The Bachelorette alum Cam Ayala has had his leg amputated following a two-decade long battle with lymphedema, a non-curable condition.
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Cam, who competed on Hannah Brown's The Bachelorette season in 2019, is proudly showing off his successful leg-amputation surgery and how he's full of optimism about his health going forward.
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"Gotta lotta BROMENTUM with @b.rapp #amputee #CAMputee #FAITHoverFEAR️," Cam, 32, captioned a slideshow of post-surgery photos Friday on Instagram, including images of Cam at the hospital and out with his good friends.
Nearly 20 years ago, Cam was diagnosed with lymphedema, which is a build-up of fluid in soft body tissues when the lymph system is damaged or blocked.
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"This is something that I have never been public about because I never wanted sympathy or for people to feel sorry for me," Cam, who also appeared on Bachelor in Paradise, wrote in a lengthy Instagram posting in December 2018.
"In 2002 I was officially diagnosed with #lymphedema a non-curable condition that is often misdiagnosed and completely understudied by medical professionals across the [globe]. I was told by dozens of doctors and 'Specialists' that... I would have to manage this condition for the rest of my life."
Cam claimed he had been told by dozens of doctors at the age of 12 he would never be able to play competitive sports again, but after visiting over 20 clinics and trying a variety of treatment options -- some very painful -- and undergoing nearly a dozen surgical procedures, Cam began playing sports again.
Cam revealed at the time that experts at Boston Children's Hospital had performed a diagnostic procedure that initially saved his leg from being amputated in December 2016.
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"I was finally given some treatment options. Through manual lymphatic drainage massage, leg pumps, and custom compression garments, I was given a second chance to live a 'normal' life again," Cam continued in his 2018 post.
"This didn't come [without] countless nights of excruciating pain, swelling, and mental agony. Through the support of my family, friends, and music, I stopped focusing on my misfortunes and started prioritizing the blessings that I often took for granted."
Before Night 1 of The Bachelorette 15 filmed at The Bachelor mansion, Cam actually met Hannah for the first time on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose following Colton Underwood's The Bachelor season.
Cam busted out a rap performance for Hannah about "the hot mess express" and "the beast," and received the first rose of the entire season, although it wasn't technically the coveted First Impression Rose.
"I really liked how you pumped up the jams. That was awesome," Hannah told Cam at the time, which was before filming officially commenced for her The Bachelorette edition.
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When Cam competed on The Bachelorette, he was a 30-year-old working in software sales and living in Austin, TX. He considered himself to be a hopeless romantic and the life of the party.
Cam had his heart set on winning Hannah over, and so he didn't mind using aggressive tactics and interrupting other men's time with the Alabama native and former beauty pageant queen. Cam is also remembered for crashing a group date with a bouquet of flowers for Hannah.
Cam returned for Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise but was eliminated in Week 2 of the process.
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