>>> WE’RE BACK, 8:13.
IT’S BEEN A LITTLE MORE THAN A
WEEK SINCE AL ANNOUNCED HIS
DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER.
LAST WEEK HE UNDERWENT SURGERY.
>> WE HAVE AN UPDATE.
GUESS WHO’S GOING TO GIVE IT TO
US?
THE MAN HIMSELF, AL.
FIRST OF ALL, YOUR SMILING FACE
MAKES US FEEL SO GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> OH, I’M DOING -- I’M DOING
GREAT, THE BETTER FOR SEEING YOU
TWO, LET ME TELL YOU.
AND TO BE WITH YOU, IT REALLY IS
SPECIAL.
WALKING AROUND, THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST GIVEN ME A
THUMBS UP, WAY TO GO, HOPE
YOU’RE DOING WELL HASMENT MEANT
THE WORLD TO ME.
I JUST WENT TO THE DOCTOR
YESTERDAY AND I GOT SOME GOOD
NEWS.
IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS JUST
A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO I HAD
TO ANNOUNCE SOME LIFE-CHANGING
NEWS.
>> I DIDN’T PHYSICALLY FEEL ANY
DIFFERENT, BUT I WAS DIFFERENT
BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I’VE GOT
CANCER.
I HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH
PROSTATE CANCER AFTER A ROUTINE
PHYSICAL SPOTTED AN ELEVATED PSA
OR PROSTATE SPECIFIC AND THE
AGAIN, AN EARLY DETECTION
SCREENING TOOL.
A BIOPSY FINDING I HAD A MORE
AGGRESSIVE FORM OF PROSTATE
CANCER.
FORTUNATELY WE CAUGHT IT EARLY.
>> THE CANCER APPEARS SOMEWHAT
LIMITED OR CONFINED TO THE
PROSTATE.
BECAUSE IT’S MORE AGGRESSIVE, WE
WANTED TO TREAT IT.
WE SETTLED ON REMOVING THE
PROSTATE.
>> LAST MONDAY I CHECKED IN
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING’S JOSIE
ROBINSON SURGERY CENTER TO HAVE
MY PROSTATE AND SEVERAL LYMPH
NODES REMOVED.
IT WAS A FIVE-HOUR SURGERY AND
I’M TOLD IT WENT WELL.
I WAS BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY.
THE DAY AFTER THAT I WAS BACK
OUT AND WALKING.
>> MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR
PROSTATE CHECKED.
GET THAT PSA TEST.
>> MY CANCER SURGEON, DR.
VINCENT LA DONE TELLING US THE
INITIAL RESULTS LOOK HOPEFUL.
>> THE PROGNOSIS BASED ON HOW
THE SURGERY WENT AND BASED ON
HIS PATHOLOGY REPORT, EVERYTHING
LOOKS VERY FAVORABLE.
WE WOULD SAY THAT AL HAS NO
EVIDENCE OF ANY CANCER, BUT WE
WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR HIM FOR
SEVERAL YEARS.
>> AND THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE
AND SUPPORT THAT I HAVE RECEIVED
FROM ALL OF YOU, INCLUDING THE
PRAYERS, HAVE BEEN TRULY
HEARTENING.
AND THIS THANKSGIVING, I’M
REALLY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU.
ONE THING I WOULD NOT BE
THANKFUL FOR, IF I NEVER SEE
ANOTHER PICTURE OF ME AGAIN,
IT’S LIKE RUNNING THE GAMUT
THERE.
SERIOUS AL, HAPPY AL, CRAZY AL.
>> ADORABLE AL.
>> OH, THANK YOU.
ONE IN NINE MEN WILL GET
DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER.
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN IT’S
EVEN STRONGER.
WE’RE 50% MORE LIKELY TO BE
DIAGNOSED WITH IT AND TWO AND A
HALF TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE
FROM IT.
SO GETTING CHECKED AND GETTING
CHECKED EARLY, STARTING IF
YOU’RE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE,
AFTER 40 IS REALLY IMPORTANT,
GUYS.
