SCS explant surgery

Kerissa • November 29, 2012

Well, it’s official.  My spinal cord stimulator explant surgery is scheduled for Dec. 4th!!  Have to get there at 7 in the morning, and surgery’s at 9 AM.  Today I had a pre-op phone appointment, and tomorrow I have PT.  I hope my physical therapist is prepared for all this sad news I have to tell him…  Surgery is in 6 days, and honestly, I’m so sad.  Last year, on September 13th, having a spinal cord stimulator implanted was the happiest day of my life.  It never entered my mind that a year later I would have to have my SCS removed.  I never thought that a year later I’d have to go through the worst headaches of my life.  I never imagined that a year later I’d have to soon get MRIs on my brain and spinal cord.  As I think about all this, I’m just soo thankful I can’t know the future.  If I knew last year that all this would happen, I don’t think I could have survived all these turn of events.  So I’m so grateful that only God knows the future.  He is in control.  He’s holding my world in His hands.

I’d really appreciate your prayers on Tuesday!  I love you guys.  Maybe I’ll post some pics..

Love this song by Kristian Stanfill. It gives me peace. 🙂

And this is Your world, You made it

And all of creation is breathing because You sustain it

Jesus, by Your powerful word, You spoke out the earth and the heavens


So I will not worry or fret

My God is the God who will never forget

All of His goodness and all of His promises

He’s holding my world in His hands


And these are your days, You give them

All for your fame and all for Your glorious kingdom

Jesus, You have ordained all things to dwell in Your purpose

[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/kristian-stanfill-holding-my-world-lyrics.html ]

So I will not worry or fret

My God is the God who will never forget

All of His goodness and all of His promises

He’s holding my world in His hands


And I am Your child, Beloved

And all of my days my future is laid in Your promise

Jesus, to the end of the age, I am not alone or forgotten


So I will not worry or fret

My God is the God who will never forget

All of His goodness and all of His promises

He’s holding my world


So I will not worry or fret

My God is the God who will never forget

All of His goodness and all of His promises

He’s holding my world in His hands

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