Days after he concerned fans by announcing he was dying, former fitness guru Richard Simmons revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, March 19, Simmons stated the whole thing started with 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.”
However, after speaking to his dermatologist, it was revealed that he had Basel Cell Carcinoma, which is a type of skin cancer that starts in the basal cells.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of cancer often appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin. However, it can take other forms. It also occurs most often on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, such as the head and neck.
After receiving the diagnosis, Richard Simmons stated he called “cancer doctor” Dr. Ralpha A. Massey.
“I waited in his waiting room and said hello to all of these people who had skin cancer as well,” Simmons wrote. “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.”
Dr. Massey told Simmons that he has to burn his skin to remove the cancer cells. There was no numbing and it had to be done with a small instrument.
“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. ‘Come back in an hour and a half and see if I got it all out.’”
Richard Simmons Recalls His Cancer Treatment
Unfortunately, after he drove around the city, Richard Simmons came back to find out not all the cancer was taken care of. Dr. Massey had to repeat the procedure. It was notably worse this time around due to the cancer being deeper.
“I did not cry this time,” Simmons shared. “But I did grit my teeth. ‘Come back in another hour and a half.’”
In a second post, Simmons revealed that the third time was the charm. “With a smile on his face, [Dr. Massey] said, ‘We got all the cancer cells out.’ I gave him a hug. We are not done yet I have to stitch your face up. It took about 45 minutes and Iw as done. ‘I don’t want to see you back here again.’”
Richard Simmons then wrote that before he left the office, Dr. Massey checked his arms, back, chest, and legs. He also shared that he has a “little Frankenstein” under his right eye for a while. Dr. Massey gave him some cream to put on and Simmons uses it “religiously.”
Simmons went on to add that his cancer was nothing compared to some people he knows. “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.”