Fitness Influencer Lexi Reed Embraces Scars From Rare Disease Amid 'Terrifying'

Transcript

00:00 Fitness influencer Lexi Reed is getting candid about her recovery amid her calciflaxis battle.

00:06 On October 18th, the 32-year-old posted a powerful video of herself

00:10 embracing the scars she has from her journey, writing, "Real raw open and vulnerable,

00:17 but my reality of the battle wounds I've been left with after fighting a rare disease

00:22 called calciflaxis. It's not always easy to share images and videos of my body,

00:28 but I know it's always worth it." According to the Cleveland Clinic, calciflaxis is a serious

00:34 condition that happens when "calcium deposits form in your blood vessels and block blood flow

00:40 to areas of your skin. This can lead to open wounds that are prone to dangerous or even deadly

00:46 infections." Lexi, who boasts more than 1 million followers on Instagram, is now in remission from

00:51 the disease and opened up about her continued fight as the clip played alongside the song

00:56 "Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara. "Calciflaxis, a rare disease I'd never heard

01:02 of until it completely turned my world upside down. A disease so rare the doctors had to look

01:08 it up before they could try to treat me. A disease that caused me to have dead necrotic skin that

01:13 formed excruciating wounds from my thighs to my shoulders," she penned in an emotional post,

01:20 adding, "A disease that left me in tears daily and questioning how strong that I actually was

01:26 to keep going. A disease that I was told had a high mortality rate of 50 to 80 percent. Plus,

01:32 I'd be lucky if I lived six months to a year when the infection rate was so high that most didn't.

01:39 A disease that terrified me to my core every single day that I may not wake up or see my

01:44 husband, loved ones, and that every moment could be my last. Every scar is proof that I've been

01:50 fighting for my life and against all odds. But this is healing and I'm not giving up no matter

01:56 what calciflaxis throws at me." The content creator shares her personal journey online and

02:02 in July updated her followers when she completed 59 weeks of wound care for her calciflaxis in the

02:09 aftermath of her kidney failure. This has been such a battle full of all emotions, but giving

02:15 up has never been an option. This video may show a big victory, but every daily struggle has been

02:21 worth it and I'm so grateful to be where I am now. I've waited and prayed for this moment a long time

02:27 despite it all. Thank you to everyone for being here for me throughout this scary battle and for

02:33 all the prayers. It means more than I could ever say," she wrote alongside the video. Earlier this

02:39 month, she shared a transformation Tuesday writing on October 10th, "You may see the scars, but I see

02:45 battle wounds from a time I feared every day may be my last. You may see the scars, but I see a

02:51 reminder of the hell I went through and a reminder that I came out on the other side through the

02:57 blood, sweat, and tears. You may see the scars, but I see a warrior finding grace in the wounds

03:03 that once were and creating a new life. Our struggles are part of our story and I'm so

03:08 thankful for every scar that shows how hard I fought to still be here today."

03:14 [Music]