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‘Golden Bachelor’ runner-up Leslie Fhima had surprise surgery over the holidays

Jesse Palmer in a black suit sits and chats with Leslie Fhima in a black dress as an audience looks on
Leslie Fhima of “The Golden Bachelor” underwent an unexpected surgery over the holidays.
(John Fleenor / Disney)
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Some people celebrate their birthday with cake, a family gathering or a vacation. “Golden Bachelor” runner-up Leslie Fhima unfortunately had to spend her 65th birthday in a hospital bed after undergoing emergency surgery.

The “glama” fitness instructor from Minneapolis went to the emergency room last Wednesday after experiencing severe stomach pain. It turned out the reality television show contestant, whose birthday is Dec. 28, needed surgery to address a bowel blockage.

“Hey everybody! I know that everyone was just curious to know what I did on my 65th birthday,” Fhima wrote in an Instagram Story as reported by several outlets. “I spent it in the hospital. Yes, I had a bowel blockage, severe cramping, came into the ER.”

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She added that the whole event was “just something so random. Actually, scar tissue from an appendectomy I had when I was 18 years old.”

Gerry Turner may have been too good to be true, and Leslie Fhima’s reaction to their breakup and reunion on the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” was a refreshing sight on reality TV.

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In keeping with her dedication to fitness and health, Fhima told her followers to make sure that they listen to their bodies and be proactive about physical cues that point to ailment.

“If you have severe stomach issues, don’t wait 12 hours to go to the hospital like I did,” she wrote.

Fhima ended her message by sharing that she would be OK after her surgery and was “very excited” to return home and spend quality time with her dog.

The TV personality’s news came as the Golden Bachelor himself, Gerry Turner, and his fiancée, “Golden Bachelor” winner Theresa Nist, prepare for their televised wedding Thursday on ABC.

Gerry Turner has made his final choice for a partner. He discussed his wedding plans with The Times as the first season of the new spinoff of ‘The Bachelor’ comes to a close.

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Earlier this week, it was announced that former “Golden Bachelor” contestant Susan Noles would serve as the officiant of “The Golden Wedding.”

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“The happy couple came up with the idea because we became so close during the show,” Noles told Glamour in the official officiating announcement. “Gerry’s my buddy and now Teresa is my girlfriend, so why not? I never asked them why, to tell you the truth. But I’m really glad they did.”

Fhima made it all the way to the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” before Turner made the decision to get engaged to Nist.

“So everything you told me the other night was a lie?” Fhima sniped at Turner during the season finale. “No offense, I can think whatever the f— I want right now. My heart’s broken once again but now I have to do it in front of the world, and see once again how broken I am, how no one chooses me. You didn’t choose me once again. The other night you made it sound like you chose me. You said things to me that made me think this was going to be it. You led me down a path and then you took a turn and left me there and that’s how I feel.”

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