FANS have expressed concern for beloved Today Show weatherman Al Roker ever since he announced he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
America's favorite forecaster has kept his followers up to date with his health issues and unfortunately missed the 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
The much-adored weatherman has been a mainstay of The Today Show for over 25 years.
However, his absence from the show was heart-breaking for his legions of fans, and he has issued a much-needed update on his health.
As questions of his whereabouts grew into the festive period, Roker made an Instagram post confirming he had been in the hospital receiving treatment for blood clots.
"Last week, I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg, which sent some clots into my lungs," he wrote.
Things seemed to be looking up when Roker revealed on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022, that he was being discharged from the hospital.
"This is my version of the Thanksgiving Day parade. Getting ready to leave the hospital. … Time to blow this taco stand," Roker said in an Instagram video, as he's seen exiting a hospital.
Blood clots are not uncommon for cancer patients as they are considered four times more likely to develop a blood clot event than individuals without cancer, according to Hematology Oncology.
Also on Thanksgiving, Roker posted a photo of himself watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from his home.
He appeared to be happy and captioned the post: "Back home in time to catch a little bit of the #macysthanksgivingdayparade Missing being next to @savannahguthrie and @hodakotb."
Later that same day, Roker posted photos with his family and wrote: "So very #thankful to be able to be home for #thanksgiving #dinner with #family."
On November 30, 2022, Roker was scheduled to appear alongside TODAY hosts, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin for the 2022 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting special.
To the surprise of viewers, he was replaced by actor Mario Lopez while he continued his recovery.
He was rushed back to the hospital again the day after Thanksgiving due to blood clots, but he returned home once again on December 8, 2022.
"Home! So incredibly grateful to family, friends, medical folks, @todayshow family and all your thoughts and prayers," he wrote in an Instagram post.
Al's wife Deborah Roberts took a "sigh of relief" upon his return.
On November 18, 2022, he playfully described his treatment as "medical whack-a-mole" in an Instagram post to his 800K followers.
In his update, he also wrote that he has been "fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and is on the way to recovery."
Timeline of Al Roker's battle with prostate cancer:
These are the hosts of the NBC morning program, The TODAY Show:
On Monday, December 12, Al returned with an update for his TODAY co-hosts.
During that day's broadcast, the Emmy Award-winning anchor shared with viewers: "It's been a tough slog, I'm not going to lie.
"Its been the hardest one yet and I've had my share of surgeries. I have a lot of things and people to be thankful for.
"It gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks."
On December 14, Al returned to the show for the second time, two days following his original return to the TODAY show.
As Roker battles his cancer and its side effects, he has been depending on his wife and family.
He is the proud father of three children, Courtney, Leila, and Nicholas.
Courtney is Roker's daughter from his previous marriage to Alice Bell, while he shares Leila and Nicholas with Deborah Roberts. Roberts shared a heartbreaking update on Roker's health after he was rushed to the hospital in late November.
Courtney, 35, is married and spends her day as a successful chef running her own catering business.
Leila, 24, followed in the footsteps of her father craving a career in the media as she is currently a journalist based out of Paris.
Finally, Nicholas, 17, is attending school and looking forward to university.
Roker has also updated fans with a tribute to his friend and former co-host Jay Leno, who suffered burns in a car accident earlier this month.
Roker looked unrecognizable as he shared a throwback snap of himself and Leno, a decade before Al underwent stomach bypass surgery in 2002 to aid his weight loss as he ballooned to 340 pounds.
He captioned the pics: "Here’s to a speedy recovery to our friend, Jay Leno who is one of the most genuine and generous folks on the planet. Get well soon, Jay."
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