Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week 2019

Kerissa • September 16, 2019

* I shared this on Facebook and Instagram but wanted to post it on my blog as well since some of you here aren’t on social media.💚*

I originally had the background of this in blue, but then I remembered that today starts Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week 2019!   So I of course had to change it to green. 😉   You know how diseases have a specific color/ribbon (gold is for childhood cancer, etc.)?   Well, green is for mito. 💚💚

To bring more awareness, I just wanted to share a little about how Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome affects me which is the specific mitochondrial disorder that I have (there are many types).

Because my mitochondrial DNA is getting depleted over time (mitochondria are the organelles that make energy for all the organs and cells to function properly), I have to sleep over 15 hours every day which has always been so hard, especially in the winter—I wake up when it starts getting dark and go to bed when it’s dark so I don’t get to see much daylight at all. 😔   When I don’t get enough sleep, all my symptoms get worse, especially the pain.🙁

Speaking of pain, I get headaches everyday, have small fiber polyneuropathy in my hands and feet (which causes terrible burning, aching pain), experience abdominal pain when the GI dysmotility is even worse than usual, neck pain because of the hypertrophic arthropathy that I have due to the congenital vertebral fusion I was born with, and also pain on the bottom of my right foot due to the vascular malformation I was also born with that grew back this year (even though it was removed in 2010).   I have to tip-toe on my right foot because the mass hurts so much.   I’ve had more than 18 surgeries and have another foot surgery coming up to remove the mass once again.   I’m on really strong pain meds, but even those don’t take it all away..🙁

I’ve had sepsis 3 times (2016, 2017, and 2019) and septic shock once (2018).

I have a j-tube in my abdomen to flush medications through because big pills get stuck in my esophagus caused by esophageal dysmotility/weak peristalsis.   I also have a central line in my chest for IV nutrition and IV magnesium for renal magnesium wasting.

I have muscle weakness and fatigue so I have to use a wheel chair for long distances.   I have numerous eye disorders caused by mito—ptosis (drooping of the eyelids, especially when I’m really tired), external ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of certain eye muscles), and nystagmus (involuntarily “shaking” of the eyes).

I also have a mast cell disease, POTS, EDS, and Wilson’s Disease (my doctors say I’m so rare). 😔

I have centrally-mediated vertigo and also complex sleep apnea (both central and obstructive).   I have to use an adaptive-servo ventilator at night because without it, I only breath on my own 40% of the time.

I’ve left out many other medical things, but you get the gist.. 😜

As you can see, having mito has been extremely life changing and more difficult than words can explain, but I want you to know that I really and truly could not do this without Jesus.   These beautiful lyrics are by @elevationworship, and when I call on Jesus, He is there for me.   He helps me.   He restores my soul.   He gives me purpose in all of this pain. 💚💚

P.S. If you made it this far, this month also marks 2 years since I started learning how to hand letter!! ☺  It’s been one of the best decisions ever, and I’m so glad I took Becca’s amazing online courses (@thehappyevercrafter on Instagram).  Lettering has been so therapeutic to me while I’ve been on this journey. 💚

