Teagan's Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy

by Talia Jager

  I took it off and looked down. “How does it look?”

  “Very good. It’s healing nicely.”

  “I keep telling her she is beautiful,” Connor said. “She doesn’t seem to believe me.”

  I put my hat back on. “Your hair is growing in. It won’t be long.”

  “I know.”

  “And it’s still that vibrant red color!” Dr. Logan laughed. “Full of life.”

  “Thanks.” I blushed. “Do you think I’m well enough to start school next month?”

  “I think you’re making a great recovery. It’s hard to tell how you’ll feel in a month. I say go for it, but go easy. If it gets to be too much, take a step back. Don’t stress out. Take easy classes. Do you think you can do that?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “Then go be a normal college kid. I will write a letter for you to give to the college.”

  We all shook hands. “When do I come back?”

  “I want to get an EEG and an MRI in the next couple weeks. If everything is good, I don’t need to see you back for six months. But, please, call me if you need anything or have any questions.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Logan. You saved my life.”

  “I’m glad I could help, Teagan.”

  The results of the EEG and the MRI looked good and I was cleared for the next few months. I continued to recover. Connor was still overprotective about the shower and cooking. He let me go for a walk around the block by myself a few times.

  He was very nervous about college. He went with me to talk to the college about my needs. We made sure they were aware of the epilepsy, the surgery, my recovery and what to expect as well as what could possibly happen.

  I told them I had three friends there as well as Connor and Kate who could help if something did happen. They seemed fine with it and worked with me on the schedule.

  Connor finally let me go out with my friends. The four of us went to a pizzeria that had just opened nearby. Everyone was talking about college and classes. “You girls will like the English comp professor, he’s…”

  “and the cafeteria is hit or miss.”

  I realized I had missed something. Lainey was holding my hand again, so I squeezed it. She looked over and smiled. “What did I miss?” I asked.

  “English professor is funny in a weird way and he’s a little picky about things,” she filled me in.

  I realized how lucky I was. Lainey was a one of a kind friend. She was loving and compassionate. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than her. She knew what I needed when I needed it. She knew what I was feeling. We had been through a lot of the same things. The littlest things, like her holding my hand, made all the difference.

  Epilogue

  I glanced over at Connor who looked dashing in his tux. He smiled at me. “You look so beautiful. You have grown into a wonderful and gorgeous young lady. I’m honored to be your brother.”

  Smiling, I dabbed my eyes. “You are not allowed to make me cry before I say ‘I do’.”

  He giggled. “Sorry.”

  I looked ahead, down the aisle, Lainey and Kate had just taken their places by the altar. Connor nudged me. “She reminds me so much of you at that age.” I looked at sweet, little Ryanne who was dropping rose petals as she walked down the aisle. She had our red hair and a few of my curls, and even our green eyes, but the rest of her looked like her mother. Kate was in the front waving her hand so her daughter would continue up the aisle to her.

  The music changed and the bagpipes began to play “The Wedding March”. “It’s your turn,” Connor whispered. Everyone in the church stood.

  Five years after my brain surgery, I was walking down the aisle to marry my groom. My grandparents and other family members had come to attend the wedding bringing with them a beautiful Celtic dress for me to wear. We both were barefoot at our wedding, an Irish tradition. Even though I teased him about it and maybe even threatened him a few times, I didn’t make Zander wear a kilt.

  In these past five years, I had graduated college with a degree in forensic science –something I never thought would be possible. I had seen my brother and sister-in-law bring a beautiful little girl into our family.

  It hadn’t all been easy. There were down times. There were seizures and there would always be. I still had up to twenty or thirty absence seizures a month. But, I could count on my hands how many tonic-clonic seizures I had in these five years. And now here I was, about to marry my true love.

  I took Connor’s arm and together, we walked down the aisle. He gently handed me over to Zander. “I’m trusting you to take care of her now,” he said.

  “I will,” Zander promised and we turned to face the priest.

  Even though I wasn’t cured, I had been given a new life. My seizures were cut down to something I could handle. I wasn’t afraid to go anywhere anymore. I was finally happy. As I looked into Zander’s eyes and said, “I do”, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I had done the right thing. Life was beautiful.

  The End

  About the Author

  Talia Jager has been writing as far back as she can remember. School summer vacations were spent writing stories. Bedtimes were ignored when she would hide under the covers with a flashlight, notebook, and pen. She even kept whatever story she was working on under her classwork in school.

  In high school, she took all the English based classes she could. At that time the choices were limited to creative writing and journalism. She graduated high school with her major in English and her minor in French. She attended college and while she did take English classes there, she graduated with a degree in early childhood education. It wasn't too much longer that she fell in love and had a family. Writing got pushed to the side for a while.

  Now, with the support of her family, she has published the books she had finished and continues to write young adult dramas.

  Talia lives in Texas with her husband and five daughters. Her published works include Damaged: Natalie's Story, Teagan's Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy, If I Die Young, The Ultimate Sacrifice, Secret Bloodline, and Lost and Found. Her next work is due out in 2012.

  Connect with Talia online:

  Blog – https://taliajager.blogspot.com

  Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/taliajager

  Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/taliajager