*Good news/Bad news*

Kerissa • February 26, 2014

I have good news and bad news….what would you like to hear first?  Let’s start with the bad:

I got my MRI results, and the report says I have levocurvature of my cervical spine which wasn’t there before.  I also have wasting of several vertebrae, and my C5-6 disc narrows the ventral CSF space of my spinal canal.

When I got those recent MRIs, the doctors forgot to order an MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) of my neck which my neurologist requested.  Sooo….guess what.  I have to get yet another MRI which will be my 12th one so far. x[

For the past few weeks now, I’ve also been dealing with daily cramping/stiffness in my right hand which makes it difficult to write, text, hold a fork, crochet, play piano, etc.  And this was my good hand!  My physical medicine dr. referred me to occupational hand therapy again, and he also wants to do a bilateral EMG/nerve conduction study which will be my 6th EMG.  That’s scheduled for March 11th.

I also started experiencing dizziness/blurred vision this past week, and it’s been horrible….my neurologist still suspects possible TIAs.  Thankfully, my MRI is scheduled for this coming Monday.  The fatigue has been really bad, too, and I had to sleep 16 hours yesterday. :[

I know I’m getting worse, and I hate that my body’s not functioning well….but are you ready for the good news?

I have a tentative appointment with a mitochondrial disease specialist in San Diego on June 17th!!!  So very thankful!  The Lord answered my prayers!  I got referred to this dr. last July, and we were all beginning to wonder if this would ever happen!  This specialist has been working with mito patients for over 40 years!  He’s also on the scientific and medical advisory board for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

I should be hearing more about the plan soon. :]

P. S. This is my “loaner” gait trainer until I get my own.  Like it?  I am determined to learn how to walk normally on my own, even if it’s just for short distances!

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