By Kerissa Lee February 27, 2025
Hi, friends, I went to see my neuromuscular neurologist in Seattle last month, and since there are no neuromuscular specialists here in Oregon willing to see me, he kindly placed a referral for me to see a neurologist he trained who practices in Vancouver, WA! That appointment was originally scheduled for late April, but this new doctor moved it way up, and I was able to see him at the end of January! 😊 I’m so grateful for him, and he seems knowledgeable about mito. He told us that I “am easily the most complex patient he has ever seen.” 😥 I had to get a very painful test completed called an EMG (electromygraphy). It involves having big needles (larger/thicker than acupuncture needles) placed and pushed repeatedly into my neck and shoulder muscles. 😢 Hurt so bad!! I’ve had this done more than once on both legs, but it was much more painful on the neck! He wanted this test to check for active myositis since my MRI was inconclusive. Well, the results show that this progressive neck weakness is due to mitochondrial disease progression, and not from myositis. Whenever I have a “mito crash,” I’m usually able to slowly bounce back afterwards with time. But since I’m not recovering, he explained there’s degeneration going on and that my mitochondria are dying. That was hard to hear. 😢 We may have an idea why my condition is worsening quickly.. I received results from an extensive autoimmune panel which shows that 2 labs came back abnormal for a potential lupus diagnosis. We’re not positive I have it as I need more tests done, but my neurologist said that could definitely be what’s causing this mito progression. I have to see rheumatology now, but unfortunately, OHSU denied to see me. In my previous post, I mentioned that my pain doctor referred me to palliative care. Well, they, too, turned me down…. It’s just hard to fathom that multiple specialties at THE top hospital in Oregon won’t see me because I’m too complex…it’s so isolating and lonely. 🥺 Since my PCP has a new baby girl and is out on leave for 2 months again, I’m so grateful for my GI specialist’s help—it was kind of him to place a referral for me to see a rheumatologist at Providence. That appointment is in April. Please pray my whole medical team will be able to find out the cause of why I have harmful antibodies in my blood. It has now been 4 1/2 months since this all started. Time seems to crawl, yet at the same time, pass by quickly. My mitochondrial symptoms continue to worsen. For example, if I have a virtual visit with one of my doctors, just lying in my recliner and talking to them for 20 minutes causes horrible nystagmus afterwords. 😭 If it’s true there’s something autoimmune going on like lupus, it’s using up all the limited energy I have.. 😔 Could you also pray that the mitochondrial disease progression will slow down? I wanted to share an answer to prayer—you may recall I posted last month that my Seattle neurologist sent a new referral for me to see my mitochondrial specialist in San Diego as it’s been 4 years since I last saw him. Well, even though he’s semi-retired, I’m so happy to say that he accepted me which is a blessing from God! Isn’t that so wonderful? 🥹 He’s booked out ‘til September! But I’m not physically well enough to see him now anyways, so we’re praying my health will show some improvement 7+ months from now and I can travel then.. The Lord recently led me to The Tapestry poem written by Corrie Ten Boom. If you aren’t familiar with her, she was a faithful Christian during World War 2 who survived Auschwitz and the holocaust! You may have read this poem before, but knowing her testimony and how she had to go through extremely hard trials makes The Tapestry even more meaningful/impactful. ❤️ She is an example to me, and I hope this is an encouragement to you as well: “My life is but a weaving Between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors He weaveth steadily. Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; And I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper And I the underside. Not ‘til the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Will God unroll the canvas And reveal the reason why. The dark threads are as needful In the weaver’s skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In the pattern He has planned. He knows, He loves, He cares; Nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those Who leave the choice to Him.” -Corrie Ten Boom
By Kerissa Lee January 21, 2025
Hi, friends, First off, the piece of art above was hand lettered by me last year before all “this” happened. I’m sad to say that I only have 3 or 4 pieces left to share until I run out.. 😢 I went to see my neuromuscular neurologist in Seattle on January 8th. My neck weakness continues to progress which has been so scary. He said I need to get a neck MRI and some specific blood tests to check for polymyositis. If it is normal, though, his opinion is that this is mitochondrial disease progression. 😔 I haven’t seen my mitochondrial specialist in San Diego in more than 3 years (I started seeing him in 2014!), so I’m sadly no longer considered his patient. The neurologist sent a new referral to him, but I’m not sure if it will be accepted.. He’s almost 80 years old (one of the pioneers of “mitochondrial medicine”). And I don’t know if he’s cutting back on “new” patients.. Even if he did accept my case again, I’m currently not physically well enough to fly down from Oregon.. 😞 My quality of life continues to worsen ever since this unusual neck weakness started this past October. I know I’ve said this before, but I truly miss doing all of my favorite things (like hand lettering art) or even simple tasks (setting up my own IV infusions, vacuuming, washing hair, etc.). 🥺 Before October, I was even starting to drive to physical therapy or the grocery store. Yes, I’m 32 and still don’t have my driver’s license due to being preoccupied fighting mitochondrial disease for almost 15 years now. I never shared the exciting news that I was able to get my driver’s permit over 2 years ago, and it was so fun to drive myself to appointments close to home. Now, I can’t do any of the above which has been difficult to process. I shed tears every now and then just thinking about all that has changed. 😢 I’m having to go to bed around 6:30 PM to lie down and rest my neck. But I’m so uncomfortable from the pain, and I don’t fall asleep until after 3 AM every night. So my pain dr. referred me to palliative care. 😢I know it’s not hospice, but I’m still sad we’re at the point where I even need palliative care. Unfortunately, they’re most likely going to deny the referral (if they haven’t already) because we were told they only see cancer or heart transplant patients. I even checked if there’s palliative outside of OHSU, but they, too, see only oncology. It’s so hard that cancer gets a lot of funding, research, and support, and those with rare diseases are left “on their own.” It’s isolating and lonely. 🥺 I saw my PCP again, and he is just the best and full of compassion. ❤️ He placed the neck MRI as urgent and also ordered more labs to keep pursuing answers since all this is such an atypical picture if it was mito progression.. In case palliative turns my case down, my dr. told me that the internal medicine clinic has a complex and chronic pain management clinic (different from the pain center that I’ve been going to since 2011). He referred me to them to try and help me get more comfortable. I have a wonderful team of doctors and an amazing naturopath, but I’m even going to see a functional medicine doctor for the first time on the 23rd. Praying he could maybe have some additional insight on everything and will offer some fresh ideas for treatment as well.. I also have an appointment with the metabolic geneticist on the 28th.. I’ve read through the Bible more than once, but it’s amazing how the Lord points us to specific verses at just the right time. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think, “I don’t remember reading this before!” Paul David Tripp’s newest devotional Everyday Gospel has been so very encouraging. He shared 2 verses from the book of Genesis where Jacob said that God “answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone” (35:3). Several chapters later, Jacob also said that God “has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (48:15). When I read that, I felt such peace. God spoke to my heart to remind me that He is with me and for me….in every circumstance no matter how hard. ❤️ Could you please pray that I can have the MRI completed this month and not have to wait many weeks? Pray that all of my doctors will have wisdom as my case is so complex. Lastly, could you pray that I will persevere and keep walking by faith? I feel so weary, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. 😥 Thank you so much for praying for me all these years. ❤️
By Kerissa Lee December 13, 2024
"He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." Psalm 62:2
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