Prayer requests

Kerissa • September 23, 2020

Hi friends,

I just had some prayer requests again.  It’s been almost 3 weeks since I came home from the hospital, but I’m still really weak.  So in addition to physical therapy, my doctor referred me to occupational hand therapy at OHSU as it’s so hard to open/hold things, hand letter, etc. (the above piece is an old piece that I lettered more than a year ago).  I want to go back to my “normal” routine, but I’m not able to because of this weakness. Please pray that I can get stronger and also be able to find a balance with working hard at therapy but not overdoing it.

On top of that, ever since the hospital, I haven’t been able to fall asleep until after 4 AM every single night even though I’m so tired.

This is what a typical night in the hospital was like:

-10 PM: nurse gives my nightly medications, starts IV carnitine, IV magnesium, IV potassium, continues IV dextrose

-10:30 PM: IV pump alarms due to “air in line,” nurse comes to fix issue

-11 PM: nurse gives IV pain medications

-11:30 PM: different IV pump alarms due to “down occlusion,” nurse comes to fix issue

-12 AM: IV potassium pump alarms due to “infusion complete”, nurse comes to unhook me, gives oral pain meds

-1 AM: nurse gives more IV pain meds

-2 AM: IV carnitine pump alarms due to “infusion complete,” nurse comes to unhook me

-3 AM: nurse gives oral pain meds

-3:30 AM: IV dextrose bag runs out, nurse comes to replace bag

-4:00 AM: nurse gives more IV pain meds (continues giving IV pain meds every 2 hours and oral pain meds every 3 hours the rest of the night)

-4:30 AM: nurse comes to draw morning blood work

So, as you can see, it was just awful!  My body got so used to that schedule. I’ve been taking melatonin, but it’s not helping.  My eyes get heavy and everything, but it’s like my brain won’t “shut off.”  I even tried waking up one hour earlier yesterday, but that didn’t help either.  Will be trying a different natural sleep aid tonight.  Could you please pray that my body will be able to sleep at night?  I need rest so that my muscles can get stronger.

Thank you so much for praying for me, friends.❤

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