giffords). One other patient has already been discharged. Giffords and one of the serious condition patients are in ICU, but the rest are on "regular" wards. Giffords continues to respond to simple commands (apparently things like squeezing a hand, wiggling toes). Assessing any more complicated function than that would be next to impossible with the ventilator and the heavy sedation. Swelling in her brain does not seem to be a problem, but apparently that normally peaks on or around the 3rd day post-trauma (which would be tomorrow). The doctors who spoke seemed confident that all of the other victims will survive, and are optimistic about Giffords, though one remarked "She's not out of the woods yet."

Something that the head of the trauma department brought up that I appreciated hearing was that their job isn't only to "fix" people physically, but to try to make them "whole" again emotionally and socially. He referenced their team of psychologists, psyciatrists, social workers, etc, who all have experience with trauma patients and PTSD, and that they will be working with all the patients through their recovery.

Bottom line, I guess we can be cautiously optimistic for all of the victims remaining in the hospital today.

[Crankin]

Hopefully, there is a community crisis team that can provide services to any member of the community who is being affected by this incident. It's very common for people who even just live near the scene to have symptoms of acute traumatic stress disorder, which is basically PTSD that lasts no longer than a month. Many times, there are people who fly in to provide these services when there's a full scale disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, terror incident. I know that some of my professors do this.
As for the victims, they will intensive work with a trauma specialist.

I find that I am still feeling affected by this! I got really upset when I saw a facebook posting from one of my closest friends from college. She was raving about how "crazy it is to be in AZ right now, with all this football pre-game pep rally crap going on." Is she deaf, dumb, and blind? Of course, I didn't say anything, but instead focused on my one friend who is very politically connected with many of the people that Rep. Giffords works with, and listened to her assessment of the situation.

[badgercat]

Hopefully, there is a community crisis team that can provide services to any member of the community who is being affected by this incident. It's very common for people who even just live near the scene to have symptoms of acute traumatic stress disorder, which is basically PTSD that lasts no longer than a month. Many times, there are people who fly in to provide these services when there's a full scale disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, terror incident. I know that some of my professors do this.
As for the victims, they will intensive work with a trauma specialist.

I know that the counseling wing of the Campus Health Service has opened its doors to anyone from the University who needs some help. I haven't heard specifically about crisis teams reaching out to the general public, but I was also at work 11 hours/day on Saturday and Sunday, so that doesn't mean they're not there--I just haven't been able to pay as much attention to the news as I would like.

I'm not sure how Tucson is being portrayed in the national/world media, but we really do have some forward-thinking folks running our city, and I'm sure things are in place (or at least in the works) for members of our community to help each other through this time.

[Desert Tortoise]

I listened to the press conference on the radio. It was very encouraging to hear the spokesperson surgeon talk, at length, about the mental care of not only the surviving patients but also of the family members and medical staff involved. He said it has also been very traumatic for the staff at the hospital and that there is more to healing than the physical wounds.

He also expressed his appreciation for the community's support and how that also helps with PTSD and such. I really liked how he linked physical care, mental care and support. They seem to get the big picture with respect to the trauma.

And thankfully they are so respectful of the patients' privacy and not releasing details before their time.

dt

[Crankin]

I haven't seen any negative portrayals of Tucson. It's more overall thoughts about AZ in general.
Personally, I realized too late that I should have been living in Tucson, instead of the Phoenix area! Of course, I did send son #2 to U of A, but I guess it was enough to send him off to enlist in the Marines!

[Biciclista]

when i think of Tucson (and i've visited there a couple times)I will always think of those 6 people who were killed. they look like they were good people, and I know a lot of nice folks that live there.

[azfiddle]

I believe that quite a few organizations, schools etc have been setting up crisis teams. The school I teach in encouraged us to let kids talk about things today, and observed the national moment of silence. One of my students knew the young staff-member who was killed.

[maillotpois]

She's a cyclist as well:

http://tucsonvelo.com/news/congressw...ds-talks-bikes

Beautiful bike.

[KnottedYet]

we all know how much was horribly wrong about this tragedy. Here's something that was miraculously right, and gives me some hope:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7230296n

And can we please take note that in gunsighted "REAL America" Arizona, a Jewish woman was shot by a man with inadequate health care and her life was saved by a gay Latino young man?

(Flags in my state were at half-mast today for the victims in Arizona, and we all thought of your state during our moment of silence.)

BTW: Daniel Hernandez Jr. self-identifies as gay, and is a member of the City of Tucson Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues.

Here's what he did, which in all honesty is probably more than I'd be capable of doing, and I'm supposed to be a trained Medical First Responder:
When the shots began that morning, he saw many people lying on the ground, including a young girl. Some were bleeding. Hernandez said he moved from person to person checking pulses.

"First the neck, then the wrist," he said. One man was already dead. Then he saw Giffords. She had fallen and was lying contorted on the sidewalk. She was bleeding.

Using his hand, Hernandez applied pressure to the entry wound on her forehead. He pulled her into his lap, holding her upright against him so she wouldn't choke on her own blood. [snip]

Hernandez used his hand to apply pressure until someone from inside Safeway brought him clean smocks from the meat department. He used them to apply pressure on the entrance wound, unaware there was an exit wound. He never let go of her.

He stayed with Giffords until paramedics arrived. They strapped her to a board and loaded her into an ambulance. Hernandez climbed in with her. On the ride to the hospital, he held her hand. She squeezed his back. - Arizona Republic

[Biciclista]

And can we please take note that in gunsighted "REAL America" Arizona, a Jewish woman was shot by a man with inadequate health care and her life was saved by a gay Latino young man?

Yes, Knot, you're right.