Al Roker returned to the 'Today' show after more than two months away.
Al Roker made his triumphant return to the Today show on Friday after more than two months away due to health issues. The 68-year-old weatherman and his wife, Deborah Roberts, sat down for a talk about his health struggles over the past few months, revealing that the situation was more dire than many realized.
"My heart is just bursting. I'm just so thrilled to see all of you and all of the crew and everybody. Right now I'm running on adrenaline and I'm just thrilled to be here," Roker told his co-hosts during Friday's show.
Holding her husband's hand tightly, Roberts revealed, "It's not lost on us that this is a major, major thing for Al to be here. He is a living, breathing miracle. He really is.... Al was a very, very, very sick man and I think most people don't know that."
Roberts went on to note that Roker was "a medical mystery for a couple of weeks," adding that it was "the most tumultuous, frightening journey we have ever been on."
She also shared that her husband underwent a "major, major surgery," telling viewers, "We were just on pins and needles every day."
Roker himself said he was unaware of just how serious his condition was. "I had no idea how bad off I was," he said. "I thought I was doing pretty good."
But in reality, Roker's condition was alarming.
"[We] were extraordinarily concerned about Al," Dr. Felice H. Schnoll-Sussman, Roker's gastroenterologist, told Today. "Extraordinarily concerned. He had a life-threatening experience. I mean, there’s just no doubt about that."
Roker shared, "I had two complicating things. I had blood clots that they think came up after I had COVID in September and then I had this internal bleeding going on. I lost half my blood. They were trying to figure out where it was. And finally they went in, did this surgery. I had two bleeding ulcers. They had to resection the colon, take out my gal bladder."
He added of his various ailments and treatments, "I went in for one operation, I got four free, so I got that going for me."
In addition to his medical care and the emotional support of his family and loved ones, Roker credits his health and walking regimen for helping him recover.
"My doctors said if I wasn't in the shape I was in, this might have been a different outcome," he revealed.
As for Roberts, she recalled the emotional moment when she knew her husband was going to be OK.
"He was so gaunt and exhausted. He said, 'I'm going to make a spatchcock turkey for Christmas.' And I didn't know whether to burst into tears or just to beam," Roberts said. "That was the moment for me, and it will always be the moment for me... I'm sitting here hoping he's going to make it to Christmas and here he is talking about making a turkey for Christmas."
After the segment aired, Roker took to Instagram, sharing photos from his return, writing, "Can’t thank @debrobertsabc enough for getting me through this medical crisis. And now that she’s here at @todayshow maybe she might stay? Just kidding!!"
Roker spent part of November and December in the hospital due to an issue with blood clots in his lungs and leg. He said that doctors believe the blood clots might have stemmed from his case of COVID he had this past fall.
Due to his health issues, the famed anchor missed his first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in two decades, and the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
Earlier this week, Roker's colleagues, Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie excitedly announced that the beloved weatherman would be making his return alongside them at Studio 1A on Friday.
"Back and better than ever," Guthrie told ET of Roker on Wednesday at the New York Stock Exchange. "Al is the lifeblood of this show, he’s the heartbeat. I mean, it just doesn’t work without Al. We love him so much, we miss him so much. He went through this period that was difficult and he did it in his trademark way where he’s always smiling, always upbeat, and he is roaring to come back. He is ready."
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