Just days after going on Facebook to share a cryptic post about death and dying, Richard Simmons, 75, explained in a new message to his fans he was diagnosed with skin cancer.

The reclusive health guru wrote: “Mirror mirror on the wall what’s that blemish which is so small? 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 said that his dermatologist had to “scrape it and put it under the microscope,” and when the results came back about 20 minutes later, he was told he had “the C word.” Simmons said: “I asked him what kind of cancer and he said. Basel Cell Carcinoma. I told him to stop calling me dirty names. He laughed.” According to Simmons, his doctor explained he had to ‘burn my skin to remove the cancer cells. There was no numbing it just had to be done with a small instrument ..  It lasted about 30 minutes.”  In a second message, Simmons added, “..With a smile on his face, he said, ‘We got all the cancer cells out.’ 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.’”

Simmons caused concern on Monday after the fitness legend had posted, “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.” However, he later clarified: “Sorry many of you have gotten upset about my message today. 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. Sorry for this confusion.”

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