>> WELL, YOU HAVE REALLY HELPED
THAT MESSAGE GET OUT THERE.
IT’S SO IMPORTANT.
AL, HOW DO YOU FEEL?
YOU’RE SO UPBEAT.
I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
THERE YOU ARE WALKING IN THE
RAIN.
>> HELLO.
>> A DAY AFTER YOUR SURGERY.
YOU’RE SO INSPIRING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS -- THIS
CAME OUT OF NOWHERE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL AND HOW ARE YOU
FEELING ABOUT THE FUTURE?
>> I FEEL GOOD.
YOU KNOW, IF I COULD JUST -- I
KEEP FORGETTING BECAUSE THE
TECHNOLOGY HAS GOTTEN SO GOOD,
THEY DID IT WITH A ROBOT.
I FELT MUCH BETTER AFTER THE
SURGERY THAN I DID WITH ANY OF
MY JOINT REPLACEMENTS SO I
DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I HAD MAJOR
SURGERY BUT I HAVE THIS SWELLING
AROUND MY STOMACH SO CLOTHES
DON’T FIT QUITE RIGHT AND I’M
VERY VAIN SO I FEEL LIKE THE
MICHELIN PAN.
>> SWEAT PANTS.
IT MEANS YOU CAN HAVE SWEAT
PANTS, RIGHT?
>> THEY’RE BACK.
>> AL, IT MUST HAVE BEEN -- MY
MOM WAS FIRST LIKE WHAT HAPPENED
TO AL, WHAT HAPPENED TO AL,
SHE’S ASKING ME ALL SINGLE DAY.
I SAID IT’S ALL GREAT NEWS.
BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY HEARD THE
NEWS, WHICH IS WHAT WE HEARD
FROM YOUR SURGEON, THAT IT LOOKS
LIKE THE MARGINS ARE CLEAR
BECAUSE THAT’S LIKE THE BIG
EXHALE.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT MOMENT WHEN
YOU LEARNED THAT IT WASN’T
ANYWHERE BUT THERE.
>> WELL, I WAS WITH DEBORAH AND
NICK.
IT WAS LIKE -- IT WAS THIS GREAT
RELIEF.
LOOK, WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS
AS WE’LL HEAR FROM THE DOCTOR,
BUT FOR A FIRST START, THIS IS
TERRIFIC.
THIS IS TERRIFIC NEWS.
BUT I’M GOING TO BE UP FOR, AS A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DEAL AND LIVE
WITH CANCER, UP FOR LIFELONG
TESTING TO MAKE SURE THIS
DOESN’T COME BACK.
>> I’M GLAD YOU MENTIONED YOUR
DOCTOR BECAUSE HE’S WITH US NOW.
DR. VINCENT LADONE, CAN WE JUST
SAY THANK YOU?
THANK YOU FOR TAKING SUCH GOOD
CARE OF OUR PRECIOUS FRIEND, AL,
WHO WE THINK IS A NATIONAL
TREASURE.
I’M SURE YOU DO NOW TOO NOW THAT
YOU KNOW HIM.
SO WHAT IS -- HIS PROGNOSIS
SOUNDS REALLY, REALLY GOOD, SO
WHAT DOES HE NEED TO KNOW GOING
FORWARD AND WHAT WOULD THE
MESSAGE THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE
WITH OTHERS BECAUSE AL HAS BEEN
COURAGEOUS LETTING EVERYONE KNOW
ABOUT THIS BECAUSE HE DOES WANT
TO HELP OTHERS.
>> YES.
I MEAN AS WE ALL KNOW, AL IS A
GREAT GUY AND HE WAS ALSO A
GREAT PATIENT.
AS YOU SAW, HE WAS DOING ALL THE
THINGS THAT HE COULD TO HELP
HIMSELF GET BETTER.
I THINK HE REALLY JUST WANTS TO
GET BACK TO WORK BECAUSE I THINK
HE MISSES ALL OF YOU.
BUT AL’S SURGERY WENT WELL.
