A weary road

Kerissa Lee • October 30, 2023

"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish."

Jeremiah 31:25

Dear friends,

Several weeks have passed since I last posted—mainly because so much has been happening in the world, our country…and here at home. 😔 It has weighed heavily on my heart. I’m so thankful that God is sovereign and that we can trust Him through these difficult times. ❤️

Ever since I had that abdominal abscess near my j-tube in August, I’ve been experiencing sharp, stabbing pain and inflammation in that area because the skin is raw and not happy. I had another follow-up with dermatology last week, and they referred me to the wound care clinic. Hopefully I can get an appointment soon and that they’re not booked out..

For the last 8+ weeks now, my liver enzymes have been elevated, and we’re wondering if that’s why I haven’t been feeling the greatest. My legs have been aching and burning terribly (it doesn’t feel like my usual small fiber neuropathy symptoms, though).

In addition to my Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome, I have Wilson’s Disease (a disorder that causes my liver to accumulate too much copper). This is usually well-managed by a medication I’m prescribed. A specialized form of zinc, it helps chelate (“get rid of”) copper out of my liver. BUT, it has sadly been back-ordered the last 3+ months. 😭 So we’re not sure if the high liver results are from not being able to take the medication….or if something new is happening. I have an appointment with my GI specialist on November 6th, and we’re praying he can figure out what’s going on.

As you know, I had to get a 3rd PICC line in August…we haven’t pulled it out and re-accessed my port yet because I’m scared the port site will once again develop a rash/welts like before. 😔 I did recently see my mast cell specialist, and she thinks the sepsis I had back in February caused my mast cells to go haywire. She started me on 2 additional medications, and I’m also taking so many different supplements. Nothing seems to be helping, though. My PICC dressing itches horribly every day, and the skin is all red and purple (feels like a burn). 🥺 Could you please pray that we will have peace and wisdom to know when my port should be used again?

I haven’t been able to sleep well due to all the above issues. 😢 It sure has been a weary road this year, but God is faithfully sustaining me each day. As Psalm 119:50 says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” ❤️

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Surgery Update 😊

By Kerissa Lee • August 21, 2026

Dear friends, I just wanted to thank you all so much for praying for me during my abdominal surgery on August 6th! 💚 All of your messages/emails really encouraged my heart! If you missed my previous post, I had to have an unexpected surgery to take down the jejunostomy tract and repair an enterocutaneous fistula (a rare complication from having a j-tube for 12 years). I truly felt your prayers, and the Lord answered so many of them as well! 🥹 My surgeon only had to remove about 1 1/2 inches of my small intestine which is great news! I was in the hospital for 4 days because my blood pressure was low and pain control was rough (it’s a long story, but pain management is complex due to a specific medication I take daily at home..). But aside from that and having an allergic reaction to the surgical glue, I’ve been healing well. Thank you again for praying!! God has been so faithful throughout this journey. I got a visit from my sweet foster nephew when I was in the hospital (2nd picture)! 🥰 I can’t wait until I can show you his face—he’s so adorable. 🩵 I’ve mentioned this before, but an important medication I take causes severe insomnia (still not falling asleep until anywhere between 3 AM-9 AM). 😞 But I saw my naturopath this past Monday, and she’s going to treat me for suspected cortisol spiking up during the night (which disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm). I’m thankful for the wisdom God gives her, and I’m excited to see if this treatment will help! It will take 6 weeks to see if there’s any benefit, but I first have to specially order it..

August 6th Surgery Prayer Requests 💚

By Kerissa Lee • August 6, 2026

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." -Psalm 46:1

Another surgery 😞

By Kerissa Lee • July 25, 2026

Hi, friends, I thought I wouldn’t be posting for a while since I’ve been doing really well, but I’ve hit a bump in the road again and would appreciate your prayers. 💚 This past Tuesday the 21st, after nearly 12 years living with it, I had my jejunostomy tube removed completely. I thought it was going to be a simple process and that the stoma (hole) would close quickly within 30 minutes like they said. That didn’t happen, though, as the stoma started draining a ton! I couldn’t even leave the lobby and had to go back up to the clinic on the 8th floor to have an ostomy bag placed to collect all the small intestinal digestive juices that continually drained. Unfortunately, I’m experiencing a very rare complication called an enterocutaneous fistula. 🥺 I’m disappointed this is happening, but I’m not exactly surprised since my whole medical case with Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome has been rare from the very beginning.. I also don’t heal well due to connective tissue problems from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (case in point: my port site issues back in May when I had to have a new one surgically placed on the other side of my chest).. 😞 The clinic told me to keep emptying the ostomy bag and monitor the output. It wasn’t a fun 2 days. This whole process has definitely made me so grateful to God that I’ve never needed something like an ileostomy! TMI, but I lost almost a whole pound of fluid because so much was gushing/spurting out of the stoma every time I ate or drank. Losing so many electrolytes, I started experiencing symptoms of dehydration—weakness, high heart rate, and headaches. So yesterday, I had to go back and see the surgery resident who basically placed another j-tube (it was so painful again!). 😭 This is a temporary “plug,” and I’m bummed to say that I have to go to the operating room to have the jejunostomy tract taken down and the fistula repaired. This surgery will be happening as early as next week (it depends on my surgeon’s schedule).. She said it will be complex, especially because adhesions (scar tissue) form when a person has multiple abdominal surgeries.. I lost count what number this surgery/procedure will be, but I do know I’ve had more than 20! 😞 I know God is with me wherever I go and will supply me with the strength to endure yet another surgery like he always does. But, I’m still sad that I have to have more incisions added to my body. I shared the lyrics to this song before on an old blog post (the song is called It Is Well With My Soul by Matt Redman), but it immediately came to mind again when I was thinking of scars. As the song below said, it’s a reminder to me that my scars can be a testimony to others of God’s grace in my life and how he has brought me through every single pain and sorrow. In the Bible, I’ve always thought it’s so neat that Jesus still had his scars after he rose from the dead—he had a new body, and yet, his scars were still visible. ❤️ Our scars are a sign of grace in our lives Oh Father, how You brought us through When deep were the wounds And dark was the night The promise of Your love, You proved Now every battle still to come Let this be our song It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul