The Mavericks frontman Raul Malo has upcoming surgery as he battles surgery

Raul Malo has shown incredible strength across the past year as he travels the country touring with The Mavericks while battling cancer.

And the popular country music frontman has taken his fans along for the ride, providing semi-regular updates on his fight. He checked back in on Monday with the first update in some time. He continues to share promising news.

“Thank you to everyone for their kind wishes and support throughout all of this,” Malo wrote on Instagram. “It has not gone unnoticed I assure you. As we go through this, and I saw ‘we’ because I am not going through this alone. My family at home, my crew, my band, my management … my whole entire crew is going through this with me. Without their support who knows where I’d be. It’s important to surround yourself with as much love and support as possible. Psychology is an integral part of your physical state. I thought I had everything under control. (BTW, that’s just you lying to yourself) Then the cancer sideshows started to play out.

“My sinus infection literally brought me to my knees,” he added. “I had never felt headaches like that. I went to a specialist. Got it taken care of but the residual results are numbing of the left side of my face. Neurologist said it will repair over time. The damage is not permanent and not visible. A little drooling here and there … oh well.”

“Perspective: I’m alive.”

Malo continued to lay out his physical situation.

“The abdominal hernia has been the most challenging in all of this,” he wrote. “First of all it’s very visible. And at times it has been really painful. Most of the time it’s just really uncomfortable as I have to wear this hernia belt around my abdomen to help keep my insides in place … ugh! I’ve basically been turned into a drooling, farting potato … sigh.

“Perspective: I’m alive.”

He then talked about the road ahead.

“I say all this because I want those that are going through this to know that challenges will arise,” he wrote. “You will have your own. The fact that I can go onstage helps keep me focused on the end game. My colon surgery has been scheduled for August. The hernia will be repaired later on in the year as that will require a bit more recovery time. 16 rounds of chemo have done what they’re made to do … kill cancer. I’m not out of the woods yet but I’m on the way. First pic is from my last round of chemo. Then per usual I go for a drive in the countryside while listening to Pavarotti while driving a little over the speed limit. My wife Betty, makes a delicious Spanish omelet (my favorite) as the Mediterranean diet helps keep you healthy. For all those fighting this fight … hang in there. We got this! RM”

The 59-year-old shared good news with fans back in March as well.

“Received some great news this week and I wanted to share,” he wrote on the band’s Instagram back then. “My doctors are thrilled with my progress so far, hernia and all. All my scans so far have come back clear including the PET scan from last week. All my vital signs are excellent as well. We’ll know the next steps in the next week or so. Doctors will review all the scans and data and they’ll determine the next steps.”

Malo spent time in the hospital in January after developing the hernia. He also announced in January that he had surgery on Dec. 10 to remove a tumor from his liver.

Malo announced his diagnosis last June in an Instagram video.

“In the last couple of years, we out here on the road, we have been on a health kick,” he said. “Treating ourselves a little better. Taking care out ourselves a little better, and really trying to do all the right things as far as nutrition, etc. So, part of the health journey is to get yourself checked out. Go to a doctor, take a physical and start there.”

Malo said that is what he did.

“And that led to another appointment with a gastrointestinal specialist, which led to a CAT scan,” he said. “And that proved to show two cancerous spots.”