A Georgia woman had her world turned upside down after a recent visit to the chiropractor.
28-year-old Caitlin Jensen was a happy young woman who graduated in May from Georgia Southern University with a degree in chemistry and biology. She was “ready to live the American dream,” according to a GoFundMe page dedicated to her. What she didn’t know was that her life was about to take an extreme turn… The college graduate began her day on June 16 as normal as ever, checking boxes off her to-do list with the next task being a scheduled visit to the chiropractor for an “adjustment to her neck.” After the adjustment took place, she began to feel unwell:
“Caitlin became ill and was rushed to the ER by ambulance. Once there tests revealed 4 dissected arteries in her neck.”
Whoa, hold on… Her adjustment resulted in dissected arteries?? Well, yes. AND more:
“This damage led to cardiac arrest and a stroke, as well as a loss of pulse for over 10 minutes after which she was revived. Once the doctors were able to stabilize Caitlin, she was rushed to surgery. Doctors were able to repair some tears and placed a stent in one artery.”
Yes, you read that right — the damage literally KILLED Caitlin for 10 minutes before doctors were able to resuscitate her. AND she had a heart attack AND a stroke??
Caitlin’s mother Darlene Jensen explained to WSB-TV that doctors fully believe the stroke occurred because of the chiropractic treatment, revealing:
“The surgeon that saved her life, and every other doctor that has looked at her, have all agreed that this happened as a direct result of the neck manipulation. The chiropractor called 911 and then called me and told me that she was ‘having a reaction to the treatment.’”
Good thing emergency services were quick, but who was this so-called chiropractor that completely altered the trajectory of Caitlin’s life during one visit?
Well their name was not immediately clear, but WJCL was eventually able to get in touch with the physician, who declined to comment on the situation, citing HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), which protects sensitive patient information from being disclosed without their consent.
As of now, Caitlin remains in critical condition in the neurological ICU at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Georgia, as the “trauma has resulted in a traumatic brain injury,” according to the GoFundMe.
“Caitlin is currently conscious and able to respond to verbal commands by blinking her eyes, as well as wiggling her the toes of her left foot. However, the rest of her body sits in a state of paralysis due to the injury. Caitlin has a long road to recovery.”
From a college graduate with a degree in chemistry and biology to being in critical condition, only able to communicate through blinking and wiggling her toes, all in the span of a month… Unbelievable.
A CaringBridge page was also created in honor of Caitlin where updates on her recovery are frequently posted, most recently on Monday as Darlene wrote:
“On Saturday when Caitlin’s blood levels started dropping, they stopped one of the anticoagulant meds. They also gave her some medication to help reduce her stomach acid. Yesterday, her levels stabilized and have only dropped a little today.”
What a rollercoaster.
Dr. Steve Ranicki, a fellow chiropractor in Pooley, Georgia chimed in to inform followers of her story that what happened to Caitlin was “extremely rare.” He added in his statement to WJCL:
“Once they’ve gone to the medical doctor or chiropractor the likelihood is, unfortunately, a stroke will occur.”
Adding that this can also happen from anything as simple as “horseplay or who knows what.”
Caitlin’s family hopes to be able to move her to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta as soon as she is able to leave the ICU at Memorial Health. The Jensens ask for your support, prayers, and positive energy throughout this difficult time. Visit the GoFundMe page here. Visit the CaringBridge page here.
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