Update- Day 5!

Kerissa • December 7, 2013

Hello all!

It’s snowing here in cincinnati!! I’m sorry I’ve been slacking on my blog.  Blogger still isn’t letting me upload pictures..

Today I had no appointments…because of the snow, we’ve just been staying indoors at the RMH. I got discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon—so thankful.  All the GI manometry testing made that 3-day inpatient stay really difficult and hard.  Once the nurses pulled out that first NG tube and I was taken to the OR for the procedures two days ago, I woke up from anesthesia with two more tubes in me..  One through my nose again, and you can probably guess where the second tube was inserted..Won’t get results till possibly next Wednesday..  After those two additional tubes were removed yesterday, I had to go through yet another tube insertion through my nose (this time, the manometry catheter was thick, stiff, and metal!).  That was no fun.  I now have a really bad sore throat from all the tubes and being intubated in the OR.  On top of that, I wasn’t allowed to get up from my bed for several hours, so they had me use a bedpan several times…sorry if that’s TMI. Always a first for everything!

Tomorrow, I have a second sleep study scheduled.  Pulmonology wants more info related to my sleep disorder.  Don’t have results yet from my pulmonary function test.  Hopefully this Monday!

Have a great evening!

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