“I can not even begin to express the gratitude I have for Cassie and my entire LENS experience. For me, it started with a terrible bout of COVID in September 2021 which after three weeks of lying in bed ended with a psychotic break. This began a year-long battle with long COVID syndrome with my most severe symptom being major depression. I also had brain fog, memory issues, trouble with word finding, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, anxiety, etc. My symptoms became so severe I had to take leave from my work for several months because I was no longer able to perform at my previous level. It gradually became hard just to get out of bed each day. Everything including brushing my teeth and showering became a tedious task.
My relationships with my family and friends suffered. I felt like a prisoner in my own body without any way out. I could not see a light at the end of my darkest days. As a wife and mother of three as well as a medical provider at the height of my career, I had trouble remembering what my life was like before COVID. I lost all hope of recovering. The only comfort was closing my eyes at night as I dreaded seeing the light of day.
I was suicidal and had one foot in my grave when I came to Cassie, my angel. As was demonstrated by my first consult and brain mapping I was in survival mode. I was just existing. LENS was my last resort as I tried multiple different combinations of medications without any improvement.
It took about ten visits before I started to notice subtle changes. I was very vigilant about going every week while becoming more and more aware of the changes in my body. I held on to every ounce of success and became more confident in my future recovery. It is now a year later and I finally feel like myself again. Every symptom of my long COVID has resolved and my underlying anxiety and depression that I have been dealing with since high school have subsided. I am off all but one medication and I am living my best life.
I continue to go for maintenance therapy every few months. Going from being suicidal, to feeling the best I have felt in years is truly a testament to Cassie and the amazing work of LENS. As I was skeptical in the beginning, like many others, especially with my medical background, I have come to not only embrace lens therapy but also recommend it to countless family members and friends. It has truly given me my life back, and I will forever be grateful.”
– Alisa Albanese