Joe Amabile diagnosed with 'very low grade' astrocytoma, recovering from brain surgery
Former "Bachelor in Paradise" star Joe Amabile says he is recovering after brain surgery to remove a lesion in his brain.
The reality star and podcast host shared the update in a video posted to Instagram on Wednesday. In the video, Amabile said it had been a week since his surgery, and that doctors removed what he previously described as a "blueberry-sized lesion" in his brain, diagnosing him with a "very low grade astrocytoma."
"When it comes to malignant brain tumors, they don't know what's left over, so I will be going on treatment, which is just a pill every day for the rest of my life to put the bad cells to sleep," Amabile said in the video. "And hopefully they stay asleep, and that's it, and that's all I can do."
In the caption of his post, Amabile added that he would be undergoing "regular MRIs" in addition to the daily pill.
According to the National Cancer Institute, astrocytoma is a type of glioma, or tumor, that forms in star-shaped cells called astrocytes in the brain and spinal cord. Astrocytomas may be benign or malignant and are grouped based on their grade, which is determined by how abnormal the tumor cells look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow, spread and come back after treatment, the agency adds.
Low-grade astrocytomas are more common in children, while high-grade astrocytomas, such as glioblastoma, tend to grow and spread within the brain and spinal cord quickly and are common in adults.
Treatment for astrocytoma includes surgery to remove as much of the tumor as safely as possible, observation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Amabile said that his recovery following surgery "has been better than even I expected."
He said he is now off all painkillers but occasionally takes a Tylenol as he continues to recover.
"I know a lot of you have reached out with so much love and support and it means a lot," he wrote in the caption of his post, adding, "I love you guys, I've just been very overwhelmed and focused on rest/recovery but the support means so much."
He ended his message, "Staying positive baby."
Amabile's "Bachelor" franchise family shared support for him in the post's comments section, including Joey Graziadei, who wrote, "Sending love my guy. You sound great!"
Wells Adams added, "I love you brother! Glad to hear you're on the up and up. Now let's go play golf."
Amabile's wife Serena Pitt, whom he met on "Bachelor in Paradise," also commented on the post.
"Getting better one day at a time ❤️," Pitt wrote.
Earlier this week, Pitt shared a carousel of photos of her and Amabile following his surgery.
She captioned the post, "A few peaceful moments from the hospital 🤍 Incredibly grateful to the team at NYU Langone Health for their endless patience, care, compassion, and kindness these past few days. Joe is home recovering, and we're so grateful to have been in such good hands."
