Inside Giffords’ rehab: Hard work, hard questions

When I walked into TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital, I had a few things on my mind. I would get to see firsthand the type of therapy Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was receiving after being shot in the head in early January. I also realized that, despite sending hundreds of my own neurosurgery patients for rehabilitation, I had not spent extended time learning all the various therapies currently available and how they work together to restore function. Finally, I reflected on a conversation I had with T. Christian Miller from ProPublica, about TriCare (the Pentagon’s health plan for the armed forces) and how it won’t pay to cover cognitive therapy for brain injured soldiers.

Gifford’s doctor, Gerard Francisco, greeted me and showed me a white board of a therapy schedule he tailored for me. On this day, I was playing the patient. An intensive, exhaustive seven-hour schedule was presented, full of physical therapy, speech, recreational, occupational and my personal favorite – music therapy.

To read more of this CNN story and see the amazing video click here.