Just a day after Richard Simmons sparked worry over miscommunication from a Facebook post declaring he was “dying,” the fitness instructor revealed he was diagnosed with skin cancer.
In a lengthy post to the social media site on Tuesday, Simmons explained that he noticed a “strange-looking bump” under his right eye.
“I had a tube of Neosporin which I would put on in the morning and the evening….it was still there. It was time to call my dermatologist,” he wrote.
He then detailed his visit, where his doctor examined the area and performed a biopsy, which prompted Simmons to get “a little bit nervous.”
“He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the ‘C’ word. ‘You have cancer.’ I asked him what kind of cancer and he said Basal Cell Carcinoma,” he explained.
“I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.”
Simmons’ doctor urged him to see a skin cancer specialist.
He then booked an appointment with Encino-based dermatologist Dr. Ralph A. Massey
“I waited in his waiting room and said hello to all of these people who had skin cancer as well,” Simmons detailed. “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 then detailed his visit with Dr. Massey.
“The nurse said, ‘Dr. would like to see you now Richard,’ I slowly walked in this pristine room and Dr. Massey came in to greet me…’I have to apologize I just finished eating lox, bagels, and onions.’ He smelled like a deli. But I didn’t care I just needed his help.”
The so-called Weight Saint said that Dr. Massey had to “burn” his skin to “remove the cancer cells.”
“There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument. As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek,” Simmons recounted. “You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear.”
“The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”
The 75-year-old was advised by his dermatologist to return in 90 minutes to see if he “got it all out.”
“After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news,” he revealed. “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.”
It’s unclear at this point if Simmons is cancer-free currently.
He finished his post by saying that his doctor asked him to return in another 90 minutes, but ended it saying “to be continued.”
“Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring form of all cancers. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 3.6 million cases are diagnosed each year,” according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. “Because BCCs grow slowly, most are curable and cause minimal damage when caught and treated early.”
Simmons’ post about his diagnosis came a day after he worried fans that he was dying.
He 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.”
He later clarified that the message was to urge fans to live their lives “to the fullest” while living healthy lifestyles.