Travel writer and TV host Rick Steves has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, Steves, 69, shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was preparing for surgery at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center-Seattle this fall, but remained grateful and positive.
“I would like to take a moment to share some important news. I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Rick Steves’ Europe the star began. “My doctor assures me that if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get, and careful examinations show no signs that it has spread.”
“There is a clear path to recovery, and this fall I will be in the hospital for several days for prostate surgery,” he added.
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Steves, known for giving travel advice through his TV shows and Europe through the small door guide series, revealed that he has been given the green light to film two more shows in France over the next three weeks before returning home to Edmonds, Washington by mid-September.
“I’ll probably go in for surgery at the end of September, I’ll be laid up for a month and — God willing — I’ll be cancer-free and back at it by the end of October,” the tour guide shared.
“I have great confidence in my doctor and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. And I have so much more to be thankful for…including the support of friends and loved ones and a strong belief that I am in good hands,” he added.
Steves said he had luckily never had to spend a night in hospital before, but looked back on it as another “amazing journey”.
Rick Steves.
Barry King/WireImage
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“Even though the stats tell me I should be just fine, I’ve been lucky to never spend a night in the hospital — and I find myself entering this adventure almost as if it’s an amazing, really important journey,” Steves wrote.
“I feel good about my positive attitude – and I expect to take home some wonderful, if intangible, souvenirs such as: appreciating and noticing the aliveness in small things; appreciating the goodness in people and the treasures of friends and family; being amazed by modern medicine and the army of the amazing, smart and dedicated people who make it possible; to appreciate what a blessing life is, health and this world to enjoy; and – in general – to be more grateful,” he added.
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Rick Steves.
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“I look forward to many more years of happy travels, exciting collaborations, and beautiful friendships. Thank you for your love and support (and any ‘travel tips’ you might have for me as I embark on this journey),” he concluded.
The best-selling author posted a message with a photo from his travels, with the caption “Be grateful.”
Steves would typically spend about four months a year in Europe, working on new travel content and his many projects. As well as his guide series, TV show and Travel with Rick Steves radio show, his company also runs a small-group tour program that takes 30,000 travelers to Europe a year, according to its website.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education