Lexi Reed Shares First Weight Loss Transformation After Calciphylaxis Recovery, Reflects on 'All the Setbacks'
“There's always a past version of us that's cheering us on & wants us to keep going - start today!” the fitness influencer said
Lexi Reed is reflecting on “all the setbacks” she’s had to overcome in her weight loss journey.
On Thursday, the fitness influencer posted her first weight loss transformation photo on Instagram since 2021, showing off the progress she’s made despite her recent hospitalization due to calciphylaxis, which left her unable to walk or stand on her own for several months.
Calciphylaxis is a very rare and serious condition where calcium builds up in blood vessels and blocks blood flow to the skin, according to Cleveland Clinic. It can lead to blood clots, open wounds that don't heal and potentially deadly infections.
“#ThrowbackThursday to the girl who walked into the gym at 485 lbs. & decided that she was going to do 30 minutes on the elliptical 5x a week,” Reed captioned the post. “To the girl who was #fedup with being a prisoner in her own body. To the girl that knew even if she looked like she was walking on the elliptical or people stared that she wasn't going to give up on trying her best.”
“That girl worked to be the hardest worker in the room despite all the setbacks and on the hard days she's still there to push me,” she continued. “Every day I think of that girl and how strong she was to start and I let her fuel me daily to still not give up despite all the challenges of life. There's always a past version of us that's cheering us on & wants us to keep going - start today!”
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Earlier this week, Reed documented her first trip back in the gym after recovering from calciphylaxis.
In an Instagram video, the 32-year-old takes a trip to an Anytime Fitness gym with her husband Danny and works out on the stationary bike. While celebrating the milestone in her recovery, she told her followers that she “dreamed of a day my legs would even allow me to walk back into a gym.”
“ALL 30+ OF MY CALCIPHYLAXIS WOUNDS ARE OFFICIALLY HEALED & BACK IN THE GYM WITH @discoveringdanny!” Reed captioned the video. “Finally in remission & praying that none come back or reopen!”
“I remember last year when I was unable to walk, wondering if I'd ever be able to walk into the gym on my own again. I remember wishing I was able to move my body & just trying to survive the pain,” she continued. “So much has changed but I never gave up on trying to get back to working on my health despite life happening. I may not be where I once was, as fast or as strong as I was - but I'm ready to keep fighting for my health! Never give up on yourself - Fall down seven times, stand up eight!”
In the comments section, her husband wrote, “Proud of you!❤️❤️❤️”
Related: Lexi Reed Rings Hospital Bell for Her Calciphylaxis Recovery: 'Wounds Healed'
Last month, Reed posted a video on Instagram of herself ringing a hospital bell after 59 weeks of calciphylaxis treatment. The long-awaited moment came more than a year after Reed announced that she was diagnosed with the rare disease in the painful aftermath of her kidney failure in May 2022.
The content creator has often shared her journey with the disease on social media, making her ability to share the health update one that caused her to be "full of emotion."
"FIFTY NINE WEEKS OF WOUND CARE (13.5months) & THEYVE OFFICIALLY GRADUATED ME AS HEALED + I GOT TO RING THE BELL FOR WOUNDS HEALED 😭😭," she wrote at the time. Reed added that she still has three wounds to take care of but that her doctors feel confident that they are well enough to be treated at home.
She continued: "Remission is so so close & as afraid as I am that the wounds will reopen or that any second things could change - I’M CELEBRATING THIS MAJOR MILESTONE & putting all my faith that I'll continue to beat this disease."
Reed revealed in her video that her treatment involved caring for over thirty wounds and that her appointments initially lasted over five hours.
"This has been such a battle full of all emotions, but giving up has never been an option!” she added. “This video may show a big victory, but every daily struggle has been worth it & I'm so grateful to be where I am now! I've waited & prayed for this moment a LONG time despite it all!"
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