Teddi’s Story

Teddi was five years old when she had her first seizure. It was in the fall of 1999, just three weeks after we were involved in a car accident. The Neurologist would not link the accident with the onset of her seizures even though prior to the accident, she had never shown any signs of seizures activity. This was the beginning of a very rough road ahead for Teddi.

Each seizure would wipe out Teddi’s memory causing her to get further and further behind in her school work. That along with the fact that each time she has a break through seizure the Doctors would increase her medicines leaving her yet more challenges to deal with. The medications would sedate her so much that she couldn’t be alert enough to function normally in a classroom. Some medications affected her behavior which became so difficult to manage her at home and at school. In the beginning, I was hopeful that this disorder, like any other challenge in life, we would overcome. As the years passed, my hope of her ever getting her life back faded. I couldn’t give up, yet I didn’t know how else to help her. I can’t even begin to express the feelings of fear and hopelessness I had that my little girl would ever have a normal childhood.

Epilepsy quickly took over all of our lives including Teddi’s brother and sister. They were affected due to the limitations of things we could not do or places we could not go because of the fear, anxiety and anticipation of when the next seizure might occur. They couldn’t understand why she had to deal with such a horrible disorder. Teddi is a beautiful, happy, loving, sweet girl. I couldn’t explain to them why this was happening. They spent countless weekends in training classes and sibling support groups to help them learn how to cope with this horrible disorder.

After struggling with this disorder for more than five years, I stayed after class to ask my Anatomy and Physiology instructor, who was also an Intern at Parker College of Chiropractic, a few questions regarding the nervous system. I was always trying to learn more so that I could help Teddi fight this. After giving him just a bit of information about Teddi, he shared her story with Carrie Ann, a Pediatric Specialist Intern at Parker College. She quickly took Teddi under her wing and brought her in for an evaluation, which included X-rays of her head, neck and spine, a comprehensive physical exam and Thermal and EMG scans of her back. Carrie Ann found that Teddi had many subluxations in her spine.

When Teddi began treatment at the age of nine, she was on extremely high dosages of anti-convulsive medication, which severely affected her quality of her life. She was still having seizures on an almost daily basis. After just sixteen Chiropractic visits within five weeks, we were able to begin to decrease her medications and go weeks without any seizures. It has been five months since Teddi’s first Chiropractic adjustment and her Neurologist said we don’t have her on enough medications to control her seizures. During this five month period, Teddi had only had three seizures. We have decreased her medication, changed her diet and made Chiropractic Care part of her every day life.

This time last year Teddi wasn’t able to do many activities like swim, go to a friend’s birthday party or even have dinner in a public restaurant without having a seizure. This year she celebrated her 10th birthday at a local indoor swimming pool where she played with her friends and swam. Teddi’s new favorite thing to do is jump off of the diving board, just like her brother and sister. I can’t begin to express what this has meant for Teddi and her whole family. Epilepsy isn’t controlling our lives any more.

Thanks to Carrie Ann and the team of caring Chiropractors at Parker College, my little girl has a chance now for a better quality of life. For that I will always be grateful to you. God will bless your life for all that you have done to better the lives of His children.

I have a great deal of respect for you and the work that you do.

Sincerely, Sandi (Teddi’s mom)