Al Roker Undergoes Emergency Surgery

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Al Roker Undergoes Emergency Surgery

Wikimedia Commons/Internet Week New York

It looks like longtime Today show weatherman Al Roker may have been pushing his body too much and is now paying the price.

The 64-year-old has recently suffered a few health setbacks, and his most recent one has landed him on the operating table, but it's not for something you would expect.

The anchor has revealed that he had to undergo an "emergency carpal tunnel surgery" to fix a problem with his thumb.

Roker had been in rehearsal for his Broadway debut in Waitress when he started experiencing issues with his finger, including loss of sensation.

"It had just gotten progressively worse to the point where Thursday, I lost use of my thumb during rehearsals," Roker said on Today.

He scheduled the surgery for the day after the scary incident and thankfully, it went without a hitch. He even impressed his coworkers, including host Hoda Kotb, by returning to work the next day.

"I didn't want to see anything, know anything," he added. "Just wanted to wake up dazed and confused "” just a regular day for me!"

Roker, who will be playing Ol' Joe and singing a song in the musical, should be able to get the bandages taken out before taking the stage on Friday.

"That's not stopping [me]," Roker said. "They are putting an ace bandage around my mouth [though] because they've heard my singing," he jokingly added.

Roker's surgery comes just a little over two months after he collapsed on the job. He was on the set of Today when the hot temperatures took a toll on his body.

According to the National Enquirer, a source close to Roker said that his family has been urging him to retire and focus on his health, but he is extremely dedicated to his career.

"Between his work for Today and the NBC Nightly News, Al finally buckled under the pressure!" said the insider.

Roker has previously struggled with diabetes and obesity, but he managed to lose over 115 pounds with the help of a gastric bypass.

He also underwent knee surgery in 2016 for the second time. He previously had his left knee operated on after a car accident, and years of being overweight, did some damages to the joint.

We're wishing Roker a speedy recovery!

Blair isn't a bestselling author, but she has a knack for beautiful prose. When she isn't writing for Shared, she enjoys listening to podcasts.