Richard Simmons Reveals He Had Skin Cancer Removed Just Days After Sharing A Concerning Message About Dying

Richard Simmons Reveals He Had Skin Cancer Removed Just Days After Sharing A Concerning Message About Dying

Richard Simmons is opening up about his health.

The 75-year-old fitness legend took to Facebook on Tuesday (March 19) to share that he has been diagnosed with skin cancer.

He began the lengthy message by revealing the moment he knew something was wrong.

“Mirror mirror on the wall what’s that blemish which is so small? There was this strange looking bump under my right eye. I had a tube of neosporin which I would put on I the morning and the evening….it was still there. It was time to call my dermatologist.”

Once at his appointment, his dermatologist examined the blemish with a magnifying glass and

“told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope.”

Richard Simmons confessed that he was already “nervous” before the dermatologist returned and told him he had cancer.

“I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed. “

Interestingly enough, his dermatologist told him to “go to a cancer doctor right away,” and offered him a dose of Botox “in your forehead lines and your smile lines and let’s pump up those cheeks of yours”, which Richard Simmons declined.

At the advice of his dermatologist, he later contacted a UK physician, Dr Ralph A. Massey, and while in the waiting room “said hello to all of these people who had skin cancer as well.”

He added,

“I was shocked to see all of the skin cancers that they had. Some had cancer on top of their heads…their face …and their neck.”

Simmons continued his story and said once he went to Dr. Massey’s exam room, he noticed that he

“smelled like a deli. But I didn’t care I just needed his help.”

He said he became emotional as Dr. Massey began to burn his skin “to remove the cancer cells.”

“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.”

He was instructed to return about 90 minutes later to make sure all of the cancer was removed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. So they had to repeat the process.

“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.”

Simmons ended the post by stating he was instructed again to return in an hour and a half. On Wednesday (March 20), he told fans he was cancer-free, implying that it took a total of three removal processes. He wrote,

“Well the third time was a charm. With a smile on his face, he said, “We got all the cancer cells out.”

Expressing gratitude, he continued,

“My cancer was nothing compared to some people that I knew.”

He sent love to those who have experienced cancer as well and ended with a story about a close friend who overcame the disease.

His story after he left fans concerned with an alarming message about dying on Facebook this week.

He initially wrote,

“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. Why am I telling you this?”

He later clarified,

“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. 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.”

 

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Sending well wishes to Richard Simmons!