Dr. Peter Rhee: Giffords “has a 101 percent chance of surviving. She will not die. She does not have that permission from me.”

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This is the optimistic news from Dr. Peter Rhee. Giffords will not die from injury, doc says:

Dr. Peter Rhee, chief of trauma at University Medical Center, said hopeful signs include Giffords' ability to move both arms, reaching for her breathing tube and continuing to follow simple commands.

Rhee said Giffords "has a 101 percent chance of surviving. She will not die. She does not have that permission from me."

The congresswoman is able to breathe on her own, although she is expected to remain on a breathing machine at least in the near future to protect her airway and guard against complications such as pneumonia.

Otherwise, doctors said her status is largely unchanged. "I'm happy to say she's holding her own," said neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Lemole Jr., adding doctors are also backing off on her sedation.

Brain swelling, which was expected to peak by Tuesday, had also remained largely unchanged, doctors said, imploring the public to have patience as Giffords begins what is likely to be a long recovery since she remains very critically ill from a very serious injury.

"This is the phase of the care where it's so much up to her," Lemole said. "This is where we constantly say it's week to week, month to month. As long as we don't backslide and as long as she holds her own, that's good. That keeps us hopeful. But we have to play this really according to her timeline, not ours."

"I do want to underscore the seriousness of this injury and the fact we all have to be extremely patient."

C.J. Karamargin, communications director for Rep. Giffords, provided these photos to the Tucson Weekly. Photo: Mark Kelly Sits By Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Hospital Bed.

Mark Kelly holds the hand of his hospitalized wife, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.