'Bachelorette' Alum Ryan Sutter Returns to Firefighting After Two Major Surgeries

Ryan Sutter is back at work! The Bachelorette alum took to Instagram on Monday to share that, after a months-long absence due to illness and injury, he's back working as a firefighter.

"I took a walk today. After two major surgeries and nearly six months, yesterday was my first day back in the firehouse," he wrote alongside a close-up pic of his face. "So I walked and I reflected. It was a good day back on the job."

"This job isn’t easy - not these days and not in this climate," Ryan added. "But it’s a tremendous opportunity, an opportunity to be challenged, to be humbled and to be taught that, despite our differences, we are all humans in this life - together in at least that much... What a job! It’s great to be back… Still the #bestjobever."

In May, Ryan revealed that he'd been diagnosed with Lyme disease with mold toxicity after suffering from a mystery illness for more than a year.

"My body would itch for no reason -- no rash, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, night sweats, fevers, really deep bone aches and muscle aches, joint aches, periods of extreme fatigue, almost paralyzing fatigue," Ryan said of his symptoms while speaking on his wife, Trista Sutter's, podcast, Better Etc. 

Ryan added that, through gene testing, he discovered that he is "susceptible to toxins," which he's at a higher risk of exposure to due to his profession. 

"The bottom line is, I'm in a profession where I'm exposed to a lot of toxins. We did have our house tested for mold and that came back that we didn't have mold in our house, but I walk into a lot of people's houses," he said. "It's a profession where your body is fighting off a lot of toxins."

Of Lyme disease, Ryan noted, "It seems that's something I will always have. It's just that now I know and I can start to try to build back my immune system so I can fight it off."

Three months after his Lyme disease diagnosis, Ryan had knee replacement surgery. Then, in September, he underwent ankle reconstruction surgery too.

"A sincere thank you to those who continue to write, pray and send positive vibes my way," Ryan wrote on Instagram after his second surgery. "It means a lot to me. Please carry that same compassion into your daily lives and treat others with dignity, respect and grace. The world needs it even more than I do."

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