P is for Perspective

Kerissa • September 10, 2013

Hi, everyone!  It’s good to be back to the blogging world!

I wanted to blog the first week of September like I had mentioned, but that week was super busy, getting back into the gist of things after returning home from the beach with my family.  We had a great time together, but I’m glad to be home because I get more rest and sleep than when I’m on vacation!  Not much rest at the beach meant nystagmus and bad headaches..

Last week, I saw the sleep medicine doctors and had my first sleep study.  Normally, the doctors have the techs wake the patients up at 6 in the morning, but Dr. H wrote in the order to let me sleep till noon the next day.  I was glad!  The study was extremely interesting, and the techs taught me a lot about sleep disorders.  But I really hope I don’t have to repeat the experience. :o)  I should get results within two weeks!

This past Thursday, I also saw my neurologist and had my 4th EMG/NCV study.  The results were abnormal—namely, my right tibial motor nerve shows prolonged distal onset latency and increased insertional activity.  Not sure if this is mitochondrial-related…

The spinal tap Dr. G’s ordering is to check 5-methylhydrofolate levels and lactate.  She’s gonna be in touch with my pain dr. this week to see if he would like to do the procedure.

Just 2 more weeks and the mitochondrial exome sequencing results will be completed!  Yay!  All this waiting for results is exhausting.

I’ve been following a blog and facebook page of a mom who has 4 little daughters—her two youngest are battling an extremely rare disease that doctors think is an unknown mitochondrial disorder.  My health issues pale in comparison to theirs!

Ever since they were born, Addison and Audrina have had to deal with: S evere Dysmotility, Reflux, Failure to Thrive, Vomiting, Hypotonia, Anemia, Jaundice, Chronic Fatigue and pain, along with frequent infections , Central Apnea, Hypoventilation Syndrome, Supraventricular Tachycardia, Cardiac Dysfunction, Metabolic Acidosis, Moderate-to-Severe Dysphagia, Abnormal Hemoglobin Variant, Kidney Dysfunction, and Dysautonomia.  They can’t even eat normal food.  Please keep them in your prayers.

This amazing family is such an example to me.  Their strong faith in the Lord encourages me every day.

So in closing, I just want to say, “Perspective is a powerful thing.”  It definitely changes my “vision,” helps me look at life differently, and causes me to be thankful.

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