'Today': Al Roker Announces His Return Date Following Knee Surgery

By Daniel S. Levine

Today Show meteorologist Al Roker shared another update on his health Tuesday morning, promising to be back on the NBC morning show very soon. Roker, 68, had total knee replacement surgery on May 9 and has been missing from Today in recent weeks. This was Roker's second knee replacement surgery.

"I'll see you next Tuesday," Roker assured his Third Hour of Today co-hosts. He is "doing fine" now, but admitted this was one of the toughest experiences he's had. "I'm going to be honest, I've had a number of body replacements," Roker said. "It's not a big surprise, (but) this one has been the toughest one yet because they had to take out the old one, which had some complications, and then put in a new one."

Roker then held up his phone to show viewers an X-ray of his new knee. "There's a hinge that goes all the way up into the femur down to the tibia and then there's a hinge in between," Roker explained. "So, they really had to do a lot of work to get the old stuff out and the new hardware in." There is also a titanium cone in his knee, which the bone will grow around, Roker said.

After the surgery, Roker felt fine only because a "nerve block" had not worn off yet. He then filmed a video of himself standing up and cooking. When Roker's doctor saw the video, he was horrified. "My doctor saw my Instagram and he goes, 'No. We're not doing that,'" Roker said with a laugh. "So the thing is to actually stay off the knee and to ice and elevate it." His recovery process also includes physical therapy.

Roker stopped by Today after his wife, ABC News journalist Deborah Roberts, shared a positive update on Instagram Live Sunday. She said her husband was "doing pretty well but moving a little slowly," reports PEOPLE. She also thanked fans for their support and noted how a second knee replacement is difficult. "It makes it slowgoing, it makes it a little tougher," Roberts explained. "It was a harder surgery, so it's a little bit harder to snap back from but he's doing pretty well, moving a little slowly."

Roberts said Roker was itching to get back to work. "Al is chomping at the bit to try to get back to work, but the doctor just wants him to take it slowly so that he can continue to heal well," she said. "So on Al's behalf and our family's behalf thank you so much and I'm sure he'll be popping up soon."

Roker previously missed two months of work late last year after he had blood clots in his leg and lungs. When he finally returned to Today in early January, he said his doctors found he had two bleeding ulcers. His doctors resectioned his colon, removed his gallbladder, and operated on a part of his small intestine.

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