Al Roker shared his gratitude for ‘another Christmas with his family’ after spending four weeks in the hospital undergoing treatment for blood clots.
The acclaimed Today show host, 68, took to his Instagram on Sunday to share a glimpse into his holiday, while thanking everyone who ‘prayed’ for him amid his recent terrifying health scare.
‘So grateful to have experienced another Christmas and to be with my family,’ he wrote.
‘We make assumptions and plans and they can [be] upended in an instant. You think you are grateful and show gratitude.
Thankful: Al Roker shared his gratitude for ‘another Christmas with his family’ after spending four weeks in the hospital undergoing treatment for blood clots
The Today show host, 68, gave his followers an inside look into his Christmas celebrations, writing: ‘So grateful to have experienced another Christmas and to be with my family’
The anchor spent the holiday with his 62-year-old wife, Deborah Roberts (seen), their three kids – Courtney, 35, Leila, 24, and Nicholas, 20 – as well as Courtney’s husband, Wesley Laga
‘And then, you realize, suddenly, that the depth of those words are so much deeper. I can never thank all of you who prayed for us enough.’
Family time: One photo showed the group all wearing matching Christmas pajamas, while another saw Leila and Nicholas baking cookies together (seen)
In a series of posts, the news anchor gave his followers an inside look into his Christmas celebrations, which he spent with his 62-year-old wife, Deborah Roberts, and their three kids – Courtney, 35, Leila, 24, and Nicholas, 20 – as well as Courtney’s husband Wesley Laga, 32.
One photo showed the family all wearing matching Christmas pajamas, while another saw Leila and Nicholas baking cookies together.
Other snaps from the weekend featured the family enjoying a walk together surrounded by snow.
Al even shared some pictures of the delicious looking meals that they ate on the holiday, which included an extravagant breakfast of frittatas, arugula salad, bacon and homemade cinnamon buns.
Al even shared some pictures of the delicious looking meals that they ate on the holiday – which included a breakfast of frittatas, arugula salad, bacon and homemade cinnamon buns
Yummy: For Christmas dinner, the family enjoyed ham, asparagus, brown rice and a salad (left). The night before, they had chicken, macaroni and cheese, salad and carrots (right)
Success: Al also cooked a spatchcock turkey using mayonnaise. And while he admitted some of his family members were ‘skeptical’ about it at first, they all loved it in the end
White Christmas: Other snaps from the weekend featured the family enjoying a walk together surrounded by snow
For dinner, the family enjoyed ham, asparagus, brown rice and a salad. Al also cooked a spatchcock turkey using mayonnaise – a recipe he said he learned from The New York Times.
And while he admitted some of his family members were ‘skeptical’ about his turkey at first, they all loved it in the end.
Days earlier, the weatherman posted some images of him and his family decorating a Christmas tree together, and he once again shared his appreciation for being able to be with his family following his hospitalization.
‘So thankful to be well enough to decorate the Roker Family,’ he captioned the post.
Al was first taken to the hospital back in November after he developed blood clots on his legs and lungs.
He was released on Thanksgiving in time to spend the holiday with his family, but had to be rushed back a day later due to ‘complications.’
Days earlier, the weatherman posted some images of him and his family decorating a Christmas tree together
And in the caption, he once again shared his appreciation for being able to be with his family following his hospitalization
‘So thankful to be well enough to decorate the Roker Family,’ he captioned it. His wife (left) and son (right) are seen decorating the tree
Al was first taken to the hospital back in November after he developed blood clots on his legs and lungs. He is seen decorating the tree earlier this month
After spending four weeks in total at the hospital, he went home on December 8, and four days later, made his virtual return to the Today show.
During the appearance, which was broadcasted from the kitchen of his New York City apartment, he said he was getting stronger each day as he shared an important update on his health.
‘There is a certain amount of weakness. I’m doing physical therapy every day, and occupational therapy. I’ve got to get my strength back,’ he said.
‘But I feel good. I feel strong. Every day is a little better than the last, and I made dinner last night.
‘I just feel like there’s gonna be a little bit of a slog. But there are people who have to deal with a lot more with a lot fewer resources. I’m very fortunate and very blessed to have the resources.’
In addition, he thanked his co-stars for visiting him at the hospital, adding: ‘You guys have been terrific coming by the hospital.
‘Hoda [Kotb] was actually, I think, named as an honorary doctor. She would literally show up. She did a “Ho-dini,” the way she would just be there.’
He was released on Thanksgiving in time to spend the holiday with his family, but was rushed back a day later due to ‘complications.’ He is seen earlier this month
After spending four weeks in total at the hospital, he went home on December 8, and four days later, made his virtual return to the Today show (pictured)
During the appearance, which was broadcasted from the kitchen of his New York City apartment, he said he was getting stronger each day
‘We miss you so much Al. The crowd misses you. There is not a day that we don’t go out there that people aren’t holding up signs: “Where is Al?”, “We want Al!,” Savannah Guthrie told him.
‘It’s good to be home. It is good to see your faces,’ he responded. ‘It has been a tough slog, I’m not going to lie, it has been the hardest one yet and you know I have had my share of surgeries.’
Al’s medical emergency comes over two years after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2020.
At the time, a routine physical revealed he had elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is a screening tool for early detection.
A biopsy later confirmed he had a more aggressive form of the disease, but, because it was caught early, it could be easily removed with surgery.
The Today Show star went public with his diagnosis on the show on November 6, 2020, three days before he underwent a five-hour surgery.
A week later, he received a pathology report that found there was no evidence of cancer in his body outside of his prostate, which he had surgically removed along with the surrounding lymph nodes.
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