The fitness guru Richard Simmons has been diagnosed with skin cancer at the age of 75 days after taking to social media to pen a cryptic post in which he wrote, “The truth is we all are dying.”
Simmons Reveals Cancer Diagnosis
Daily Mail reported that Simmons revealed his skin cancer diagnosis in an emotional Facebook post, saying that it all started when he discovered a “strange looking bump” under his right eye. He remembered feeling “a little bit nervous” after the doctor looked at his mysterious bump “through a magnifying mirror.”
“He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word,” Simmons wrote. “I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.”
Simmons was then told that he had to go to “a cancer doctor right away,” and to treat the cancer, his doctor had “to burn” his “skin to remove the cancer cells.”
“There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument,” Simmons continued. “As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”
Simmons had to come back 90 minutes later to see if they “got it all out.”
“After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news,” he lamented. “I didn’t get it all out. 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.”
Related: Richard Simmons: People ‘Make Fun of Me’ But ‘I Am Glad To Be Me’
‘Third Time Was A Charm’
In a follow-up post, Simmons revealed that the “third time was a charm” as they removed “all the cancer cells out.”
“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 added. “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 ended the post by saying that he’s aware that his “cancer was nothing compared to some people” that he knows.
“I know some of you reading this have had cancer or have known someone in your life who has had cancer,” he concluded. “Promise me you will see your doctor and get a complete check up.”
Related: Flashback: Suzanne Somers Recalls Last Time She Saw Richard Simmons Before He Disappeared
Simmons’ Post About Dying
This came days after Simmons worried his fans with a cryptic post about 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. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death,” Simmons told his fans. “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.”
Simmons went on to offer his fans some health and fitness tips. Fans were so worried by the post that Simmons later issued an apology.
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today… I am not dying,” he wrote. “‘It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion. Love, Richard.”
Simmons’ representative also let fans know that the fitness guru isn’t dying.
“I can confirm with 100 percent certainty that Richard is not dying,” his representative said. “He’s, in fact, very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational.”
Simmons stopped making public appearances in 2014, and he has been reclusive ever since. Though fans have expressed fears for him over the years, Simmons has maintained that he is happy living his life out of the public eye.
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