Another hard trial

Kerissa Lee • August 30, 2023

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Dear friends,


Many of you who read my blog are not on facebook/instagram, and since my last blog update, a lot has happened sadly (I often quickly post prayer requests/updates on social media because I can type it from my phone/ipad and not have to go to the desktop computer like I do when I post on my blog). All that to say, I thought I would just “copy & paste” my latest FB/IG posts here to fill you in. *For those who DO follow me on social media, feel free to skip to the end of this.. 🤗 *


8/21: Yesterday morning was extremely hard and unexpected. I just can’t catch a break. 😭  I was supposed to be getting a simple PICC line placed, but instead, I had to go to the OHSU ED at 3:00 AM for debilitating abdominal pain. I was crying my eyes out from the 10 out of 10 pain, and I couldn’t get comfortable even with my home pain meds. Once there, I had an abdominal ultrasound done, and the doctors found a pretty big abscess at my j-tube site. 😔  My surgeon’s team had to come by and do bedside surgery to open it up and drain all the nasty fluid out—there was quite a bit of pus.. 😭  They decided to place a “loop drain,” so I have two incisions. 😞  One of the doctors told me he’s so glad I decided to come in because it could have gotten worse quickly. While there, the vascular access team was able to place my PICC line since my appointment at Providence Portland had to be canceled. This is my 3rd PICC line, my 3rd ED visit, my 3rd surgery—all in just 6 months. 😢😢  I just can’t wait for Heaven where there will be no more pain, tears, and suffering. ❤️


8/24: It’s been a really rough day (the whole past week actually). The abdominal abscess has not improved, despite having the drain in place and being on antibiotics. 😭 I’ve been in such horrendous pain all day and night—I’ve never experienced pain this bad in my life. When I had a stone stuck in the neck of my gallbladder back in 2021, that was rough but it didn’t even come close to this pain. 😔


Because I’ve been getting worse, my surgeon’s team saw me this afternoon, and they once again had to try and flush the pus out. 🥺 Instead of a drain, we’re now going to see if “packing” the incisions will help. If things don’t improve by the weekend, they’ll order a CT scan.


Could you please pray that my body can fight this infection and for the pain to lessen? I’m just not sleeping until after 7 AM every day because my heart rate’s been so high and I can’t get comfortable. 😢


I hand lettered a quote by Elisabeth Elliot many many months ago, not knowing it would be so relevant this week: "Sometimes fear does not subside, and one must choose to do it afraid."  I’ve definitely been afraid and physically/emotionally exhausted, but I’m so thankful I’m not alone in my fear. God sees my pain and walks beside me during this unimaginable situation. 🩵


And that brings me to today. I saw my surgeon’s team once again yesterday—she said I’m her longest and most favorite patient. 😄  Hard to believe I started seeing her back in 2014. Thank you all for your prayers regarding this abscess. Praise God, my abdomen is looking much better. I still have to pack one incision (it’s still draining) but not the other which I’m so happy about! I’ll be finished with my antibiotics by this weekend. For those who like knowing medical stuff, my culture results came back—it showed the abscess was caused by E. Coli. 🤢


We’re not sure what’s going on now, but a few days ago, I started experiencing bad nystagmus (a neurological symptom that causes shaking eyeballs). 😥  Whenever this happens, it usually hints to something going on inside my body.. For example, I get nystagmus especially when I have sepsis or if I go into a “mitochondrial crash.” I’ve been exhausted from all that has happened lately, so I’d really appreciate your prayers that the nystagmus is simply because I’m fatigued and not from something more serious..


I’m so blessed by your love and caring support all these years! Having you all as “prayer warriors” truly helps me bear this ongoing burden. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🥰

