Days after worrying fans by announcing he was dying, former fitness guru Richard Simmons revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, March 19, Simmons claimed it all started with a strange-looking lump under his right eye.
“I had a tube of Neosporin that I put in [in] morning and evening…it was still there. It was time to call my dermatologist.”
However, after speaking with her dermatologist, it was revealed that she had Basel cell carcinoma, which is a type of skin cancer that begins in the basal cells.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of cancer usually appears as a slightly transparent lump on the skin. However, it can take other forms. It also occurs more frequently on sun-exposed areas of skin, such as the head and neck.
After receiving the diagnosis, Richard Simmons said he called “cancer doctor” Dr. Ralpha A. Massey.
“I waited in their waiting room and greeted all these people who also had skin cancer,” Simmons wrote. “I was surprised to see all the skin cancers they had. Some had cancer on the top of their heads… in their faces… and in their necks.”
Dr. Massey told Simmons that he had to burn his skin to remove the cancer cells. There was no numbness and he had to get hold of a small instrument.
“When my skin started to burn, a tear fell down my cheek. You can’t cry during this and she wiped my tears away. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes. ‘Come back in an hour and a half and see if I got everything out.’”
Richard Simmons remembers his cancer treatment
Unfortunately, after driving around town, Richard Simmons returned to find that not all of the cancer had been treated. Dr. Massey had to repeat the procedure. This time it was noticeably worse because the cancer was deeper.
“I didn’t cry this time,” Simmons shared. “But I gritted 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 her face, [Dr. Massey] He said: ‘We have eliminated all the cancer cells.’ I gave him a hug. We’re not done yet. I have to stitch your face. It took me about 45 minutes and I was ready. ‘I never want to see you here again.’”
Richard Simmons later wrote that before leaving the office, Dr. Massey checked his arms, back, chest and legs. He also shared that he has had a “little Frankenstein” under his right eye for a while now. Dr. Massey gave him some cream to put on, and Simmons uses it “religiously.”
Simmons added 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 that you will see your doctor and get a complete checkup.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn