Cameron Mathison posts loving photo from hospital bed, shares 'optimistic' post surgery update

After revealing this week that a tumor had been growing in his kidney for more than a decade, actor and host Cameron Mathison is optimistic that he'll beat the odds.

On "GMA" earlier this week, the former contributor said that doctors found a 4.2 centimeter mass on his right kidney and that it "is consistent with renal cell carcinoma."

He added that Thursday's surgery went well.

On Friday he posted a picture with his two children, holding his hands, and wrote, "Feeling loved and supported by my family and friends, including each and everyone of you."

"I’ve been very overwhelmed and so grateful for all of the supportive comments and prayers," he added. "The surgery went very well. The tumor is gone and I even got to keep 80% of my kidney We are all optimistic. Keep you updated. So grateful for all of you."

Fans and friends on social media sent well wishes like, "Praying for a quick recovery and restoration. Blessings and much love" and "May your recovery be swift and may you be restored 100%."

Mathison told "GMA" that after years of pain and knowing something was wrong, he made the doctors prescribe him an MRI. He now urges everyone to take control of their health.

After he found out about the tumor that had been growing a minimum of 10 years, he called his wife first.

"First thing out of her mouth, which is amazing to me is, 'We got this, we're going to beat it,'" he said.

Amazingly enough, the tumor hadn't spread and Mathison believes it's because of his clean lifestyle.

"I don't drink, eat incredibly healthy, I eat a very low sugar, low carbohydrate diet typically," he explained. "Things that likely in our best guess have have helped it from spreading, and growing even quicker."