J-tube update and a prayer request for my uncle ❤️

By Kerissa Lee • April 16, 2026
Hi, friends, I just wanted to write an update on what’s happened since my last post. Sadly, the 2 different tube changes haven’t helped, and there’s still so much leaking around the tube. 🙁 The abdominal pain was decreasing each day, but for some reason, it has ramped up again and has been steadily getting worse the last several days. The pain is sharp and throbbing—it also hurts to use my abdominal muscles. I saw my primary care dr. this past Friday, and he ordered an urgent CT scan. I had that done this past Monday, and the scan shows that the balloon on the tube is lodged in my abdominal wall (it’s called buried bumper syndrome). 😥 So painful, but I’m thankful for answers! I actually had this issue many years ago, and usually, changing the tube size helps. But we’ve already tried 2 different tube sizes in March which hasn’t helped. I don’t know if the tract got damaged or what.. My PCP messaged the surgery team twice now, but they’re not responding still. Ever since my general surgeon left OHSU 2ish years ago to practice in New Orleans, it hasn’t been a good transfer to a different team. 😢 In addition, the CT scan also revealed that I have ground glass opacities in my left lung, so I have to go through work-up for that as well to figure out the cause.. Aside from these latest issues, I’m praising God that my mitochondrial disease has been stable still!! So thankful for God’s grace and faithfulness. The day I got my CT results, I read this excerpt below from one of Joni Eareckson Tada’s daily devotionals, and it was like the Lord was speaking right to my heart. I hope it’s an encouragement to you. ❤️ “Present pain and afflictions tend to heighten future joy. When is peace the sweetest? Right after the conflict. When does a cold drink taste best? When you’ve become very thirsty. When do you appreciate rest the most? After hours of hard labor. When is joyful company most pleasant? After enduring long days of loneliness. The truth is, our recollection of past sufferings may one day enhance the bliss of heaven. Eternity with the Lord will be so much more heavenly to those of us whose faith has been tested, battered, and tried, time and again.” -Joni Eareckson Tada One more thing.. I’d really love prayers for my uncle (my dad’s older brother). He’s been very sick in the neuro ICU with serious issues. First pneumonia, then bacteria in his spine which later broke his back. He had a major spinal surgery but still can’t move his legs. 🥺 On top of that, his kidneys started failing, so he had to be placed on continuous dialysis. He also had to be put on a ventilator due to fluid in his lungs. Then, he still couldn’t breathe well, so he had to get a tracheostomy tube placed in his neck. 🥺 Despite all this, he and his family are so strong and trusting the Lord which is a huge testimony to all of us and to the ICU. Could you please pray for peace, strength, and healing over his body? I know he and his family would be so grateful for your prayers. 💙 P.S. I wish I could show you my foster nephew’s sweet face in this photo from Easter Sunday! He is now 9 months old—the most precious and adorable little boy!! Our lives are so much sweeter with him in it. 🥹

Letter to my GI specialist 💚

By Kerissa Lee • March 31, 2026
Dear Dr. Phillips, There aren’t enough words to express how thankful I am to have had such an amazing GI doctor like you these past 13 years. I think of all the hard challenges that have happened starting at age 20 and beyond: experiencing GI dysmotility, not being able to eat “normal” foods without terrible abdominal pain/distention, only tolerating soft consistencies like baby food pouches (which was not fun as a 22 year old!), needing an NJ tube placed down my nose, having a jejunostomy tube surgically placed, then no longer tolerating tube feeds, dropping down to 77 pounds, getting admitted the day after Christmas to start TPN, being surprised by the extremely high copper levels on my liver biopsy and starting treatment for that, going through septic shock which caused ischemic hepatitis (remember when my liver function test was 1674!), having sepsis 5 other times from multiple central lines and ports, requiring urgent surgery to remove my gallbladder, needing D10 added to my IV fluids for numerous mitochondrial crashes, and much more. Through all the highs and lows, you were there for me, and I truly feel like I hit the “doctor jackpot” to have had a GI specialist as caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, and kind as you. I shed quite a few tears to my chagrin at my last in-person appointment with you in February 2026, and I still do as I reminisce and write this letter. But, they aren’t just tears of sadness. They are also tears of gratitude—I know this journey would have been much more difficult if I didn’t have your wonderful care and support all these years. I’m so happy that I was able to get off of TPN back then after 5 years of being on it. Not only that, but I’m so thankful that I can eat orally to my heart’s content without pain and abdominal distention. I know that’s in part due to you, so thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much for caring for me. I will never forget you, and I wish you all the best as you start your retirement. :’) With immense gratitude, Kerissa

J-tube update

By Kerissa Lee • March 17, 2026
"God is always doing more than we know, working toward a good we will one day rejoice in." -Lysa Terkeurst