Al Roker explains why he’s been away from ‘Today’: blood clots in his leg and lungs
Last year, ‘Today’ anchor Al Roker suffered a blood clot in his leg before being forced to cancel his entire schedule.
He now admits his medical issues, and the reason behind the cancellation, may have been the result of blood clots triggered by years of being physically active.
The retired TV host broke his leg playing basketball with his 9-year-old daughter when he was 21.
He spent the next four months fighting off what doctors thought was a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but later admitted this was not the case and he is now ailing from blood clots in his lung.
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Ailing: Al Roker was forced to cancel his entire schedule last year when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Al Roker: The 42-year-old host of ‘Today’ admitted he contracted the blood clot in his leg after he was hospitalized and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 21
He is now on a special diet and is required to undergo a surgical procedure to have one artery clamped off in order to get the clots under control.
He broke his leg when he was playing basketball with his 9-year-old daughter Malaika.
But he says he is now undergoing a surgery to have the blockage removed in a procedure he likened to a heart bypass operation.
‘My current condition is that of a heart patient. But my body has been so damaged by overuse, I must have some surgery,’ he told People magazine.
Al Roker: The retired TV host has battled a variety of health issues over the past 10 years
Al Roker broke his leg when he was a teenager playing basketball with his 9-year-old daughter Malaika
On the day of the ‘Today’ show’s premiere, Al Roker was hospitalized after contracting two blood clots in his lungs, and doctors confirmed the diagnosis in January.
Roker