Double Amputee Longs To Run Again!
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Thank you for visiting my site! I appreciate you more than you know. I initially created this page when I was 22 years old. Since then I have had another amputation on the other leg. Please continue this journey with me as you read the following updates.
After a snowboarding accident that left me with numerous screws and hardware, surgeons tried to cut tendons and ligaments to straighten the toes, all in order to give me better mobility which had left me in constant pain for many years. In 2019, the doctors discovered I have a rare nerve disease called CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome), which did not allow adequate blood flow to heal my foot. The doctors and surgeons decided the best course of action was to amputate my leg below the knee in order to get some sort of normalcy back in my life.
Fast forward to July 2020. After my first amputation, there was no guarantee that the CRPS would not travel to my other leg. Unfortunately, it did. For the past 7-8 months I have been in constant pain, living on pain pills, unable to get myself out of bed, no motivation; the emotional challenges were taking a toll on my life. The doctors decided to start weekly pain injections in my spine. This helped a little, but that too wore off and the pain continued. I was becoming a shell of myself, losing my drive for life. This was not working for me and after meeting with my doctors and surgeons, they decided the best course of action would be to amputate my other
leg below the knee. This is not exactly what I wanted to hear, but in order to be able to run, hike, snowboard and rock climb again, it's exactly what had to happen.
If you visited my site several years ago then you know that I live in the active town of Boulder Colorado. I'm passionate about snowboarding, rock climbing, swimming, and walking the runway as a model. I've been modeling for 9 years now. Modeling has been my passion since I was 15 years old. I've walked numerous runways, such as Fashion Week in Denver, Co. (see photo) and I've also graced the cover of DGARAY Timeless Beauty and about to be on another magazine cover in Denver.
As we know social media can be brutal; people have belittled me, accused me of wanting an amputation for notoriety......but seriously, who would wish for an amputation!! Plus surgeons just don't cut off a limb because you want them to; I had to go thru numerous tests, MRI's, mental tests and therapy before they will even consider an amputation. So this was not a choice made lightly. Nor did I really have a choice.
My dreams are to walk the runway as a double amputee, compete in rock climbing, snowboard again and run with our family dogs, Max and Penelope! Yes insurance pays for a "basic" prosthetic, but in order to hike, run and walk the runway again, I will need a special type of prosthetic, which is very costly. In three weeks, I will need a new prosthetic and start to learn to walk again. After researching the cost of a prosthetic that will allow me to run and hike again, cost roughly $10,000-$8000 and now I need two. Also needing a custom wheelchair is around $8,000-10,000. My goal is $40,000 to cover all the costs, every fitting and all follow up appointments.
I often get asked what keeps me going and having such a positive attitude? I'm keeping my eye on the prize; the journey is a challenging one, but the outcome is walking the runway in heels again and running for the first time in a long time!
Again thank you for taking the time to read my story and I appreciate you more than you know! Hugs Lexie :)
You can see my story here on Daily Blast Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37FN35iCgQo&feature=youtu.be
After a snowboarding accident that left me with numerous screws and hardware, surgeons tried to cut tendons and ligaments to straighten the toes, all in order to give me better mobility which had left me in constant pain for many years. In 2019, the doctors discovered I have a rare nerve disease called CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome), which did not allow adequate blood flow to heal my foot. The doctors and surgeons decided the best course of action was to amputate my leg below the knee in order to get some sort of normalcy back in my life.
Fast forward to July 2020. After my first amputation, there was no guarantee that the CRPS would not travel to my other leg. Unfortunately, it did. For the past 7-8 months I have been in constant pain, living on pain pills, unable to get myself out of bed, no motivation; the emotional challenges were taking a toll on my life. The doctors decided to start weekly pain injections in my spine. This helped a little, but that too wore off and the pain continued. I was becoming a shell of myself, losing my drive for life. This was not working for me and after meeting with my doctors and surgeons, they decided the best course of action would be to amputate my other
leg below the knee. This is not exactly what I wanted to hear, but in order to be able to run, hike, snowboard and rock climb again, it's exactly what had to happen.
If you visited my site several years ago then you know that I live in the active town of Boulder Colorado. I'm passionate about snowboarding, rock climbing, swimming, and walking the runway as a model. I've been modeling for 9 years now. Modeling has been my passion since I was 15 years old. I've walked numerous runways, such as Fashion Week in Denver, Co. (see photo) and I've also graced the cover of DGARAY Timeless Beauty and about to be on another magazine cover in Denver.
As we know social media can be brutal; people have belittled me, accused me of wanting an amputation for notoriety......but seriously, who would wish for an amputation!! Plus surgeons just don't cut off a limb because you want them to; I had to go thru numerous tests, MRI's, mental tests and therapy before they will even consider an amputation. So this was not a choice made lightly. Nor did I really have a choice.
My dreams are to walk the runway as a double amputee, compete in rock climbing, snowboard again and run with our family dogs, Max and Penelope! Yes insurance pays for a "basic" prosthetic, but in order to hike, run and walk the runway again, I will need a special type of prosthetic, which is very costly. In three weeks, I will need a new prosthetic and start to learn to walk again. After researching the cost of a prosthetic that will allow me to run and hike again, cost roughly $10,000-$8000 and now I need two. Also needing a custom wheelchair is around $8,000-10,000. My goal is $40,000 to cover all the costs, every fitting and all follow up appointments.
I often get asked what keeps me going and having such a positive attitude? I'm keeping my eye on the prize; the journey is a challenging one, but the outcome is walking the runway in heels again and running for the first time in a long time!
Again thank you for taking the time to read my story and I appreciate you more than you know! Hugs Lexie :)
You can see my story here on Daily Blast Live:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37FN35iCgQo&feature=youtu.be
Organizer
Lexie Bader
Organizer
Boulder, CO
