Richard Simmons said he has skin cancer days after alarming fans with a cryptic post about death and living life to the fullest.
The 75-year-old fitness trailblazer talked about his health Tuesday in an emotional post on Facebook in which he recalled noticing “this strange-looking bump under my right eye” that prompted him to call his dermatologist.
“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope,” Simmons wrote. “Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. ‘You have cancer.’”
Simmons said he was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma and was advised to see a “cancer doctor” as soon as possible. In his post, Simmons detailed his treatment process upon consulting with Dr. Ralph A. Massey, who would “burn my skin to remove the cancer cells.”
“There was no numbing, it just had to be done with a small instrument,” Simmons wrote. “As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek … The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”
He was then told to come back an hour later in order to find out if the procedure removed all of the cancer.
“I went back to some sad news,” Simmons said. “He burned my face again. This time was worse than before … It was deeper. I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth.”
On Wednesday, Simmons wrote another post saying that the third treatment was a success.
“With a smile on [the doctor’s] face, he said, ‘We got all the cancer cells out.’ I gave him a hug. Before I left, he checked my arms, my back, my chest and my legs. I had a little Frankenstein under my right eye for a while. He gave me some cream to put on it which I did religiously. Because of his fine work I don’t have a scar.”
Simmons concluded the post by writing, “I know some of you reading this have had cancer or have known someone in your life who has had cancer. Promise me you will see your doctor and get a complete check up.”
Earlier this week, Simmons issued an apology after he sparked concern among fans with a post reflecting on life and death, which he began by stating, “I’m dying.”
“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am ….dying. Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying,” he wrote in the initial post. “Every day we live we are getting closer to our death. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day.
“Get up in the morning and look at the sky … count your blessings and enjoy.”
Hours later, he apologized on X for sparking “confusion.”
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today,” he wrote. “Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying.
“It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion,” he added before signing off the post with, “Love, Richard.”
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