Little People, Big World star Matt Roloff has had a trying week.
The 61-year-old TLC star was recently hospitalized after undergoing a routine medical procedure.
Matt took to Instagram to share details about what happened when he went in for a routine upper endoscopy to look at his esophagus.
Matt’s post included a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed, clad in a typical hospital gown. Despite being hospitalized, Matt looked to be in good spirits, with a smile on his face.
“Last week was a bit rough. …went in for what l thought was routine upper endoscopy to check out my esophagus …” Matt began his caption.
“When things don’t go as planned and the Doc tells Caryn ‘we had some complications’. turns out i have some unexpected twists n turns leading down to the [stomach],” Matt continued to explain.
The father of four added that despite the complications and having to take a few days off from work to rest, he’s “back in action” now. Matt will require “more work,” however, although he didn’t specify what exactly he needs to have done down the road.
Matt Roloff tells an LPBW fan that his fiancee, Caryn Chandler, received news of his medical complications while he was still under anesthesia
In the comments section of his post, which more than 15,000 of his followers liked, Matt received plenty of well wishes from his fans.
In response to one comment from a fan who asked about the ordeal, Matt revealed that he was still unconscious from the anesthesia when doctors discovered the problem and that his fiancee, Caryn Chandler, was made aware of the situation as she sat in the waiting room.
“I was still under when things went crazy,” Matt wrote. “But the waiting room update scared Caryn pretty good.”
It’s unclear whether Matt’s gastrointestinal issues are related to his dwarfism. Although endoscopy is not considered major surgery, Matt has faced plenty of others throughout his life.
Matt has diastrophic dysplasia, a type of dwarfism that has caused him to be born with short limbs and orthopedic problems. To this day, he still uses crutches to help him stand and walk.
Matt opened up about the 15 surgeries he underwent in his childhood during a podcast appearance on Reality Life with Kate Casey.
“As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Matt said, sharing that his childhood was “rough,” as he spent long periods – sometimes months at a time – in the hospital with “very limited access” to his parents.
Matt says his struggles as a child have given him a “sense of can-do and tenacity.”
As an adult, Matt underwent spinal surgery, as LPBW viewers watched in 2016.
Despite a risk of paralysis from the operation, Matt made it through with flying colors, and everything went as doctors hoped.
Little People, Big World is currently on hiatus.
