Richard Simmons reveals skin cancer diagnosis after death post

Richard Simmons has been diagnosed with skin cancer. The reclusive fitness guru revealed the news in a lengthy statement on Tuesday, two days after he posted a concerning message about dying.

“Mirror mirror on the wall what’s that blemish which is so small,” Simmons, 75, began in a lengthy Facebook status. “There was this strange looking bump under my right eye. I had a tube of Neosporin which I would put on in the morning and the evening … it was still there. It was time to call my dermatologist.”

“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,” he continued. “Now I am getting a little bit nervous. He comes back about 20 minutes later and says the C-word.”

In the status, Simmons attempts to lighten the mood by telling fans he told his doctor to ” stop calling me dirty names” when he was told he had Basal Cell Carcinoma.

“You have to go to a cancer doctor right away,” Simmons writes. “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 continues his post by adding that as soon as he got home, he contacted his doctor, Dr. Ralph A. Massey, and managed to schedule an appointment.

Upon arriving at Massey’s practice, Simmons says that he “said hello to all of these people who had skin cancer as well” adding that he “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.”

After being called back, Simmons joked that the doctor “smelled like a deli” but didn’t care, saying “I just needed his help.”

According to the TV personality, Massey explained that he had to “burn my skin to remove the cancer cells” and that Simmons would not receive a numbing agent.

“As he started burning my skin a tear dropped down my cheek,” Simmons recalled of the procedure. “You can’t cry during this and he wiped my tear. The burning really hurt my skin.”

Once the 30-minute operation had been completed, Simmons said that the dermatologist told him to “come back in an hour and a half and see if I got it all out.”

Unfortunately for Simmons, he was forced to undergo a second round of the procedure which apparently was “deeper” and “was worse than before.”

The fitness guru ended the statement by stating the dermatologist had sent him out for another hour and a half as well as an ominous “… to be continued …”

The Post reached out to Simmons for comment.

Several of his fans sent the personality their heartfelt sympathies.

“Hope he got it all,” one fan wrote. “As I always say Richard…. I loved you then, I love you now & I’ll love you forever.”

“Thank God you went to the dermatologist,” commented a second person. “I can’t wait to read the rest of this! Love and prayers coming your way!”

“Hoping the next chapter is that it was all removed and you’re fine,” a third person said. “My thoughts are with you. I’ve always thought you were a very special person in this world and I’m happy to find you sharing things on Facebook.”

Simmons’ revelation comes immediately after the reclusive fitness star posted another concerning message on Facebook that stated he was “dying.”

“I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am …. dying,” the bizarre message began. “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.”

The message goes on to explain that the reason behind the post was to make people “enjoy your life to the fullest every single day.”

Simmons’ post then goes on to give several diet tips and exercise ideas and concludes with him plugging Tim McGraw’s 2004 hit “Live Like You Were Dying.”

Tom Estey, Simmons’ publicist, later told The Post, “I can confirm with 100 percent certainty that Richard is not dying. He’s, in fact, very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational.”

The “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” star later posted an apology message on the social media site.

“Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today,” he wrote.”Even the press has gotten in touch with me. I am not dying.”

“It was a message about saying how we should embrace every day that we have,” he concluded. “Sorry for this confusion.”