Richard Simmons opens up on past skin cancer diagnosis and removal
Former fitness guru Richard Simmons took to Facebook this week to announce he had a cancerous growth removed from his face previously.
Simmons told ABC News that his post recalled a diagnosis he received years ago and was shared as a reminder to his followers to remain vigilant about their health.
The announcement came one day after Simmons was forced to correct rumors that he was "dying" following a cryptic Facebook post earlier in the week.
"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," Simmons wrote Tuesday. "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. Now I am getting 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. Basel Cell Carcinoma."
"You have to go to a cancer doctor right away," he recalled his doctor telling him. "But now that you are here I suggest you put some Botox in your forehead lines and your smile lines and let's pump up those cheeks of yours…..I patted him on his hand and said, 'Not today doctor.'"
Simmons said he then went to see dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr. Ralph Massey, who Simmons said "[had] to burn my skin to remove the cancer cells."
"There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument," he continued, writing that "the burning really hurt my skin" and "lasted about 30 minutes."
Following the procedure, Simmons said he was told to "come back in an hour and a half and see if [Massey] got it all out."
"I went back to some sad news. I didn't get it all out. He burned my face again," he wrote. "This time was worse than before...It was deeper. I did not cry this time but I did grit my teeth. 'Come back in another hour and a half.'"
On Wednesday, Simmons followed up with a second post , providing additional details and noting that the doctor told him they had removed all of the cancerous cells.
"I gave him a hug. We are not done yet I have to stitch your face up. It took about 45 Minutes and I was done. 'I don’t want to see you back here again,'" he wrote.
Simmons said his cancer "was nothing compared to some people that I knew," adding that he had "lost a lot of friends to cancer" over the years.
He concluded his second post with a message for his followers to continue to monitor their health.
"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," he wrote, signing off the post, "Love, Richard."
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, and it's important to know your own skin. If you see any spots that are new, changing, itching or bleeding on your skin, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends getting checked by a board-certified dermatologist.
In a third follow-up post on Wednesday, Simmons reiterated that his diagnosis "happened so many years ago," and noted that "the reason I wrote these two messages is that if you see a spot on your body please go to your doctor …so they can diagnose it right away."
"I guess I should be more careful about what I write about," he added.
Earlier this week, Simmons took to Facebook to quell fans' concerns after many became worried about a post he shared March 18, which read in part, "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? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy."
Later that same day, Simmons shared a follow-up message on Facebook, clarifying the intent of his earlier post.
"Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. Even the press has gotten in touch with me," he wrote. "I am not dying. It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have. Sorry for this confusion."
He signed the post as he frequently does, writing, "Love, Richard."
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include Simmons' comments on when he received his skin cancer diagnosis.
