Bachelor alumnus Joe Amabile revealed that doctors had found “what appears to be an early stage brain tumor” in his head after undergoing a full body MRI scan.
Amabile shared the medical news in an Instagram video on Monday, saying, “So a little medical information… they finally found a lesion on my brain so I had to have a brain MRI. There was a blueberry sized lesion on my brain that looked like a glioma which is a tumor.”
A glioma is a growth of cells that begins in the brain or spinal cord and as it grows, it forms a mass of cells called a tumor, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I now need to have brain surgery next week to remove it and test it,” the 40-year-old reality star continued. “Then we’ll start there. It’s been a very stressful few weeks. I really didn’t see this coming.”
“I think it’s one of those things where you feel like something like this would never happen to me and here I am,” Amabile added. “They say it’s still early stages. I hope they can get it all together and I’m OK, but I’ll keep you posted.”
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In the caption of the video, Amabile wrote, “This past month has had many ups and downs. After several scans and an MRI, I appear to be suffering from an early stage brain tumor. In two weeks I will have a craniotomy to remove it – yes brain surgery.”
Amabile, known as “Joe’s Grocery Store” from Bachelor And Bachelor in Paradisesaid he was doing his best to stay positive during this time and was fortunate to “have a lot of support from family and friends.”
“I’ve gone back and forth about what I want to share on social media, but ultimately this is part of my life now, so it might as well be. On to a new journey,” he added.
Amabile’s wife, Canadian reality star Serena Pitt, supported him in the comments section, writing, “You are so strong and we will get through this together. I love you.”
There are many types of glioma and some are not considered cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Glioma symptoms depend on the location of the glioma and may depend on its size and how fast it grows, the organization notes.
The Mayo Clinic says that common signs and symptoms include headache, nausea and vomiting, confusion or decreased brain function, memory loss, personality changes or irritability, vision problems, difficulty speaking and seizures.
Gliomas most often occur in adults between the ages of 45 and 65, although there are certain types of brain tumors that are more common in children and young adults, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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