Al Roker Opens Up About Recovery From His Hardest Health Struggle Yet
When it comes to his health, the road has not always been easy for "Today" anchor Al Roker. In 2020, doctors diagnosed the star with prostate cancer (via WebMD), and the following year, he spoke about the disease during an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Roker told Clarkson he "was very fortunate" that doctors caught the cancer early on. "It was an aggressive form of prostate cancer, but we caught it very early," he said. "I had a great surgeon from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. Vincent Laudone. He feels we got it all," he added of the surgery to remove his prostate and some nearby lymph nodes.
In November, Roker faced yet another health hurdle. After the star was absent from "Today," many fans worried about the weatherman's health. On November 18, he posted an update on Instagram that included a photo of flowers and an NBC weather mug. "So many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I've been," he began the update. "Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs." Luckily, he noted that he was recovering.
Doctors released the star from the hospital, but according to USA Today, he was readmitted less than a week later due to complications. "He's resting, and his doctors are keeping a close eye on him," co-anchor Hola Kotb told viewers. Now, Roker has been released again and he's sharing the most challenging part of his recovery.
Al Roker says it's been 'a tough slog'
Al Roker may be on the road to recovery, but that doesn't mean the road to get there has been easy. On December 12, the weatherman appeared on "Today," broadcasting from his kitchen instead of NBC studios. Hoda Kotb told fans that Roker was back from the hospital as Roker admitted to his colleagues that he was really happy to be back home with his family. "Hoda I think was actually named an honorary doctor... she would just literally show up... she did a Houdini, and she'd just be there," he added.
When talking about his hospital stay, Roker made a sad admission. "It's been a tough slog; I'm not going to deny this. This has been the hardest one yet... and you know I've had my share of surgeries," he said while pointing out how much muscle mass he had lost during his four-week stay. "It's just a certain amount of weakness that I'm doing physical therapy every day, occupational therapy, I've got just to get my strength back," he shared. During the segment, Roker didn't elaborate further on his health woes, only noting that he had "a number of issues" to deal with. But luckily? He's feeling better by the day.
The NBC star also announced he was home on Instagram on December 9. "Home! So incredibly grateful to family, friends, medical folks, @todayshow family, and all your thoughts and prayers," he wrote in the short and sweet caption.