Joshua Ray Walker let fans know he’s doing fine after surgery to start treatment for cancer. Earlier this month, the singer revealed that tumors had appeared on his lungs, and his prognosis was not was good as it once was.
Following surgery on Sept. 20, Walker thanked fans and family for support.
“Breathing hurts. Coughing hurts,” he says. “But I’m here, I’m awake, I’m alive, I made it through the surgery and now we wait for the results.”
- Joshua Ray Walker’s last recent album was Thanks for Listening, released in February.
- This is Walker’s second surgery, following one on Jan. 3. He’d revealed his colon cancer diagnosis a few weeks prior.
- Over $150,000 has been raised via GoFundMe to cover life and medical expenses.
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Once doctors evaluate the results of the surgery, they’ll chart a course of treatment for Walker. He says he expects six weeks of treatment after his lung was deflated, sewn back together and reflated. A drainage tube was removed sooner than expected, so he was able to head home a day early.
It’s the fourth video update he’s provided since sharing grim news on Sept. 10.
“I’m truly blown away by outpouring of love and generosity y’all have shown me since my update yesterday,” he wrote on Sept. 11. “Thank you so much, and from the bottom of my heart of love you so much.”
Musically, Walker says he’s taking a bit of hiatus, but another video showed him making music right up to the day of his surgery. His outlook has seemingly remained positive, and he’s shared what he’s learned with fans.
“Fighting cancer is more than showing up to doctors appointments,” he wrote alongside a video on Sept. 15. “It’s showing up for yourself, and trying to keep a positive attitude while doing so.”
Upon learning of cancerous tumors in his lungs, Walker discovered that his odds of survival had “shifted.”
“But I’m not going to publish them here,” he said. “It seems defeatist, and unnecessary. I’ll let you know what they were after I beat them.”
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes