The beloved meteorologist called in from his Manhattan home to update viewers about his ongoing health concerns, four weeks after first seeking medical attention for worsening blood clots in his legs, according to NBC.
Al Roker made a surprise appearance on "Today" Monday morning.
The beloved meteorologist called in from his Manhattan home to update viewers about his ongoing health concerns, four weeks after first seeking medical attention for worsening blood clots in his legs, according to NBC.
And while Roker, 68, looked gaunt, he certainly did not lose any of the good humor and goofiness that has endeared him to millions of morning show viewers for the past three years.
The ongoing medical issues also forced Roker to sit out his two favorite events of the year: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
“I’m a very fortunate person,” Roker said on Monday, shortly after returning home from the hospital. “Every day, I feel a little bit better.”
Roker previously returned home over Thanksgiving but then found himself back in the hospital for a second extended stay. On Monday, he told his friends Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Dylan Dreyer, and Craig Melvin that recovering from this setback had been a struggle.
"This has been the hardest one yet. And you know, I've had my fair share of surgeries," Roker explained. "But it gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I'm a very fortunate person."
A bit of bad news emerged at the end of Roker's appearance on Monday, when he announced that a return to "Today" is still a long way off. "I've got to just get my strength back," Roker told his colleagues. "And in the meantime, I was thinking in January of getting my knee replaced, so I've got to push that back. So I've got a number of issues."
Roker said he is committed to getting healthier and stronger, and only then will he make his big return.
