Four months after the Tucson shooting, how is Gabrielle Giffords?

The news about Arizona Representative Gabrielle Gifford’s health has been kept pretty under raps since she suffered a near-fatal gunshot wound to the head in the Tucson shootings earlier this year. An article just published finally has extensive detail about her condition and her recovery.

Rep. Giffords is still months away from leaving the residential rehab facility where she’s currently housed. While her language ability continues to improve, her sentences are often slow and choppy. While many of us (and some in the media) hoped for a miraculous recovery, the reality depicted in this article is that it’s going to be a long slow road to recovery for Rep. Giffords.

The details of Giffords at week 15 of her recovery are a snapshot, those close to her say, and it is important to understand that this snapshot changes.

“I can’t say I notice improvement every day,” says Kelly, her husband, “but I can every few days.”

Almost every 72 hours, she resembles more closely the woman she was before.

Her staff is pressed for definitions, schedules, firm prognoses.

“It’s unfair to set expectations on her in any way,” Carusone says. “We all want the best. We want her to make the best recovery. Would a triumphant return be amazing? Yes. But first of all, her close friends and family will take anything.”

They remember to be grateful that she lived.

Read the rest here.