Richard Simmons shared cancer diagnosis journey: “strange looking bump under my right eye.” In an emotional Facebook post, the 75-year-old fitness icon opened up about his skin cancer diagnosis. He recounted noticing the persistent bump, leading him to seek medical attention promptly.
“I sat in his chair and he looked at it through a magnifying mirror. He told me he would have to scrape it and put it under the microscope,” the fitness guru wrote.
“Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. ‘You have cancer.’”
Richard Simmons revealed he had basal cell carcinoma and joked about being called “dirty names.” Following his diagnosis, he sought the expertise of Dr. Ralph A. Massey, reminiscing about meeting fellow skin cancer patients in the waiting room.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”
Richard Simmons elaborated on the treatment process: “burn my skin to remove the cancer cells.” The former fitness guru recounted the doctor’s explanation of the treatment, which involved the burning of his skin to eliminate cancer cells.
“There was no numbing, it just had to be done with a small instrument,” he continued. “As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek … The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes.”
According to Simmons, the doctor instructed him to return in “an hour and a half” for assessment. He recounted the doctor’s guidance to return after the procedure for evaluation on whether all cancer cells were removed.
“I went back to some sad news,” he explained. “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.”
However, on Wednesday, Simmons shared an update, announcing the successful removal of cancerous cells. In a follow-up post, he shared the uplifting news of the successful eradication of the cancer cells.
“Well the third time was a charm. With a smile on [the doctor’s] face, he said, ‘We got all the cancer cells out.’ I gave him a hug.”
Simmons continued:
“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 gave me some cream to put on it which I did religiously. Because of his fine work I don’t have a scar. “
He concluded the post by saying,
“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.”
Simmons’ disclosure of his skin cancer diagnosis follows recent speculation about his health. Days after sharing a message on Facebook about dying, Simmons clarified that he was not dying and apologized for the confusion caused by his previous post.
“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying,” Simmons wrote on X. “It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion.”