LAS VEGAS -- The nation's second most famous female survivor of a gunshot to the head was both inspired and dubious when President Barack Obama proclaimed last week that U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had opened her eyes and "she knows we are here."

Mary Jo Buttafuoco had suffered a similar fate as the three-term congresswoman, and she was proud of the president for using the memorial service in Tucson, Ariz., to rally Americans to become better people.

Still, Buttafuoco recalled to AOL News the hazy and confusing first few days in 1992 after her husband's teenage lover shot her on her Long Island, N.Y., stoop. From that experience, she suspects it was much too soon for Giffords to have had any idea what happened to her or the others in that Tucson parking lot on Jan. 8.

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Mary Jo Buttafuoco, who was shot in the face by her husband's teenage lover in 1992, says she understands what U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is going through after her shooting, and the road to recovery

Mary Jo Buttafuoco Has Felt Gabrielle Giffords' Pain she faces.


"She opened her eyes, and that's wonderful," said Buttafuoco, 55, who now lives in Las Vegas with her longtime boyfriend, a print shop manager. "She's tracking, she's following, which is good. But as of that fourth day, she's probably still wondering what's going on. I know for a fact, I was told I would do commands.

This story kind of reminds me of the reporter
Bob Woodruff who was hurt in Iraq back in
2006.

He sustained sharpnal wounds to his head
from a impovised explosive device and a
portion of his skull had to be removed
because of brain swelling.

But is now back on TV. Know that everybody
with a brain injury is not the same but still hope.

There is always hope and that statement comes from experience

I'm too lazy to go read up on old Mary but I think she may be grandstanding on this one. I'm not sure what she's up to these days post Lolita but something tells me that she's looking for a little publicity. She may have been shot in the head but I don't think it was anything close to what Giffords just experienced. If I remember right she suffers from palsy on part of her face but I don't think she caught it in the brain. I think it's kind of strange for her name to come up in this and I wonder if she sought out the media or if it was the other way around. That was always a strange story.

Originally Posted by PEPSILOVER

I'm too lazy to go read up on old Mary but I think she may be grandstanding on this one. I'm not sure what she's up to these days post Lolita but something tells me that she's looking for a little publicity. She may have been shot in the head but I don't think it was anything close to what Giffords just experienced. If I remember right she suffers from palsy on part of her face but I don't think she caught it in the brain. I think it's kind of strange for her name to come up in this and I wonder if she sought out the media or if it was the other way around. That was always a strange story.

I have a feeling that she sought them out... just my opinion of course, but what I remember of it all she did seem to like the spotlight.