Alexis' father Dean Bortell, a U.S. Navy veteran, says Alexis' first seizure happened at their Rowlett, Texas home in July 2013.
"We were folding clothes and all of a sudden I hear my wife scream," said Dean. "I look over and Alexis has literally gone vertical. She's stiff as a board and mom's holding her. We get her down on the couch and she's shaking."
The Bortells rushed to a nearby hospital, and doctors eventually diagnosed Alexis with epilepsy. Dean says the prescribed medication Carbatrol was "like throwing gasoline on a fire."
"It was terrible. Her seizures went from mainly at night to around the clock," said Bortell. Even more frustrating, Bortell says the next drug Depakote gave Alexis tremors, spasms, and altered her personality -- and the seizures still came. Alexis describes the episodes as "very scary."
"I kinda black out, and sometimes I start chomping and shaking," she said.
When the pharmaceutical complications resulted in doctors finally ordering the medications tapered off, Dean viewed the decision as an admission of failure. The Bortells now rely solely on a supply of rescue medication, and Dean worries whether it will be enough to save his daughter if her condition suddenly worsens.
"If the big one does come, what are we going to do? I mean that scares us more than anything," said Bortell.
Desperate, the family happened to catch 'Weed 2,' the second CNN documentary hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta focused on the medical science of marijuana -- also known as cannabis. The documentary details the use of oils and tinctures developed from marijuana plants to stop the seizures without the harmful side effects of powerful -- and profitable -- pharmaceutical medication.
The Bortells were soon doing their own research; consulting with neurologists and paying visits to Colorado, where the company Dean works for is based and where medical marijuana is legal. On the advice of doctors there, Alexis was able to qualify for and obtain a state-issued "red card," which allows doctors to prescribe her marijuana-based medication.
"She is a legal patient in Colorado," said Dean. "She has been evaluated by two specialists who believe medical cannabis is her best shot at a normal childhood."
But there's a problem - The Bortells can't use the medication as long as they live in Texas, which bans both the medical and recreational use of marijuana.
Texas imposes even harsher penalties for possession of oils and tinctures, the forms most commonly used by those taking marijuana for medical purposes. What's more, the Bortells could be punished for seeking marijuana-based treatments out of state.
Continue reading and watch
No comments:
Post a Comment