AS YOU HEARD IN THE TAPE, HIS
PATHOLOGY -- WHEN WE DO CANCER
SURGERY, ALL THE TISSUE THAT WE
REMOVE GOES DOWN TO THE
PATHOLOGIST WHERE IT GETS LOOKED
AT SO WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF
THE TRUE NATURE AND EXTENT OF
THE CANCER.
AND IN AL’S CASE, THINGS SEEM
CONFINED TO THE PROSTATE SO THAT
GIVES HIM AN EXCELLENT
PROGNOSIS.
BUT STILL WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO
MONITOR HIM.
AND SO HE IS UP FOR LIFELONG
MONITORING TO MAKE SURE THE
CANCER DOESN’T COME BACK.
>> DR. LAUDON, DID YOU REALIZE
HOW MANY PEOPLE LOVE YOU, MAN?
>> YOU DON’T HEAR ABOUT THIS
UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD.
SO IT’S KIND OF A MOOT POINT.
AND BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO
GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO THE FOLKS AT
THE JOSIE ROBERTSON SURGERY
CENTER WHERE I HAD THE SURGERY
DONE AND MY NURSES DANIELLE AND
WILL AND NICOLLET, THEY WERE
JUST TERRIFIC.
DR. LAUDONE’S NURSE, ANN, IS A
LIVING LEPRECHAUN ON EARTH.
SHE’S GOT THIS GREAT IRISH LILT.
>> IF WE WEREN’T IN A PANDEMIC I
KNOW WE’D SEE ALL THOSE PEOPLE
AT AL’S CHRISTMAS PARTY.
HE ALWAYS MAKES FRIENDS
EVERYWHERE HE GOES.
DOCTOR, THANK YOU.
BY THE WAY, CARSON IS WITH US,
AL, AND I KNOW HE WANTS TO GIVE
YOU SOME LOVE TOO.
>> HEY, DUDE.
>> I DO, UNCLE AL, IT’S SO GOOD
TO SEE YOU, BUDDY.
I’M SO GLAD THAT YOU’RE DOING
WELL.
FIRST OF ALL, DR. LAUDONE NEEDS
HIS OWN PODCAST WITH THAT VOICE
IF HE DOESN’T ALREADY HAVE ONE.
>> I KNOW, HE’S TERRIFIC.
>> HE IS TERRIFIC, BUT YOU’RE
TERRIFIC, AL, BECAUSE YOU WERE
BRAVE TO DO THIS ON THE AIR.
YOU COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT’S A
PERSONAL CHOICE, BUT THINK OF
THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT
YOU’RE HELPING.
WHEN I STARTED TALKING ABOUT
MENTAL HEALTH ON THE "TODAY"
SHOW I DIDN’T MEAN TO DO IT.
NOW EVERYWHERE I GO, PEOPLE
WANTING TO TALK TO ME ABOUT IT
AND SAY THANK YOU FOR DOING IT
ON LIVE TV.
YOU’VE LITERALLY SAVED MILLIONS
OF LIVES AND YOU ARE A SUPER
HERO.
>> WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT,
BUDDY.
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU AND SEE
ALL OF YOU BACK IN PERSON.
I HOPE NEXT MONDAY.
AND THEN WE’VE GOT THE BIG
THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE.
THAT’S WHAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN
ASKING, IS THERE GOING TO BE A
THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE.
WE’RE TELLING THEM YES, BUT IT
WILL BE DIFFERENT.
BUT IT’S HATCHINGPPENING.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS WILL I FIND
BUTTER?
>> WILL THE BUTTER MAN COME
BACK?
>> WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE BETTER, AL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE LOVE YOU.
WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
>> THANKS, GUYS.
>>> NOW TO SOMETHING THAT WILL
MAKE YOU FEEL RIGHT AT HOME, AL.
MISS DYLAN WITH THE WEATHER.
>> HEY, AL, I KNOW WE’LL TALK TO
YOU AGAIN IN THE THIRD HOUR, I’M
NOT BEING RUDE BY NOT CHIMING
IN.
YOU KNOW I CALLED YOU YESTERDAY,
I’M THINKING ABOUT YOU AND SO