javascript jquery form validation

I am trying to verify a form that has multiple check boxes, and when the "other" check box is checked and the "other_text" input has nothing in it. I need an error to fire asking to input the other text. here is the current verification that does not work with my "other" check box.

}else if(question_pos==24){    
        if((!$('#followup_six_45_physician').prop('checked') && !$('#followup_six_45_pharm').prop('checked')  && !$('#followup_six_45_nurse').prop('checked')  && !$('#followup_six_45_none').prop('checked')  && !$('#followup_six_45_other').prop('checked')) || 
        ($('#followup_six_45_other').prop('checked') && $('#followup_six_45_other_text').val() == "" )){

            if(( $('#followup_six_45_other').prop('checked') && $('#followup_six_45_other_text').val() == "")){
                alert("You selected \"Other\" for race, please fill in what other race you consider yourself to be.");
                return false;
            }else{
                alert("Please select an answer.");
                return false;
            }
        }else{ 
            question_pos+=1;
            showContent(question_pos,"right");
            progress(93, $('#progressBar'));
            return true;
        }

this is the problem...

if(( $('#followup_six_45_other').prop('checked') && $('#followup_six_45_other_text').val() == "")){
                    alert("You selected \"Other\" for race, please fill in what other race you consider yourself to be.");
                    return false;

Here is html

<div id="area24">
   <div id="bl_blue">

        <form name="form24" action="handler_2.jsp" onsubmit="return verifyIt();" method="post" style="padding-bottom:20px;">
        <input type="hidden" id="from" name="from" value="baseline_01" />
        <input type="hidden" id="direction" name="direction" value="" />
  <h3>Advice from:</h3>
        <table class="screening" width="100%" cellspacing="5px">
          <tr>
            <td width="8%" align="right"><input name="followup_six_45_physician" id="followup_six_45_physician" type="checkbox" value="1" <%=(session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_physician")!=null && session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_physician").equals("1"))?"checked":""%>/></td>
            <td width="92%"><label for="followup_six_45_physician">a physician</label></td>
        </tr>
          <tr>
            <td width="8%" align="right"><input name="followup_six_45_pharm" id="followup_six_45_pharm" type="checkbox" value="1" <%=(session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_pharm")!=null && session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_pharm").equals("1"))?"checked":""%>/></td>
            <td width="92%"><label for="followup_six_45_pharm">a pharmicist</label></td>
        </tr>
          <tr>
            <td width="8%" align="right"><input name="followup_six_45_nurse" id="followup_six_45_nurse" type="checkbox" value="1" <%=(session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_nurse")!=null && session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_nurse").equals("1"))?"checked":""%>/></td>
            <td width="92%"><label for="followup_six_45_nurse">a nurse</label></td>
        </tr>
          <tr>
            <td width="8%" align="right"><input name="followup_six_45_other" id="followup_six_45_other" type="checkbox" value="1" <%=(session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_other")!=null && session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_other").equals("1"))?"checked":""%>/></td>
            <td width="92%"><label for="followup_six_45_other">Other:</label> <input name="followup_six_45_other_text" type="text" value="<%=session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_other_text")==null?"":session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_other_text")%>"/></td>
        </tr>
          <tr>
            <td width="8%" align="right"><input name="followup_six_45_none" id="followup_six_45_none" type="checkbox" value="1" <%=(session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_none")!=null && session.getAttribute("followup_six_45_none").equals("1"))?"checked":""%>/></td>
            <td width="92%"><label for="followup_six_45_none">I used none of these</label></td>
        </tr>
        </table>
            </form>

            </div></div>

So far, I get an error when the other checkbox is checked, but when I add text to the input, the error still fires. I dont know what to do to make the error only fire when there is no text in the "followup_six_45_other_text" and the "followup_six_45_other" is checked.

Any help would be appreciated, for I am completely stuck right now.