Still waiting..

Kerissa Lee • September 13, 2023








I had to see my surgeon yet again yesterday because the second incision that I’ve been “packing” with gauze hasn’t been healing unfortunately, and it is now shaped like a hole. 😭  I can see the layers of skin inside. 😥  She advised that I stop packing the incision now to see if that will help—but just a couple weeks before, I was instructed by her team that packing helps an incision to heal from the bottom to the top…in other words, if one stopped packing, the skin could close at the top and leave a hole underneath.. 😞



She said she doesn’t know why it’s not healing quickly like my other incision did, so I kinda feel like they’re not sure what to do..  If the hole is still not healing by the 22nd, I have a second opinion that day to see OHSU dermatology.



It’s been about 4 weeks now since the abdominal abscess started, so I’m sad that this whole ordeal hasn’t resolved still. 🥺  Would really appreciate your continued prayers.




My pastor shared the above verse with me recently, and it was so encouraging—I just had to hand letter it!  What a beautiful reminder from Psalms that God does not hold back His compassion—He gives it to us and continually sustains us each day. ❤️

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