Almost five months after a crazed gunman opened fire upon Gabrielle Giffords at a rally for her supporters near Tucson, Arizona, the representative is recovering so quickly that sources speculate she may even be readying herself for a 2012 Senate run. Giffords, a Democrat, was speaking to her supporters at a Safeway on January 8, 2011, when Jared Lee Loughner, aged 22, opened fire. Six were killed, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge, and 13 more were wounded. Giffords herself was shot in the head, and her recovery was uncertain. But now, Giffords is recovering so quickly that the New York Daily News reports she could be back in politics as early as next year.

As with many sufferers of traumatic brain injury, Giffords recovery is slow and arduous. Because the damage affects the parts of her brain that are responsible for her right side, the congresswoman can use her left side with little trouble - in fact, the source reports, she's now left-handed. She can form sentences, but has trouble with complex ones - even though her nurse tells the paper that she is aware of her surroundings.Considering how close she came to death, it's incredible that Giffords is making such enormous strides so quickly. There are already too few women in politics - it would be devastating to lose a great one. Here's to hoping that Congresswoman Giffords recovers in her own time, and goes back to work if and when she feels ready.