The Bachelor's Lexi Young has broken her silence on quitting Joey Graziadei's season because his timeline for marriage and having children didn't match hers.
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Lexi took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 20 and reflected on her decision to quit The Bachelor during the cast's time in Montreal, Canada.
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"My experience on @bachelorabc has been a whirlwind to say the least, but I couldn't be more thankful that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to take this leap of faith," Lexi captioned several photos from her time dating Joey on the show.
"I know this journey didn't end quite how I expected it to, but I know and understand that everyone has their own timeline for their personal journey and these timelines don't always align."
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Lexi, who had her eggs frozen less than two weeks before appearing on Joey's The Bachelor season, may not be able to have children of her own due to her ongoing battle with endometriosis, which is an incurable disease.
While Joey told Lexi that he definitely wants to have kids, he said he'd like to have a two-to-three year engagement and then be married for a couple of years before bringing a baby into the picture.
Lexi, meanwhile, would like to start a family as soon as possible since she may have trouble conceiving. She is also due for another endometriosis surgery in the near future.
"Getting to share my endometriosis story and get the overwhelming response I received from each and every one of you means more than you'll ever know," Lexi continued in her post.
"Every message I receive from a girl who has endo symptoms, an invisible illness, chronic pain, or infertility that I have been able to touch and help in even the smallest way has made everything worth it."
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Lexi went on to thank The Bachelor producers for allowing her the opportunity to share her story with the world and for giving her "a stage to help others."
"[Thank you] for portraying my story in a way more beautiful than I could have ever imagined," Lexi gushed.
"Thank you to Joey for showing me that a safe, non-judgmental, and kind love exists and is possible, and for setting the bar so high for my next relationship."
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Lexi also thanked her fellow bachelorettes, writing, "Thank you to all of the amazing and strong women I got to meet and become friends with through this shared experience."
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And finally, Lexi gave a shout out to The Bachelor viewers and fans.
"Thank you to all of you for each and every one of your supportive messages, it means more to me than words can express. I don't know what is to come, but I have a renewed confidence in myself and I love myself in a way I didn't previously know was even possible," Lexi shared.
"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle. As one chapter closes, another begins. Here's to self love and new beginnings."
Lexi recently explained how having endometriosis will affect her timeline for starting a family on Instagram.
"My doctor wants me to have my second surgery as close as possible to the time I want to try to start conceiving," Lexi said.
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"Having a third or fourth surgery later on could cause a lot of scar tissue. I am kind of in a place right now of a waiting game. I'm in a lot of pain. I'm not in a place to have children right now. I am hopefully going to be there soon, but I just can't have the surgery at this moment."
When Lexi broke up with Joey, she unexpectedly showed up at his hotel room in Montreal and expressed her concerns about how long he wanted to wait to have kids.
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Lexi explained how his timeline for having children was not something she had the privilege of doing due to her health crisis.
"As someone who has infertility, I have to take that really seriously as I date, knowing I'm in my thirties now. [Having a kid] is something that's going to have to happen at a little bit of a faster pace for me," Lexi explained to The Bachelor star.
Lexi therefore concluded, "I think it would be unfair of me to [have you] keep me here when I'm just on a different timeline."
Joey admitted he was "stunned" by her decision to leave him. He told Lexi that he'd never forget their one-on-one date in Malta and, up to that point, he had zero doubts that he could see a future with her.
"I never felt scared when you said that," Joey insisted to the bachelorette. "If anything, the only thing I felt... was, 'Does that mean she needs to have kids now? Because I need to get my head wrapped around that.'"
Lexi was very emotional when dumping Joey, who in turn admitted he was "crushed" by the news.
"I hate this. This isn't what I had in my head of what I thought was going to happen... But you're going to get everything that you want, and you're going to make a remarkable mother," Joey told Lexi.
Joey's six remaining The Bachelor bachelorettes are Daisy Kent, Jenn Tran, Kelsey Anderson, Kelsey Toussant, Maria Georgas, and Rachel Nance.
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The cast will be shown traveling to Jasper, Canada on the upcoming February 26 episode.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Click here to learn more about Joey's The Bachelor bachelorettes or click here to read spoilers that reveal how Joey's season ends and who he picked as his winner.
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