Lots on my plate

Kerissa • December 28, 2012

I had a great neurology appointment today!  Things are really moving along now. :o)  This is what’s on my plate the next few weeks.  She wants me to get another MRI, but this time it will be of my lumbosacral plexus nerves (isn’t that fun to say?).  She also ordered another diagnostic test called a somatosensory evoked potentials test.  I don’t really know how that works but it involves something with the central nervous system.  Then, on Jan. 10th, I’ll be seeing her again for a second EMG study on my weak left leg.  She said my first one done in September was very extensive, but sometimes the results are normal because things may not show up until months later.  Dr. G is also gonna talk with my pain dr. again to talk about him possibly doing a procedure called a blood patch.  Sometimes, spinal taps cause CSF leakage (which then cause headaches), so she wants to see if a blood patch could help my headaches, even though I don’t have a classic “post-spinal” headache.  I’m thankful that Dr. G is so thorough!  She’s also referring me to a neuro-ophthalmologist at OHSU since I’m getting nystagmus more often which isn’t fun at all.  She highly praises her!

I’ll be updating in the future!  Don’t go away!

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. ❤️
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
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