More tests and referrals.

Kerissa • December 16, 2014

Hi everyone,

We thought this week would have been my scheduled admission to the hospital since I haven’t tolerated glutamine, but we’re trying one last thing to re-mobilize my small intestine.  My GI specialist really wants to avoid TPN (he recently told us he has two critical patients in the hospital because of sepsis from being on IV nutrition).

I’m to take an antibiotic at a low dose for 10 days—this specific antibiotic can help the motility of the small intestine.  It doesn’t benefit everyone, but he just wants to exhaust all options.  If I don’t notice anything, then the plan is to get admitted to do a tube feeds trial and/or TPN (but it’s always possible he may think of another option..).  I’m still losing weight and feeling bad, so 10 days seems so long.  I just need to keep waiting on the Lord.  I know His timing is perfect.

Still gagging and coughing, too, especially at night.  It wakes me up from sleeping.  Very thankful for my sleep dr.  He even emails me back on the weekends or late at night (btw, he made Portland Monthly’s Top Doctors list for 2015 again!  He will be referring me to Pulmonology and also ordered overnight oxygen testing which will be hooked to my CPAP and done this week.

Today I saw my physical medicine specialist because I’ve been dealing with something called “foot drop” (can be seen with many neurological disorders).  It makes me trip when I walk around in our house.  He ordered an ankle-foot brace which is similar to the kinesio tape that my physical therapist used on me in the past.  It helped a lot, and I look forward to using the AFO brace!

My dr. also referred me to his colleague who is a foot and ankle surgeon.  Not planning to have foot surgery, but I’m not sure if the lymphangioma in the bottom of my foot (I had it surgically removed in 2010) grew back because the “bump” looks bigger to me and hurts a lot.  Dr. C isn’t sure what type of MRI would be good to order for this specific problem, so he is referring me.  Lots of appointments in the future! :/

October prayer request

By Kerissa Lee • October 19, 2025
Dear friends, At the beginning of October, I started taking a new medication for the autoimmune disease. I thought I was tolerating it just fine, but after several days passed, I began experiencing nausea, loss of appetite, weakness all over, and increased pain. 🙁 It’s like I’m experiencing another “mito crash.” I found out that this specific lupus medication affects mitochondria. That is, it causes an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This, in turn, causes cell damage and oxidative stress. I sure wish the rheumatologists would have known about this before prescribing. But I have to remember that Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome is rare, and they’re not “mito experts.” Anyways, the last time I felt like this was back in May.. I’m so grateful to God that I haven’t needed to be hospitalized from this, but at the same time, I’m also sad that this happened at all, especially because I had such a nice stretch of stable health. I’d really appreciate your prayers, that this muscle weakness can resolve soon, and that this increased pain all over will get back to my baseline. Every time I have a “mito crash,” it feels like I’m fighting the flu which always sucks. The pain has been hard to bear. And whenever I’m in the thick of it, it’s difficult to remember that this too will eventually pass. 😢 Pray that I will endure and follow Jesus’ example like this passage from Hebrews 12:1-2– “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross...” Thank you all so much for praying for me. ❤️

Thank you! (+ a prayer request)

By Kerissa Lee • October 4, 2025
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:2-3

Praises & Prayer Requests

By Kerissa Lee • September 3, 2025
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23