Al Roker\u2019s absence from The Today Show for two weeks confused viewers.<\/p>\n
Since then, he has explained the mystery behind his absence, saying he was hospitalized after blood clots from a blood clot in his leg spread to his lungs.
\nAnd there\u2019s a fresh update now\u2026<\/p>\n
When the beloved weatherman disappeared from The Today Show for several weeks, it\u2019s likely that many people were alarmed.<\/p>\n
Some folks worried that it might be connected to the medical problems Al was dealing with a few years ago. Al received surgery to have his prostate removed in 2020 because he was fighting prostate cancer.<\/p>\n
However, it wasn\u2019t cancer that had returned. The well-known weatherman instead delivered some other depressing information.<\/p>\n
Al acknowledged his departure from the daily show in a post on Instagram on November 18, 2022. The well-known weatherman and anchor shared his health crisis next to a photo of a bouquet of flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many of you have been thoughtfully asking where I\u2019ve been. Last week I was admitted to the hospital with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers and hope to see you soon. Have a great weekend, everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
His presence was especially missed during the annual Macy\u2019s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was the first parade he had missed in 27 years.<\/p>\n
However, it was still a special day for Roker as he was released from the hospital just in time to enjoy a bit of the parade and Thanksgiving dinner.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, his time at home was short-lived. Roker was forced to return to the hospital after the holiday, where he spent the past few weeks.<\/p>\n
His second hospital stay also had another devastating effect on Al \u2013 it caused him to miss his hosting duties for the Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, it\u2019s been a tough slog. I\u2019m not going to deny this,\u201d he said on December 12 during a video appearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been the hardest one yet, and you know I\u2019ve had my share of surgeries. It gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I\u2019m a very fortunate person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one of the most heartwarming moments I think (for) all of us,\u201d Guthrie said of the moment. \u201cEverybody was in tears, and it was just beautiful and so wonderful to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impressive you did that without a prompter,\u201d Roker joked. But then he got serious and thanked everyone for their support during the past several weeks.<\/p>\n
After a month-long health battle, Al Roker is on the mend. With the holidays coming up, the NBC star has shared several updates on his Instagram.<\/p>\n
As for now, Al is at home, and he\u2019s certainly embracing the Christmas spirit!<\/p>\n
In one of his latest posts, he shared some pictures from his kitchen and showed off his cooking skills \u2013 which his daughter Leila wasn\u2019t too happy with, apparently.<\/p>\n
In another post, Al posted pictures of him and his family decorating the Christmas tree.<\/p>\n
It sure is nice to see that Al is finally home and can enjoy Christmas with his family and friends \u2013 we hope that he doesn\u2019t have to return to the hospital for a while now!<\/p>\n
Roker also opened up about his sickly look and why he didn\u2019t plan on returning to his weatherman duties just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lose a certain amount of muscle mass for every week you\u2019re in the hospital, and I was in the hospital for four weeks,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just a certain amount of weakness. I\u2019m doing physical therapy every day, occupational therapy. I\u2019ve got to just get my strength back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite his health issues, he tried to calm people and said, \u201dI feel good, I feel strong, and every day I feel a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans across the country have continued to send prayers and well wishes to Al and last week, his TODAY family took it upon themselves to brighten his day by surprising him at home with their own rendition of \u201cJingle Bells\u201d and a special version of \u201cI\u2019ll Be Home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Dylan Dreyer \u2013 who has been filling in for Roker \u2013 Sheinelle Jones, Craig Melvin, Jenna Bush Hager, and countless TODAY staff serenaded an emotional Al Roker in front of his New York City home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Al Roker\u2019s absence from The Today Show for two weeks confused viewers. Since then, he has explained the mystery behind his absence, saying he was hospitalized after blood clots from a blood clot in his leg spread to his lungs. And there\u2019s a fresh update now\u2026 When the beloved weatherman disappeared from The Today Show […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-memorial"],"yoast_head":"\n