Lexi Reed Shares 'Scars, Skin and Self Love' in Vulnerable Video as She Wears Her Old Swimsuit

Mar. 15, 2025

Lexi Reed fits into her bathing suit.Photo:Lexi Reed/Instagram (2)Lexi Reedhas reached another milestone as she moves further away from her struggle with calciphylaxis — an often-fatal illness which led to59 weeks of treatmentlast year for painful wounds all over her body.Wearing a black ruched one-piece bathing suit — and a big smile —  the fitness influencer, whose weight loss journeystarted years ago, shared that fitting back into her swimsuit marked an emotional stop on her recovery journey as she returns to fitness.“Last summer I sat in [husband] Danny’s truck and cried because I couldn’t go swimming. Something small to some, but just another thing that was taken away from me,” Reed, 32, wrote on Instagram.Last September,Reed was in the hospitalundergoing surgical debridement to remove the necrotic skin that was preventing her from healing more quickly, as she shared on Instagram.Lexi Reed.Lexi Reed/InstagramNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I’m not a big fan of needles or surgery but I am a fan of getting my body back to its best health,” she wrote at the time.But as she wrote onWednesday’s Instagram post, losing summertime swimming to calciphylaxis was just another devastating blow.“Honestly I think it was one of the last straws for me because I was constantly stuck in the house in my chair, in chronic pain, or going to appointments with my calciphylaxis & having 30+ open wounds (which is exactly why swimming wasn’t possible),” says Reed.“With it being my birthday last month when we made this video@discoveringdannyand I were debating what to do & I realized if it was summer I could go swimming again now that I’m in remission!” Reed gleefully shared.And whileshe’s back in the gymworking on her fitness goals, Reed says returning to the pool is another milestone on the horizon.“It didn’t happen yet but I did find an old smaller suit that fit me again! At first I forgot I’d have new parts of my legs covered in scars for people to stare at other than just my skin, but quickly remembered thats the least of my worries after everything I’ve been through to get here. So soon enough I will ROCK a suit with a smile on my face loose skin, scars, battle wounds and all. Speak kindly to yourself because you’re always listening!”

Lexi Reed fits into her bathing suit.Photo:Lexi Reed/Instagram (2)

Lexi Reed/Instagram (2)

Lexi Reedhas reached another milestone as she moves further away from her struggle with calciphylaxis — an often-fatal illness which led to59 weeks of treatmentlast year for painful wounds all over her body.Wearing a black ruched one-piece bathing suit — and a big smile —  the fitness influencer, whose weight loss journeystarted years ago, shared that fitting back into her swimsuit marked an emotional stop on her recovery journey as she returns to fitness.“Last summer I sat in [husband] Danny’s truck and cried because I couldn’t go swimming. Something small to some, but just another thing that was taken away from me,” Reed, 32, wrote on Instagram.Last September,Reed was in the hospitalundergoing surgical debridement to remove the necrotic skin that was preventing her from healing more quickly, as she shared on Instagram.Lexi Reed.Lexi Reed/InstagramNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I’m not a big fan of needles or surgery but I am a fan of getting my body back to its best health,” she wrote at the time.But as she wrote onWednesday’s Instagram post, losing summertime swimming to calciphylaxis was just another devastating blow.“Honestly I think it was one of the last straws for me because I was constantly stuck in the house in my chair, in chronic pain, or going to appointments with my calciphylaxis & having 30+ open wounds (which is exactly why swimming wasn’t possible),” says Reed.“With it being my birthday last month when we made this video@discoveringdannyand I were debating what to do & I realized if it was summer I could go swimming again now that I’m in remission!” Reed gleefully shared.And whileshe’s back in the gymworking on her fitness goals, Reed says returning to the pool is another milestone on the horizon.“It didn’t happen yet but I did find an old smaller suit that fit me again! At first I forgot I’d have new parts of my legs covered in scars for people to stare at other than just my skin, but quickly remembered thats the least of my worries after everything I’ve been through to get here. So soon enough I will ROCK a suit with a smile on my face loose skin, scars, battle wounds and all. Speak kindly to yourself because you’re always listening!”

Lexi Reedhas reached another milestone as she moves further away from her struggle with calciphylaxis — an often-fatal illness which led to59 weeks of treatmentlast year for painful wounds all over her body.

Wearing a black ruched one-piece bathing suit — and a big smile —  the fitness influencer, whose weight loss journeystarted years ago, shared that fitting back into her swimsuit marked an emotional stop on her recovery journey as she returns to fitness.

“Last summer I sat in [husband] Danny’s truck and cried because I couldn’t go swimming. Something small to some, but just another thing that was taken away from me,” Reed, 32, wrote on Instagram.

Last September,Reed was in the hospitalundergoing surgical debridement to remove the necrotic skin that was preventing her from healing more quickly, as she shared on Instagram.

Lexi Reed.Lexi Reed/Instagram

Lexi Reed/Instagram

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I’m not a big fan of needles or surgery but I am a fan of getting my body back to its best health,” she wrote at the time.

But as she wrote onWednesday’s Instagram post, losing summertime swimming to calciphylaxis was just another devastating blow.

“Honestly I think it was one of the last straws for me because I was constantly stuck in the house in my chair, in chronic pain, or going to appointments with my calciphylaxis & having 30+ open wounds (which is exactly why swimming wasn’t possible),” says Reed.

“With it being my birthday last month when we made this video@discoveringdannyand I were debating what to do & I realized if it was summer I could go swimming again now that I’m in remission!” Reed gleefully shared.

And whileshe’s back in the gymworking on her fitness goals, Reed says returning to the pool is another milestone on the horizon.

“It didn’t happen yet but I did find an old smaller suit that fit me again! At first I forgot I’d have new parts of my legs covered in scars for people to stare at other than just my skin, but quickly remembered thats the least of my worries after everything I’ve been through to get here. So soon enough I will ROCK a suit with a smile on my face loose skin, scars, battle wounds and all. Speak kindly to yourself because you’re always listening!”

source: people.com