Fitness guru Richard Simmons revealed that he had skin cancer legion that was successfully removed, a day after he initially shared an emotional Facebook post in which he told fans he was "dying."
Simmons, 75, reassured his followers on social media, while also elaborating on his recent diagnosis.
"Well the third time was a charm," he wrote on Wednesday. "With a smile on his face, [the doctor] said, 'We got all the cancer cells out.'"
The "Sweatin' to the Oldies" host shared in a Tuesday post that he first contacted his dermatologist after noticing "this strange looking bump under my right eye."
"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," Simmons wrote. "Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C word. 'You have cancer.'"
Simmons was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma - a common form of skin cancer that is typically treatable.
"When I got home I called Dr. Ralph A. Massey who was from England. I waited in his waiting room and said hello to all of these people who had skin cancer as well," the Facebook post continued.
Massey then explained to Simmons that "he has to burn my 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. You can't cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin. It lasted about 30 minutes."
After the procedure was completed, the doctor told Simmons that he would have to come back in 90 minutes to ensure that the cancer was completely removed.
"After driving around the city, I went back to some sad news. I didn't get it all out," Simmons wrote. "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."
Simmons concluded his original post with "to be continued" and did not follow up until Wednesday morning, when he confirmed that the cancer was successfully removed.
"I gave [the doctor] a hug. 'We are not done yet. I have to stitch your face up,'" Simmons wrote of his experience.
"I don't want to see you back here again," Massey told Simmons.
The beloved celebrity's posts about his diagnosis came in the wake of his posting that he was "dying" - a message which alarmed many fans. Simmons followed up with a clarification that he was "saying how we should embrace every day that we have."
