In a message recorded for listeners at the end of October, Power explained that he has been dealing with trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic condition affecting a nerve in the brain.
He described the condition as “more frequent and more painful” in recent weeks and said that the surgery is needed to address the issue.
Power said that he had been dealing with the issue for the last two or three years and that he wasn’t sure how long his break from the podcast was going to last.
“Obviously, the bouts have become more frequent and more painful… I’m on the tablets and I can’t even think straight,” he told listeners.
“There’s been loads of issues with me rescheduling recordings, so on and so forth, so yeah, it’s just been a huge problem for me, but thankfully I’ll be going in now getting it sorted and hopefully all goes well.”
Power reassured fans not to be alarmed by the prospect of brain surgery, saying he expected to recover well and return to the podcast “before you know it”.
“It sounds very dramatic when you hear brain surgery, but don’t worry, I’m going to be brand new and I’m going to get it sorted. Hopefully, all goes well and recovery goes well.
“I just said I’d come over to the studio and do this because while I would have liked to ride off into the sunset and say nothing and roll with it, I couldn’t do that to yous because you have supported us since day one, every single one of you has been behind us in everything,” he said.
He thanked listeners for their support since the podcast began.
“The lads are still going to be here doing their thing. Keep supporting it, it will mean the world to us,” he said.
Talking B****x, created by Power and Calvin O’Brien, started as a lockdown project and shares stories from Dublin’s inner city, tackling topics including addiction, mental health, and sexuality.
Power and O’Brien, who describe themselves as “just two lads from the flats”, have recorded interviews with a wide range of guests, from breast cancer survivors to GAA stars, and have won awards including the Listeners’ Choice Award at the inaugural Irish Podcast Awards.